Tim Pierce / CC
One of the best “fads” during the late seventies and throughout the eighties was the roller rink. I’ve shared many fond memories with my coworker Steve Tanner about those days. We both DJ’ed at roller rinks – Steve locally in Bridgewater , while for a couple of years I DJ’ed at Wheelies in Lower Sackville every Saturday night.
For those of you who have never been, the “rink” had a polyurethane floor and a great light and sound system. You could rent roller skates or bring your own and you got to skate in circles around the rink with all your friends to your favourite tunes. The teens were evenly split in their musical tastes – half liked disco and R and B, while the other half (mostly guys) wanted hard rock and metal. It made for some interesting mixes but seemed to keep everyone happy.
I still believe that someday roller rinks will make a comeback. It just takes the right movie to start up the roller craze again.
Did you ever visit a roller rink?
