Mar
30

Do You Support Black-Owned Rinks?

GeneralMarch 30th, 2010Reply

Recently, an RST reader suggested that a piece be done about whether Black skating rinks are receiving support from Black skaters and just how much support those skaters are giving as far as attending sessions and hosting events at those rinks. It is true that there are not very many Black-owned skating rinks to be found and the ones RST knows about are listed on the “Black Rinks” page. If you are aware of other rinks that should be included in this category, let us know.

In 2003-2004 RST did a series spotlighting 3 Black-owned rinks and, as a flashback, links to those articles are being re-posted. Read about how these rink owners got started, difficulties they faced and some of their secrets to success.

Lockwood Skate Palace (TX) Jan/Feb 2004
Hoover Skate Arena (OH) Sept/Oct 2003
Markham Roller Rink (IL) July/Aug 2003

Our listing shows 27 Black-owned rinks in 14 states, most of them (6), in Illinois. If you live in these areas, do you regularly support these rinks? If not, what are some of the reasons that keep you from doing so – are there improvements that need to be made? Is the rink too far from you? Do you think skaters and event organizers should commit to doing more to support and ensure these rinks survive the tough economic times we are in?

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8 Comments

  • q in sac
    March 30, 2010 at 9:14 am

    When I’m Chicago I support the rinks. But you need to get an update on some of the rinks in the Chicago. A new rink is Rick City Skate out in Richton Park. Good articles.

    • kim (RST)
      March 31, 2010 at 8:40 am

      thanks for pointing that out, q. rich city was on the list but it was not in alphabetical order so i fixed it. i’ve skated at markham and “the rink” but rich city was having a very well attended teen night the saturday i went, so i didn’t skate. i have to say “the rink’s” sunday night 25+, 5:30-9:30 session is something to check out. i really enjoyed myself.

      one rink i want to get to, but haven’t been back in ohio for awhile, is hoover, just for the historical significance of it. i’ve heard the floor is not large, but i still want to get there one day.

  • Jalil
    March 30, 2010 at 6:25 pm

    I really don’t care if the rink is black owned or not. Don’t misinterpet what I’m saying. I love to see any minority ( Black, hispanic, oriental, woman, etc. ) or young person own a rink. It’s inspiring but business is business. If your place isn’t clean, you don’t treat your patrons right, keep playing the same music over and over, don’t take care of the floor and want to control a party after you see its successful and over charge your pratons… I WILL NOT SUPPORT YOUR RINK no matter what the color of your skin is. So business is business and if Chez Whitey is doing it right I’m going to his rink. If Brother Bob got it going on I’m going to his rink. If they trying to out do each other I will go to the night thats jumpin the best and switch up later. Business is business so if you want my business do the skater right…..and I will support my local rink!!!

    • kim (RST)
      March 31, 2010 at 8:44 am

      i can respect that, jalil, and it makes sense. would you want to say what city or state some of these rinks are in where you experienced some of these things?

    • Luv2Sk8
      April 5, 2010 at 7:07 am

      TOTALLY agree with Jalil. The black-owned rink near me is HORRENDOUS. Dirty floor, lousy music, poorly maintained, and they treat the customers like crap. . . we call it the ghetto rink. I don’t care that it’s black-owned. You don’t get my hard-earned money just because you are black!

  • Showtime
    April 1, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    I live in Cincinnati, Ohio and I must say that I just recently started going back to Hoover Skate Arena and I love it. The floor is slick but CLEAN. The rink is small (there are no lockers, snack bar, or video games). The guy that works the dorr is the DJ and the guy at the skate counter sells can sodas out of a cooler and does a coat check for $0.50. The place is kind of shabby but it rocks. The music is nice and the variety is great. The rink is not in the best neighborhood but I can not remember there ever being any problems at the rink. You can feel the history while you skate. The owners always welcome you with a smile (except for the guy doing security, which is undestandable) and from time to time they give out FREE passes. It is a shame that some people don’t give Hoover their props. It isn’t really a rink you would host a national skate party at but I don’t understand why some of our most “influential” skaters refuse to roll there. Over the past 2 weeks I got my best roll on at Hoover.

  • Showtime
    April 1, 2010 at 1:39 pm

    I jsut read the article about Hoover and I have a crazy story to tell. I was talking to a man that grew up with my father in Lincoln Heights, Ohio. I was telling him about a skate session I attended. We started talking about skating and the rink that was in Lincoln Heights called “Johnson’s.” I always hear stories about Johnson’s rink and how packed it was and the good times had by everybody. My father’s friend tells me that he thought that Mrs. Johnson’s family owned the rink in Dayton. He told me stories of how Mrs. Johnson would walk on the floor and grab you by the ear and escort you out the rink if you were cuttin up. I told him that sounds just like the lady that owns Hoover. It is good to know that our assumptions were right. Man, it feels so good to hear about the good old days. I feel confident that we will get those days back.

    • kim (RST)
      April 2, 2010 at 1:25 pm

      LOL @ “Mrs. Johnson would walk on the floor and grab you by the ear and escort you out the rink if you were cuttin up.”

      thanks for the first hand description of the rink, showtime. they seem to have a tight grip on how things go at hoover but that’s probably one of the reasons they’ve been able to last as long as they have. it’s been awhile since i’ve gone to one of the teen nights here but seeing how some of the young girls, in particular, were “dancing” and acting …. they could have used someone like a Mrs Johnson to give them some of that tough love and tell them to get up off the ground and stop acting like animals in heat. i wasn’t tempted to do the “mrs. johnson” ear thing but did ask a few of the girls to get up off of their hands and knees.

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