Raise your hand if you think roller rinks died out in the 90s! Surprisingly they didn't; roller rinks are very much alive and still hopping! I spent my Sunday afternoon in the depths of a rundown, yet crowded roller rink. I'm sure you're wondering why I would go roller skating out of the blue. Well, I'm actually in the musical Xanadu and the role I'm playing requires me to be in roller skates basically the entire show. If you haven't heard of Xanadu, it's a musical based off the movie starring Olivia Newton John, in which she's a muse from Athens who travels to Venice to help a struggling artist. I'm playing the Olivia Newton John character so it's necessary that I learn how to roller skate adequately.
So not only did I get to practice for my upcoming musical endeavor but I got to enjoy the lost art form of rollerskating that I thought had been forgotten in the 80s. That was until we walked into the rink and saw the crowd of people cooped up inside. I was so surprised by the volume of customers in Roller Kingdom on a Sunday afternoon!
It was pretty cheap to get in and the admission came with a free skate rental which was much appreciated. They weren't the most fashionable footwear I've ever worn, but they sufficed and graciously kept me from falling. Who would have thought that roller skating was still a happening thing?!
It's not just about rollerskating anymore; these rinks are equipped with a full entertainment complex. Not only can you roller skate, but you can play games and win prizes. Essentially, they have a mini Chucky Cheese's inside and kids play games and get tickets that they turn in for prizes. This game center is definitely one of the most exciting things they offer, besides laser tag that is. Yes, LASER TAG. I almost pulled a Barney from How I Met Your Mother and took on a slew of seven year olds, fortunately, I decided against it because I didn't want to deal with angry parents. I also opted out of the karaoke contest because I figured singing "We Can't Stop" by Miley Cyrus next to children singing Taylor Swift and One Direction would have been inappropriate.
Overall, roller rinks are still kind of cool. When you enter them you feel like you've time warped to the 80s, which was an awesome retro moment. The only down side is the people that are around you. You have to carefully plan when you go to the roller rink; dependent on the day you will discover different crowds. I discovered that Sunday afternoons are reserved for families with young children that enjoy eating pizza and spending most of their time on the floor of the skating area. The best time for quality skating will likely be weekday evenings, on those days entry is cheaper and small children won't be present. So go to your local roller rink and try it out! It's definitely more fun than I expected and necessary for everyone to do before they kick the bucket.
On a side note:
Here's a picture of a little girl who went roller skating with her dad on Sunday. She was a little fashionista! Not only was she matching, but her hair was softly curled and she was wearing mascara! I wish I was this trendy when I was five!
Much love! <3
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