Leona turned 10 this week. I put together a party for her at the Crystal Palace Skating rink here in Las Vegas. My husband and I grew up there so I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I started skating when I was four years old. I continued through serious competitive roller speed skating until I was sixteen. My husband was the coolest skater I knew (but don't tell him I said that). Yes we've known each other that long. (a strange but cool story I suppose lol).
The skating rink is the same place just completely different. The carpet was changed it is intense but fun. The lighting is completely different with new technology LED glow lights everywhere. They changed a lot, which I am sure is necessary if you want to stay an active business.
The saddest part. There is no more roller-speed skating. Not a single team here. I guess it was a popular thing in the 90's and died off when ice-speed skating was introduced into the 2002 Winter Olympics. I knew when they were scouting for Olympic Development in about 1996 they were ecstatic at the possibilities of skating int he Olympics, but I knew if it went ice no one would be interested in roller.
Now 12 years later there is no roller-speed team left in Las Vegas.
So back to the party... We invited 10 girls and the rest family. I had no intention of skating. My daughter brought some skates she had received from Grama. Jace tried to run onto the floor first chance he got. Hence we both ended up in skates.
He tried to take off with only one skate on. I was surprised they fit since they are a size too big. He was determined. I thought I was little when I started but almost two and he is on roller skates. I think because it is in his bones. I mean their parents met at the skating rink. Without that place my life would be drastically different for one I wouldn't have met my husband.
I suppose his fascination with the skates makes sense since he loves everything and anything with wheels. They were adorable. I was surprised. When you are a "speed-skater" you don't wear the gross rental skates. However they are new. Thank goodness! I would've been a little weird-ed out if they were the exact same skates from when I was little.
When I was younger the floor was a little different. I would plop myself on the floor for whatever reason. Now it just felt so foreign. It has changed a lot seeing as with speed-skating and then came roller-hockey the rink smelled like sweat, dirty feet and grease. It of course was a very distinct smell. I didn't know at the time but my younger sister would always tease me when I got home from practice (and we practiced 3 times a day for Regionals) that I smelled like the skating-rink. I thought cool, but it really wasn't a compliment.
NOW it didn't smell. They must've upgraded their AC units or ventilation or since there is no more speed-skating or dirty hockey gear there is less sweat and dirty feet everywhere.
He seemed to be fascinated with the wheels. Part of me is sad though my kids will never know the thrill of being on a competitive speed-skating team or racing the way I knew it. Sure skating at the public sessions is fun I did it every day sometimes multiple sessions a day, but it just isn't the same as racing.
Maybe by the time they are old enough to race they will start another team. The owner's son or possibly the owner now did say it comes and goes but it was huge in the 90's that is for sure.
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