Roller Skating through the years - Life in America

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#recollectionroad #nostalgia

[@Das_Vert]

My grandpa was a world champion speed skater in the 40’s. He would always show up to my skating parties as a kid and show off. Miss that guy.

[@michellejoy6752]

What a fantastic memory.

[@onecoolcat2478]

I loved going to the roller rink in the 70's and early 80's. There was only one in town called Jonquil Skating Rink. By God it's still open but under a different name :) Hey....who remembers doing the "Hokey Pokey"?

[@stevenreynolds2327]

how about the limbo, and the penny scramble?

[@LilannB]

Roller derby was on TV on Saturdays in the 70s. Raquel Welch starred in a roller derby film in the 70s called "Kansas City Bomber".

[@pegs1659]

I remember skating in the 1960's wearing those adjustable key skates. We had a bit of a hill on my street that was pretty fun! I hated when one of the skates came loose and tried to come off, hanging on my ankle by the strap. 😂

[@clumaster]

my favorite rink was the Terrace in Toronto, loved going every weekend. 4:15 "You do the hokey pokey And you turn yourself around That's what it's all about"

[@BrodyMcCain]

I love to go back in time. Thank you for the time travel.

[@Ticky66MN]

I grew up roller skating in the late 70's into the 80's. I just looked up and the High Roller Skating is still in business with a new location in Wisconsin. How cool!

[@paulhazel5754]

what a time to go up. during that time in the twin cities there was the saints roller rinks. what fun.

[@MissBabalu102]

Where in Wisconsin? Do you know Wauwatosa, where I also skated around the same time...? This video almost brought tears to my eyes, I wish we all would get off our phones and do active, fun things again. I bet parents complained about accidents.

[@annek1226]

@@MissBabalu102 It is listed in Waukesha County but I believe if you look up the address on a map, it’s on the outskirts of Butler.

[@itinerantpatriot1196]

That was cool. When I was a kid my friends and I would go to the roller rink on Saturday mornings with $2.50 we would get from out parents. The 50 cents was for the hour-long lesson between 10:30-11:30 and the two bucks was for the matinee that started at noon. We would take the lesson, then hide out, usually in the restroom, until the matinee was underway, pocketing the two bucks for drinks, snacks, and such. Not exactly boy-scout level honesty but at that age ethics were, well, let's say not real high on our list of concerns. Every now and again we would get caught and had to pony up the money but it was worth it. Those Saturday's at the rink were a blast. Such fond memories. I imagine the old rink is long gone. Do kids even skate anymore? It's hard to believe more than 50 years have passed since those good-old-days. But then I guess that's what makes them good-old-fays in the first place. Keep up the good work. I enjoy your videos. Most of them hold some personal significance to me and even the ones that don't are enjoyable, an eight-minute break back to simpler times when anything seemed possible.

[@jrussellcase]

Kids do still skate. We had our little girl's birthday party at a local skating rink 3 weekends ago, and I was shocked at how crowded the place was. It's still popular.

[@itinerantpatriot1196]

@@jrussellcase That's good to hear. It's nice to know some activities from my youth are still popular. Sounds like it was a good time for all involved.

[@Barbarra63297]

When I was 6 and my best friend next door was five, she could never find her skates so I'd share one of mine with her and we'd skate just like pushing along on a skateboard. In the pre-teen and teen years we all loved going to the rink and skating, my fav song to skate to was Donovan's Mellow Yellow. In my 30's got into roller blading, loved how fast you could go on those! Great memories!

[@susie154]

I did that too! We would argue over who would get the skate for the right foot😀

[@bp39047]

Went to my neighborhood roller rink back in the late 50's and early 60's. Always came home with bruises on my legs and arms. Never could master it.

[@texman8150]

Most of my roller skating experience in the 1950's was with the street skates that you had to clamp onto your shoes and tighten with a key. In the city I grew up in, in New York, there was a mix of sidewalk surfaces that offered different challenges. The best were the old slate sidewalks that predated those new fangled poured cement sidewalks. The slate was much slicker and the steel skate wheels would glide over them more easily, giving you more speed with less effort. The drawback with slate was that the sidewalks were much older so there were cracks and chips you had to navigate around or take a tumble. Also, not being connected to each other, the individual slate sections would angle up or down offering another challenge. But the extra speed you got on slate was worth the risk. Somehow we survived all that, just like we survived riding in cars without being belted in.

[@leesashriber5097]

Loved roller skating back on the 80's!! What a great time!!! Thanks for the memories 😊

[@EclecticDD]

I grew up going to roller skating rinks in the 70s and 80s and it was fun. I remember the first time having the option of roller blades as opposed to the traditional skates in the late 90s. The photos in the video are cool to see. The photo of the people dressed for some kind of pageant or competition sparks my curiosity the most.

[@samanthab1923]

I could ice skate like a pro but for some reason sucked at roller skating. Always got blisters too. Went to a place in Cliffwood Beach NJ. First time I saw roller blades was out in San Diego. Early 80’s.

[@asimplehorseman4648]

Thank you. That brought back a lot of good memories. Simpler times, I miss them....

[@bridgetmccracken1381]

My hometown rink closed about 9 yrs ago. not only did I enjoy skating there as a teenager in the 70's but my Son loved it in his teens as well :)

[@buickinvicta288]

YAY!! Roller skating!! I started late 50's. Metal clamp on with skte key (worn on a cord around the neck) On the street, sidewalks were bumpy. Then on to Roller disco!! Leather boots with "Cryptonic" wheels. Sooo much fun, great music. Healthy and wholesome. Look up "Rollerina" NYC 😂🥳

[@charlesbaldo]

In the 70's there were roller skating rinks everywhere. Many a Friday night I was there. I thought it was a forever thing and always was and will be. Haven't seen one in 30 years.

[@oliviabeauford-ou7gu]

This made me cry. We were so much healthier then. Thanks

[@biancagerade4229]

sometimes I wish I could go back in time and ask the girls that were the roller skating waitresses at the drive-ins how it was? I skated when I was younger but trying to imagine having to juggle that tray of food and roller skating wow kudos to them I give them a thumbs up 👍

[@martinpennock9430]

Never really skated much. Grew up around the roller rinks though. I knew a lot of people that did. Love the memories and the channel! God bless you and yours and thanks again for all you do! 👍👍😁

[@jons.6216]

Also in the 70s was that silly novelty "Roller skates" by Melanie!! "... you've got a brand new key..."! Etc haha!

[@j1st633]

Growing up in Manhattan, we used either Central or Riverside Park. What great memories. Thanks for this video.

[@1954shadow]

When was dating my future wife, in the early 1980s, we went to the roller rink quite often, good memories.

[@jeffsilverman6104]

Northridge Skateland in L.A. 1960s-1970s. There was a Pup 'n Taco next door for the late night munchies, it was a great time and place to be growing up.

[@detectivefiction3701]

I was a child/adolescent in the 1980s and loved skating at the local roller rink. That's really a phenomenon I wish still existed.

[@spokanetomcat1]

The first set of skates I got for an early 60s Christmas were steel wheels and a skate key. When we wore shoes more than sneakers at that time. They were great until you hit a crack or a wide-spaced seam in the sidewalk. Skating on the asphalt street was a complete chore and a lot of work.

[@bubhub64]

Right, eventually the steel wheels would start to get dented up and wouldn't roll good anymore. Lol!

[@spokanetomcat1]

@@bubhub64 And rusty too. The bearings would fill up with gravel.

[@de3182]

It was a huge treat in the 80s for me and my friends to get to go skating. We lived so rural that it was 45 miles to the nearest rink! I would get to go about once every 6-8 weeks. My mom would drop us off for a few hours and go to lunch and shopping. Fun times!

[@jamiechristian2477]

In 1977 was on roller skates more than shoes. We lived at the rink with working @ the rink practicing artist skating and sessions it was a blast. Thank you Car-Vel skate club San Antonio, Texas ❤😊

[@azmike1]

I remember "Roller Derby" on Television in southern California. That was some tough stuff. It was exciting to watch. But one could get hurt. It was very physical. Remember that on TV?I think it was KTTV channel 11. Los Angeles.

[@dizzyowl76]

In the 8o’s my day would often take my sister and I to our local roller rink(Wheelies). He would sit and read the paper while we skated for a few hours. I have great memories of that time:)

[@allan9603]

Circa 1970, Joyland Park skating ring, Wichita, Kansas. I remember skating to the Archie's song Sugar Sugar; 50 cent admission fees, 10 cent Cokes and candy bars.., those were the days! As a footnote, I came to find out that Don Johnson- Miami Vice, Nash Bridges.., worked at the same skating rink! Sadly, Joyland Amusement Park and skating rink are long gone, but the memories will live on.

[@miriambucholtz9315]

I've never roller skated at a rink, but I used to skate on the sidewalks in front of our house in NJ when I was a little girl. My skates were metal, red in color, and had been handed down to me by my cousins. They were nicely broken-in by then, and I loved them. I learned how to deal with uneven sidewalks (tree roots and the like) and how to steer onto the grass to stop myself if I started going too fast. Great exercise. I was around 5 or 6 years old at the time.

[@susie154]

I remember, in my youth, going skating with my church group in the 60's! I always won a little trophy for winning the races for my age group! And I would carry it while skating!

[@earlysundays9544]

Oaks Park Roller Skating Rink in Portland Oregon, was the last roller rink session for me. FUN FACT: You can skate to live pipe organ music twice a week, the only roller rink to do so in the world!

[@katiebice3905]

Our big thing was BOWLING, not skating. My mom was on a league so we would hang out with her and when old enough, joined a league too. It was good family fun.

[@marilyntaylor9577]

I had the key skates in the 1950’s. I didn’t know how to stop, so when I got to the end of the block I fell over into a bush. Of course I was hopeless at the rink.

[@shelley6595]

Born in the 50's... Metal wheel skates, with a key to strap on to your shoes. these were what we had, bumps in the side walks were a problem. also remember the skating rinks, with music, food and excitement to be part of that skating. Great memories. wish we had more of these rinks available now.

[@cyrysvonnachtseite4546]

Guptill Rollerskating Arena. Just celebrated their 70th anniversary and is the largest indoor rink In The world. Had the honor to play the organ for skating sessions

[@barbarabonnette2705]

When I was little I was either wearing skates or on my bicycle......loved growing up in the 60s and 70s....and I ain’t dead yet!

[@Curly34584]

PLAYING SHOOT THE DUCK WAS FUN!! ALL SKATES ALL SKATES ONLY! SO MANY GREAT MEMORIES!

[@robbiegraham5707]

Fellow Chicago IL. area Rink Rat here...👋Love love love this...✌️💜🛼

[@Leguminator]

We had Skateland, which may have been a regional chain(?). Looked like a big beige aluminum farm building from the outside. I remember a lot of the music from then, but my favorite to skate to was Hotline by The Sylvers. I had blue glitter laces on my black skates and drank lots of suicides (a little of every soda flavor) -- I doubt I'd enjoy that concoction today. I thought I was the sh*t when I got my own skates for Christmas.

[@AJ17_]

I remember in the 80s, my school having roller skating parties several times a year at the local roller rink. The cool/good skaters usually hung out in the middle of the rink, doing tricks and fancy skating moves to impress others. I still had the speed skates I used in high school up until a few years ago. And I regret getting rid of them even though I never really used them anymore (though they still fit). Part of me really wants to get a new pair of skates & hit up a local rink on an 80s night or something.

[@thetraveler2561]

Lots of fun......skated on the block long sidewalks where I grew up on my steel skates back in the 60's & early 70's....man I used to fly...thanks for the mems.

[@LilannB]

When my Mother was about 20 she was in a roller skating club. There were pictures of my Mother and the other girls all dressed in the same outfits. In the 70s when I was a teen my mother taught my older brother and I how to roller skate. We would go to the roller skating rink on Saturday mornings. If you did not own skates you could rent them at the rink.

[@tommywoo1888]

thank you!!!!!!

[@Kuulei265]

Skate Queen checking in here. I skated so hard I skated the ball bearing right off my skates plus a wheel. These were my first boot skates. I used to tighten the screws on my old skates. Wore the key around my neck.

[@joshuabrande2417]

I remember the skates that clamped onto my shoes requiring a skate key which you had on a string around your neck.

[@katherinegates1559]

❤️🥰 So many Fun Times...The Best memories...❤️

[@ironbridge2451]

Fun to guess the year on the pix...lovely!

[@michaelfleming40]

I LOVED going roller skating at the Rollerina in Alamogordo, NM when I was a kid. Unfortunately we didn't go very often. It was great fun. I NEVER tried using those roller blades. I could imagine getting a twisted ankle and said No Way Jose.

[@madamesalamander16]

Marilyn Monroe lacing up was for a scene from "Monkey Business" with Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers. It's a great little comedy that manages to still be cute and clever so many years later!

[@marygrant882]

One of my favorite movies! When Cary pretends he can't skate and falls down, it actually hurt him. I have all 72 films he ever did.

[@lanacampbell-moore6686]

Thanks RR😊✌

[@gregburns5638]

We had a small, somewhat rundown roller skating rink, by the Seawall in Lordship (aka Stratford...), Connecticut. I had lousy ankles, but had to endure several grammar school era birthday parties there. UGH!!! There was another rink in Monroe, Connecticut as well. But my favorite (former) rink was a 1920's-themed nightclub named "Beverly's" 💋 up on Bantam Lake in Moris, Connecticut. It was not air-conditioned, but had huge hinged windows that allowed cool lake breezes in. The 3,000 square foot dance floor was on springs, so with enough people dancing, cocktails were literally falling off tables. Although they closed for the Winter, "Beverly's" would open with huge propane heaters on New Years Eve. It is currently a used boat showroom, and it breaks my heart to know it's gone... 😞😓😩😤😡

[@AnnaD25]

Still have my skates and pom poms from early 70's🥰

[@user-yh8we8gn4f]

My nanna was a amazing ice skater and roller skater, so nan I'm taking up skating at 38, hope your in the atmosphere somewhere, love you and think about you most days

[@bekaska6615]

Love da late '80s roller skates specially da fast, black ones I had pop-locked in!🤘

[@kathiep5462]

my husband and i roller skated from grade school thru high school in the 50's and 60's. then we switched to ice skating in the '70's and '80's. it was one of the best parts of my life. such memories. and BTW yes we met in grade school and are married to this day. lol too bad kids today have nothing like that to do.

[@timebong8366]

Grew up in 70s and 80s and going to the skate place was awesome times. Place was called the roller barn or something like that

[@pamelamays4186]

A memory: Roller skating in Balboa Park on a Saturday afternoon. Another memory: Buying roller skates at my college campus bookstore. Here in San Diego we had one roller disco rink. Aquarius Roller Rink located La Mesa. 🛼🛼🛼🛼🛼🛼🛼

[@davidkost418]

In 1970 on Friday nights it was kid skate from 7-9 - my friends and I were there every Fri - we had a ball.

[@bladerunner752]

My memories started thinking about Xanadu. Wow its all that long ago.

[@mikebarnes2294]

My first job was working behind the skate counter at a roller rink - very end of the 90's.

[@ke6drl]

Me and my Wife Skated to Disco music in the 70's We just restarted skating after 40 years away. We stumbled onto our worn out skates from the 70's . That's all it took.

[@spyderlogan4992]

The Alexandria Roller Rink, Alexandria, Virginia. Not only did I go there to skate(and fall) as a pre-teen, it also hosted some of the greatest acts in Rock History. The Yardbirds, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Jeff Beck Group, Blood Sweat and Tears, Spirit, Canned Heat, B.B. King, and Jethro Tull among many, many others.

[@msmith7851]

Grew up roller skating as a child. I did have the key to keep the skate affixed to my shoe. My, I feel old.

[@pamelamays4186]

My Mom and her sister wore their skate keys on a string around their necks.

[@matrox]

I got a pair of the metal adjustable skates in the late 50s when I was still a toddler. I didn't really start to learn to skate until my late teens when I bought the hi top skates. I never did get good, but still have the skates today. Still in great condition too.

[@relaxationstation7374]

😍I used to totally love roller disco!😍

[@timebong8366]

Back when times were simpler

[@joshuaparshall1409]

At the local rink in my area in the 80s we would limbo to Chubby Checker's limbo rock and have races fun times for sure

[@emmetttaylor1739]

Back in the 1980 I was a guard at the Loop Roller Disco. It was a fun place to work and I met a lot of woman..

[@stevenallmon1112]

Couldn’t skate to save my life! Really enjoyed the video anyway!

[@toddmo1]

The last pair I had was a black "boot" type with green wheels and stopper. I would leave green marks in the road when stopping.

[@darrenkrivit6854]

Fond memories of roller skating in the 70's at the local "Roller Haven" 🛼 it was the place to be for awhile ✌️

[@jimmyp6443]

We had a local roller skating ring South Amboy NJ

[@FunkyMonk4Life]

I discovered the skating rink in 1978 when I was 7. I would spend every Fri and Sat night there from 5 til Midnight skating my butt off. My Sharona dropped in 79 and I lost my mind everytime they played it (at least a half dozen times a night). I guess it was around 1983 that I lost interest. I had gotten taller and I couldn't scoot around the rink like I could when I was smaller. It was a blast while it lasted though.

[@summerrose4286]

I liked going to the roller rink in jr high and high school. So much fun. My daughter got a pair of roller blades from the neighbor girl, put them on and went down her brother's new skate board ramp and broke her wrist. 😒

[@timp1051]

Those were great days. Lots of fun at the roller rink. Kids today would probably have a heart attack if they tried it. Too busy eating cheetos and wasting time on their x-box.

[@topper1958]

1970s & early 80s, Skate City, Yorktown Heights, NY every Friday and Saturday nights. Sometimes Sunday afternoons. I loved going there and afterwards to Friendly’s for a bite to eat. They would have a 15 minutes session for, “couples only”. Every time I asked to girl to skate she would say, “no”. Oh well...still it was fun to skate. Now at 64 skating is a fond memory.

[@nancybarta8167]

I use to sneak awake in the middle of the night to watch the roller derby girls......lol.My parents didnt allow me to watch it!

[@dinkydoo69]

Remember 'Roller Derby'? Those women were viscous.

[@nomadicnewbie]

I skated a lot back in the 80s. Then every once in a while in the years since. Just last fall I started going to the rinks again. Now I usually go a couple times a week. I plan to go tonight btw. :-)

[@jcshaves]

Spent lots of paper route money at the roller rink that also had an arcade in the early 80’s.

[@yvonnebryant5120]

Memories. ; )

[@Tiberius291]

My sister was a bigger roller skating fan than me, i was always falling on my butt. 'Brand New Key' - Melanie 🎼

[@pegs1659]

Great song!

[@joemackey1950]

I could never learn how to stay upright on skates of any sort. A friend of mine was a whiz and all over the place. The photo at 2.39 looks exactly like a skating rink at a local amusement, Camden Park, Huntington, WV. The rink burned down in the early 2000s..

[@stephenspilker9334]

i still remember shopping at monkeywards and all the people working in the warehouse wore roller skates to fill the orders from the store. lol

[@Angellady11]

In New York , Brooklyn. the Moroccan community in the 1940s would have a skate dance for girls to meet eligible single men I found my a picture of my Aunt and uncle in a skate dance on the day they met and were together for over 45 years

[@joeheid4757]

I remember my elementary school having having 4 Roller Skating Parties a year in the 70's. Always be a Sunday night. I always remembered struggling the 1st half hour and by yhe time the 2 hours were up I would be "flying" around the rink!! Or at least to me I was. After awhile they just disappeared. Sad.

[@ironbridge2451]

DARLING!!

[@tm510a]

You need to do one on ice skating rinks that popped up around the same time.

[@davidkastin4240]

We had the metal skates ☺ and then got skateboards with the same metal wheels lol 😂

[@choward5430]

This is one thing I never did. What I did do was remove the wheels off skates and make my own kneel board. What's needed? Large nails, ball bearings, 4"-6" wood board, and a milk crate.

[@MsRmaclaren]

The only place I skated was the rink. I learned in my teens and fell and hurt myself. I stopped skating within days of starting.

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

That's definitely what I feel if I try to roller stake. I feel like I'll just fall back and hurt myself. Pfft

[@yudibimasiswana6690]

Tetap semangat kang.....dlm inovasi nya ..teknik nya tidak ada tendangan ya kang ...? .selalu semangat dan sukses terus Tatung derajat salam bwt semua BOX!

[@cabbitkisser2620]

i have not been to the roller rink in years. i used to back in the early 80's. once in a while the dj played let's do the limbo. i liked the song but i never cared for doing the limbo

[@sandratessem9980]

I had pink roller skates

[@skadill]

When Young people kept fit not fat.

[@schallrd1]

Let's play the song by Melanie.