The roller rink was the place to be every Friday night, and it was where you’d go to dress differently, skate differently, and flirt awkwardly.
When the music slowed down
The couples skate was one of those events where everybody seemed to pay attention. Yes, it was pretty common for rinks to set aside songs or entire turns for pairs, and they often involved skaters holding hands as they made their way across the floor.
Most people today probably think it sounds innocent enough. But in those days, asking someone to join you was quite a big deal, and it was almost like asking someone to go on a date. A single slow song could make an ordinary night far more memorable.
Friday had its own destination
There was no need for a party invitation. No, the rink already had a crowd waiting, with Friday and Saturday sessions tending to be the busiest. A few rinks would stay open late enough that teenagers were able to have a proper night out, but without needing to go to adult venues.
You had music and food, after all, as well as plenty of friends. Going to the roller rink was a kind of nightlife before nightlife for many teenagers. It’s not something many people today will experience in the same way, even though there might still be some roller rinks.
That tan leather was everywhere
The rental counter at a rink had a very particular look, and it certainly wasn’t subtle. Tan leather skates were the most common kind of rental skates during the 1970s, mostly because they had to survive years of hard use. They also had to work on hundreds of different feet.
They definitely weren’t glamorous, but they were practical. One of the most popular roller skate manufacturers was Riedell, and they made rental boots specifically for skating rinks. Their same chunky style showed up all over America as a result. No wonder people remember them so well.
The serious skaters brought their own
While rental skates were perfectly acceptable, it was a different story when you brought your own pair. It meant you were an experienced skater. Yes, these skaters would have their own equipment, and it made them stand out in a really good way.
You could get some basic stock skates for around $39, or some custom ones for roughly $160. Anyone who was truly serious about skating would choose their own boots and wheels, as well as the plates. These were all signs that it wasn’t your first time at the rink.
Half the fun happened off the floor
It sounds strange, but it’s true. A lot of your time at the roller rink actually involved standing around, and people would lean against railings while watching better skaters. They’d check out who’d arrived.
It’s not because they couldn’t skate, but instead because the roller rink was the kind of place you went to be seen. You were putting your hair, clothes, friends, and skating ability all on display, after all. Just entering the building was a pretty important lap.
Regulars knew who could really skate
It wouldn’t take long for you to learn who was who. All you needed was to spend enough weekends at the same rink, and then you’d notice the beginners who hugged the rail. You’d recognize how better skaters went backward and made complicated footwork look easy.
In fact, it got to the point where certain sessions were only for regulars, like at one Washington rink. It said in 1980 that Sunday night was not the place to come if you couldn’t skate. The hierarchy of the roller rink was just something you had to learn while you were there.
Every city rolled a little differently
Skating wasn’t the same across cities, and only the real roller rink regulars would know that. Someone who was a good skater in Chicago could walk into a rink in Detroit and look very different. It was all thanks to the development of local styles.
You could sometimes tell where someone had learned, just from the kind of skating moves they used. Over in Chicago, people had JB skating that was influenced a lot by James Brown’s music and quick footwork. But in Detroit, things were smoother. New York, California, Florida, and Great Lakes rinks had their own styles of skating, too, as there was no national skating style.
Skating had its own closet
Skating became so popular by the late 1970s that many people had clothes that were pretty much for skating and not much else. You know the kind, it was fitted tops, shiny fabrics, headbands, bright colors, and anything that looked better with the rink lights on.
Even the retailers noticed it. Take Macy’s, for example, as it opened a Roller Disco Shop that sold skates alongside clothes and accessories. The skating look was pretty big, and some rinks also had matching shirts for people to wear. It was that serious.
Home was about to get much busier
One of the most important parts of the roller rink had nothing to do with the skates. No, it was the fact that the rink was a big place where everybody ended up, where you saw classmates and older kids. It was one of the last big social scenes before home entertainment took over.
28 million Americans were roller skating by 1979. But then a few years later, VCRs became more popular, and home entertainment became steadily better. The roller rink generation was one of the last ones to experience this kind of collective social scene.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
10 common 1980s habits that wouldn’t fly today
Here are ten common habits from the 1980s that simply wouldn’t fly today.
