{ MAGAZINE PRODUCTION } EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jim McMahon EDITOR & PUBLISHER Lynette Rowland PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Brian Molony, Kalamazoo, MI, Chairman Mark Oliver, Jackson, MI Jeanne Sincavage, Reading, PA Shawn Castro, Webster, TX Ava Couey, Hiram, GA { ASSOCIATION BOARD } RSA PRESIDENT Cort Wahlig, Newark, DE RSA VICE PRESIDENT Billy Thompson, Clover, SC RSA TREASURER Brian Molony, Kalamazoo, MI RSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Alan Bacon, Richland, WA Jeff Warrenburg, Antioch, CA Ed Golebiowski, Coon Rapids, MN Josh Ingrum, Colorado Springs, CO Shawn Castro, Webster, TX Mark Oliver, Jackson, MI Robert Kramer, Terre Haute, IN Ron Parmley, Huntsville, AL Mike Penrod, Huber Heights, OH Rob Gould, Wilbraham, MA Jeanne Sincavage, Reading, PA Ava Couey, Hiram, GA Shane Locklear, Richmond, VA { RSA STAFF } Jim McMahon, Executive Director Angela Tanner, Assistant Executive Director Tonya Crenshaw, Accountant Lynette Rowland, Director of Communications Sharon McMahon, Director of Membership Services / Achievement Program / Pepsi Programming 4 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cort Wahlig, Lynette Rowland, Keith Loria, Lori Lovely, Corrie Pelc, Sara Karnish, Frank Kitchen, Sam Carpenter, Michael Rees COVER PROVIDED BY Istock photo. Businesses are welcome to submit photos for consideration for editorial use to editor@rollerskating.com. Must be 350 DPI or greater. COPYRIGHT Rinksider is published throughout the year by Roller Skating Association International. Copyright 2022 by Roller Skating Association International. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without express written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden. DISCLAIMER Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the directors, officers or members of RSA. RSA does not endorse, represent or warrant the accuracy or reliability of any of the information, content, advertisements or other materials contained herein. SUBMISSIONS Rinksider welcomes stories, art and photo contributions. All such material must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope in order to be returned. ADVERTISING INFORMATION Please contact Lynette Rowland at 317-347-2626 Ext. 107 or email editor@rollerskating.com to request a media kit and rate card. Advertising discounts available for all RSM Affiliate members. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Roller Skating Association, 6905 Corporate Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46278, Phone: 317-347-2626 or Fax: 317-347-2636. Presorted standard at Indianapolis, IN. Subscription is part of membership in Roller Skating Association International. Publication is for RSA members. MEMBER / SUPPORTER / PARTNER RINKSIDER The Official Roller Skating Business Magazine
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 5 [ CONTENTS ] President's Update ................................................... 6 Writers ...................................................................... 7 Sk8Expo Seminars to Educate and Inform............ 8 7 Ways to Up Your Leadership Game .................... 10 Defeating Chaos, Breaking Loose .......................... 12 Implementing the Learn to Skate Program .......... 16 Rink Maintenance Reminders ................................ 18 Convention Photo Album ........................................ 22 Crushing Culture, One Beer at a Time .................. 25 The Crucial Importance of Curb Appeal ............... 34 How to Use Social Media to Effectively Market ... 36 Roller Skating Manufacturers ................................ 48 Classified Ads........................................................... 50 3828 30 BoostingEmployeestoTipsEmployees:MotivatingandTricksMotivatingandMoraleHow to EventsExcitingCreatePromotional Freak Out! How to HalloweenMakeat Your Rink the Spookiest Yet 40 42 44 Rink withAlohaHighlightRollerRinkElizabethRuiz The Hard Facts About FlooringCOLUMNSCOLUMNS Art in PuttingSkatestheFun in Functional with Artist Chelsea Mae Gagnon
4
Visit
p.m.: Learn How Stem Can Dramatically Increase Revenue And Create New Skaters • 2:00
Work The Systems Of Your Business With Sam Carpenter • 5:15
Risk Management: Protecting Your Customers And Your Business •
Visit With Vendors •
Vendors •
6 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider news and commentary A s the RSA President, I want to ensure that every member has an opportunity to voice their thoughts and ideas as to the direction of the Association. Every week, we have a town hall meeting that provides members an outlet to discuss their issues, provide suggestions and get ideas on how to improve their business.
p.m.: When Being “Right” Is Wrong: The Art Of MichaelConversationsDifficultWithRees • 3:45
Breakfast • 8:00
p.m.: Visit With Vendors • 3:00
Trade Show Set-Up • 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.: CPR Certification • 4:15 - 5:30 p.m.: Learn To Skate Seminar With Coaching Certification • 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.: Welcome Reception WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 • 7:30 - 9 a.m.: Breakfast • 7:45 - 9:45 a.m.: First Aid Training • 8:45 - 10 a.m.: Visit With Vendors • 9:45 - 10:15 a.m.: RSA Updates • 10:15 -11:00 a.m.: The Power Of Community Partnerships: How To Do Well By Doing Good With Dr. Christina Madison • 11:00
Strategic Planning
p.m.: Lunch • 1:15
Digital Marketing Toolkit: Proven Posts, Resources and Strategies for Success on Social Media With Scott Salter • 10:45
TUESDAY,
AMERICAN ARTISTIC ROLLER SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Our inaugural American Artistic Roller Sports Championships was a huge success. Seeing all of the coaches, judges and incredible skaters from around the country gave me such pride and hope for the future of the roller skating industry. As I handed out awards to these exceptional athletes, I was reminded of my father and the energy and passion he brought to the roller skating industry and I'm overwhelmed with the amount of support that this industry has for one another. One of the highlights of the event that we could not have been more excited for was featuring the famous Griffin brothers (pictured here with skaters, coaches and their family) showing off their style skating skills to kick of the brand new Style Skating program. I was also incredibly humbled to award the famous Caroline Mirelli with the SRSTA Artistic Teacher of the Year Award. Caroline brought scores of high caliber athletes with her to the event and, rightly so, she's been coaching skaters her entire life. Her professional career as a world-touring roller figure skater started in 1947 at the age of 17 and she still gets up at 5 a.m. every morning to teach and create national champions. I'm in absolute awe at her commitment and passion for the sport. When I became president, it was my dream to not only get a coach in every single skating center, but it was to develop more skills skaters that draw attention to the industry that then help it continue to thrive. I am so proud to see my dreams come to fruition.
Cort Wahlig RSA President Photo credit: Deb Wahlig
6 • 9
For the first time ever, I'm inviting every member who attend Sk8Expo to join us for our Strategic Planning Session that will provide the Association with a direction and set of goals that the RSA Board of Directors, future presidents and staff will work towards for the next five years. This planning session not only provides members with the opportunity to give ideas on what they would like to see implemented, but also how it will affect the roller skating industry throughout the country. Your input is so valuable, so I hope that you'll make sure to join us at Sk8Expo for education and helping us to move the Association forward.
Future Proof Your Business With Jeremy Veatch THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 • 7:30
Visit With Vendors •
Visit With Vendors •
PRESIDENT’SUPDATE[ ] Sk8Expo to Provide Fun, Sun and Education - All Attending RSA Members Invited to Strategic Planning Session
- 12:00 p.m.: Visit With Vendors • 12:00
Visit With Vendors •
Stem Licensee Only •
Lunch • 1:30
It’s Okay To Play! Gaming Your Way To A Workplace Where People Are Valued, Grow And Produce Tasty Results With Frank Kitchen • 12:30
Speaking of Sk8Expo, by now you should have all received a copy of the event outline and details about the hotel - the absolutely beautiful Resorts World in Las Vegas, NV. If you haven't had a chance to check out the schedule, here's what you can expect. If you'd like to register, visit www.rollerskating.com/sk8expo2022 - we would love to have you! SEPTEMBER a.m. - p.m.: a.m. - 1:00 - 2:00 - 3:00 - 3:45 - 4:30 p.m.: 4:30 - 5:15 p.m.: - 5:45 p.m.: - 9:00 a.m.: - 8:45 a.m.: 8:45 - 9:45 a.m.: 9:45 -10:45 a.m.: - 11:45 a.m.: 11:45 - 12:30 a.m.: - 1:30 p.m.: - 2:15 p.m.: With 2:15 - 3:15 p.m.: 3:15 - 4:00 p.m.: 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.:
CORRIE PELC Corrie Pelc is a journalist, editor, and freelance writer with more than 23 year experience. Her byline can be found in a variety of consumer and trade publications, with past and current clients including Funworld magazine, Medical News Today, Hometalk.com, PassportHealth.com, INVISION Magazine, and Sacramento News & Review. She can be reached at corrie.pelc@gmail.com.
KEITH LORIA Keith is a freelance writer with more than 15 years experience writing for everything from the Bowling Center Management Magazine to Billiards Association of America. He’s met and interviewed celebrities from William Shatner and Kristen Chenowith to heart surgeon pioneer Marc Dedomenico and Pez Candy CEO Joe Vittoria. He can be reached at freelancekeith@gmail.com.
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 7 news and commentary
MICHAEL REES Michael is the cofounder of Potere Professional Services where he provides Fortune 500 HR support for non-Fortune 500 organizations. Michael holds a Bachelors degree in Communication and a Masters in Human Resource Management. Michael will be speaking at the 2022 Sk8Expo on September 6-8 in Las Vegas, NV.
WwritersSARAKARNISH
Sara Karnish is a freelance writer based in northeast Pennsylvania, where she lives with her family, including two very spoiled Labrador retrievers. Her work has appeared in G.I. Jobs, Pet Business, History, Souvenirs, Gifts, and Novelties, and Tourist Attractions & Parks, among others. She received her English degree from Lebanon Valley College, Annville, Pennsylvania. Besides writing, she is an avid reader, music lover/concert goer, and traveler. Growing up, she spent many Saturday afternoons at the roller rink.
SAM CARPENTER Sam Carpenter has a background in everything from engineering telecommunications.to He is the author of Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less and the founder and president of Centratel. Sam will be sharing his expertise at the 2022 Sk8Expo on September 6-8, 2022 in Las Vegas, NV.
FRANK KITCHEN Frank Kitchen, CSP is “The Mindset Master Chef” - As a Keynote Speaker, he works with Organizations who want their people to break through mental barriers to cook up the professional dreams they hunger for. To learn more about Frank, please visit www.FrankKitchen.com. Frank will be speaking at the 2022 Sk8Expo on September 6-8 in Las Vegas, NV.
LORI LOVELY Lori is an syndicatedaward-winningwriter,editor and photographer whose byline has appeared in a wide range of local, national and international publications. A recipient of the 1999 AIDServe Superstar Award, Lovely is a long-standing PETA member and was a 25-year member of CARA Charities. In addition, she runs Montrose Farms where she raises alpacas and chickens. Lori can be reached at lori@montrosefarms.com
your
Learn why many business owners worry about payroll and don’t think about the future enough in their day-to-day activities. In these seminars, attendees will learn why the future matters and how you should run your business as if the future is today.
Gain
Once you have accomplished this mechanical task, financial freedom and personal peace can be achieved. Make sure to join us for this dynamic seminar. OKAY TO PLAY! GAMING YOUR WAY TO A WORKPLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE VALUED, GROW AND PRODUCE TASTY RESULTS WITH FRANK KITCHEN Did you know that you can use games to boost your team’s morale and produce award-winning results? In this interactive learning experience, Frank Kitchen will get you up and moving as he provides you with the ingredients needed to cook up a nurturing workplace where people are valued as an essential RESOURCE necessary for producing the tasty results desired by all.
• RECRUIT the right people for your organization;
IT’S
Come join Jeremy Veatch and learn about the three reasons you should call yourself a futurist. AI, IoT, the Blockchain, Autonomous machines, and 5G - what are these, and what do these have to do with your daily life? Isn’t this just a bunch of technical terms that won’t matter for years?
PLUS,
•
• How to foster an inclusive environment for staff, volunteers, and members
The year’s event, held on September 6 - 8, 2022, will provide a variety of educational opportunities listed on these pages. In addition, you will also get to meet with vendors at our trade show throughout the event for two full days to learn more about what they have to offer your businesses. every single member is invited to join us during our 5-year Strategic Planning session, where YOU will get an opportunity to make suggestions that the leadership of your association will take into consideration to plan for both short- and long-term goals. don’t want to miss this event in this beautiful new facility! CARPENTER firm control of business by perceiving your skating center as a collection of independent systems. Sam Carpenter will guide you through the simple basics of how to isolate those individual systems so each can be “tweaked to perfection.”
The inability to effectively hold difficult conversations costs managers time, money, and health. When we learn to have difficult conversations, regardless of who is right, we receive better input from employees, assignments get done, and people enjoy coming to work.
Remember not to forget: Even when we know the steps of effective communication, our strategy can go out the window the first time we are disrespected. Keeping steely-eyed on our communication goals will be tested (i.e., everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouthremember Mike Tyson’s recent debacle).
You’ll see firsthand how “games” can be used to;
When the wheels fall off: One thing that distinguishes great communicators is their ability to get back on track when a conversation isn’t going as planned. How do we get out of the debate loop? How do we recover when we inadvertently offend someone?
Join Michael Rees in this powerful seminar that will improve your confidence and communication skills.
Photo Credit: istockphoto
Know yourself: It’s easier to identify the faults in others than in ourselves. What signs can we look for in ourselves to determine if we need to make some adjustments?
You
• How to increase productivity and profits through effective communication and collaboration
Creative strategies for engaging, energizing, and rewarding your team
8 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider news and commentary SSeminarsSk8Expo Sk8Expo Seminars to Educate and Inform Your Business D uring the late summer months, the Roller Skating Association International hosts a three-day event that merges education with fun in the sun. This year, the event will be held at the brand new and absolutely stunning Resorts World in Las Vegas, NV.
WHEN BEING “RIGHT” IS WRONG: THE ART OF DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WITH MICHAEL REES
Michael Rees understands the art of difficult conversations. For example: consider the declaration, “I know I’m right that we need more accountability!” But the real question is, “Did your approach (and being right) actually get you more accountability?” In your seminars with Michael Rees, you will learn why.
Photo Credit: istockphoto
FUTURE PROOF YOUR BUSINESS WITH JEREMY VEATCH
WORK THE SYSTEMS OF YOUR BUSINESS WITH SAM
Photo Credit: Sam Carpenter
• Innovative training techniques for increasing retention
• RECOGNIZE their talents; • RETAIN their services, and;
What you will learn:
Photo Credit: istockphoto
• REWARD their efforts and achievements.
Did you know that every year, 350,000 people die from cardiac arrest and that learning how to do CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival? Did you know that it only takes three or four minutes for a blocked airway to result in someone’s death? Having you and your staff trained on First Aid, and CPR can save a life and ensure that your customers have the immediate care they need in an emergency.
LEARN HOW STEM CAN DRAMATICALLY INCREASE REVENUE AND CREATE NEW SKATERS
What you will learn in this powerful seminar with Dr. Madison:
For some business owners, one lawsuit could be all it takes to close your doors; that’s why the single most crucial part of owning and protecting your business is understanding areas you can mitigate risk. Liability can come in the form of everything from camera coverage and flooring to food, staff, and parking lot hazards - whatever they may be, the RSA and the IALDA team work very hard to ensure that you know how to reduce risks for your business.
VOICE
CPR AND FIRST AID CERTIFICATION
Photo Credit: istockphoto Photo Credit: Wendy Browne Photo Credit: Wendy Browne Photo Credit: istockphoto Photo Credit: istockphoto Photo Credit: Wendy Browne
STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION
JOIN US AND MAKE YOUR HEARD!
• How to engage both traditional and non-traditional community partners • Developing creative ways to have targeted advertising campaigns geared towards the health benefits of roller skating
DIGITAL MARKETING TOOL KIT: PROVEN POSTS, RESOURCES, AND STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS ON SOCIAL MEDIA Scott Salter continues to be one of the best and most popular presenters on the subject of social media marketing - an area that everyone should be utilizing to market their business. Join him in a special seminar designed to help you demystify social media and up your online presence.
Join the United Skates of America team as they show you how the STEM Roller Skating Educational Program can improve your business. Did you know that some businesses made over $100,000 in additional revenue from daytime STEM classes alone?! You’ll get to see just how the program operates and why you need to invest in this turn-key program to make more money, establish better relationships with local schools and help foster the love of roller skating in children that may not have been exposed to it before. If you are already part of the program, this will give you a better look at how to improve your own class lessons!
For the first time in RSA history, RSA President Cort Wahlig, will be opening the 5 year strategic planning session to the entire membership! On Thursday, September 8, members will walk through the whole planning session with the ability to provide their ideas and thoughts on the direction of theThroughoutAssociation.the event, points in the presentation will guide you with thought-provoking topics regarding the trajectory of the Roller Skating Association. During the planning session, members will participate in a guided conversation that will help you think about goals to create within the Association. Your input is crucial to this planning session. If you’re a member and want a voice in this planning session, we encourage you to attend this year’s Sk8Expo to help get your ideas cemented into helping roller skating grow.
By attending Sk8Expo, you are invited to join the RSA Strategic Planning Session on Thursday, September 8 while at Sk8Expo to help steer the direction of the Association and the roller skating industry! At this meeting, we will plan for the next 5 years with long-term goals.
All successful businesses have a meaningful and sustained connection to the communities that they serve. Creating these connections and lasting bonds starts with engagement. These connections can be with traditional partners, such as schools and faith-based organizations, but could also include non-profits, health systems, and local businesses looking to host employee events. Providing this type of engagement is good for business and building a great connection to the community.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the prevalence of child and adolescent obesity is 19.7% and affects 14.7 million people. Bringing awareness to a fun exercise like roller skating is a great way to impact this staggering statistic directly. By leveraging local media coverage, businesses can create awareness about your business and highlight community collaborations.
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: HOW TO DO WELL BY DOING GOOD WITH DR. CHRISTINA MADISON
Join Sharon for this semiannual seminar, where you will learn how to perform CPR and First Aid training. Once complete, participants will receive three credit hours and CPR certification (or re-certification) from Danville Area Community College, with the certification mailed after the event is finished. Please check to make sure that your certification is not expired. If so, make sure to attend!
RISK MANAGEMENT: PROTECTING YOUR CUSTOMERS AND YOUR BUSINESS
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 9 news and commentary
• Strategies for engaging with media outlets to leverage coverage for marketing and advertising purposes (including on-camera, radio, podcasting, and print media)
3. BE A TEACHER
Productive leaders have learned that consistent communication, actions, work, and honesty are the keys to success. Just like your customers expect a consistent experience every time they visit your rink, the people you lead want the same from their leaders. A lack of consistency in the way you treat, communicate and treat our staff can lead to rumors, uncertainty, distrust, and turnover. How can you improve the consistency of your communication, actions, and effort?
4. DELEGATE As a leader, you gain respect by giving away power. You can’t do everything yourself. As you teach the people you lead, you’ll discover their talents and develop mutual trust. Once you do this, you will be able to delegate tasks that best utilize their skills and abilities to accomplish the goal or vision of your business. Are you putting people in positions to excel and grow?
o you desire to be the leader known for producing the tasty results everyone talks about and attempts to replicate? Leadership and cooking are very similar. Everyone has the ability to do it, but it is a skill that must be cultivated. Leadership is not a title; it’s an action. When done correctly, it produces environments where people and dreams flourish.
Frank Kitchen, CSP is “The Mindset Master Chef” - As a Keynote Speaker, he works with Organizations who want their people to break through mental barriers to cook up the professional dreams they hunger for. To learn more about Frank, please visit www. FrankKitchen.com a Leader! Ways to Up Your Leadership
1. SHOW GENUINE INTEREST IN PEOPLE YOU LEAD Are you managing people or leading them? Leaders make time to understand and study the people they lead, including themself. What are their motivations? What are their likes and dislikes? What are their strengths and their opportunities for growth? Don’t treat the people you lead like a number. Know each person as an individual. Make them feel special by showing you value them as a resource vital for the growth of your business. What can you do to show genuine interest?
Game
By Frank Kitchen Photo Credit: Frank Kitchen
All feedback must be given at the proper time, which is especially true for positive feedback or rewards. You will never be able to pay people what they are truly worth, but you can show how much you value them and the work they do. Some people require a simple thank you, and other people require more. Find ways to celebrate every accomplishment or visual display of growth. If you genuinely know the people you lead, finding unique ways to reward them won’t be a problem. What unique ways can you reward the people you lead?
6. BE CONSISTENT
10 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider liability & human resources
Leadership isn’t easy and requires mental, physical, fiscal, and time investments. I believe you are a leader; leadership is the ability to educate, energize, and empower an individual or group to live a dream. The dilemma with leadership is that we focus so much on the dream or outcome that we forget about developing the skill.I’ve been blessed to work with, meet and study the leadership styles of some amazing leaders. The most impactful leaders I worked with taught me that the best leaders work to develop other leaders. Leadership is about getting people to like you and earning the respect of the people you lead. As you work to elevate the operations of your roller skating rink, I wanted to share seven leadership skills with you and your team to cook up the tasty results you and your hungry customers.
2. BE VISIBLE Leaders need to be visible role models. It is essential to set an example of what you expect from others. Show up for the activities you ask others to attend. Show up on time. Let people see you working. When you are visible as a leader, you actively display the behaviors you want the people you lead to exhibit. What are some actions you will exhibit to be a visible leader?
7. REWARD PEOPLE We live in a world where we are quick to criticize people but slow to recognize them.
The most impactful leaders are teachers. They share their vision for the organization and teach the people they lead how to cook it up. Invest the necessary time and resources into developing people thoroughly and constantly. Do you have a training program that helps people grow?
D
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Remember, the toughest person you’ll ever lead is yourself. Just like cooking, I encourage you to learn the skills above, then modify, apply, and teach them in your own unique way that works best for you and the people you serve.
5. DO THE DIRTY WORK Have the people you lead seen you do the dirty work? You know, the work that no one likes but has to be done. Show everyone that you are willing to get dirty, too. When people see you doing the tough jobs, you will earn their respect. Are you and your leaders only delegating dirty jobs at your rink to the people you lead?
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WorkSystemthe
Let’s start here: As an owner/operator, do you sometimes think you’re expending your long days fruitlessly “herding cats?” Do you just know for sure – deep down – that you can prosper and even “have a life,” but you just can’t seem to break free to make it happen? Is even more hard work the answer? How about another bank loan for some internal improvements? Or maybe you need a from-the-hand-of-God manager who will calm things down while dramatically increasing your bottom line? Nope. All the above can help, but it’s not the solution you’re looking for.
So, what is the very basic foundational reason for business mediocrity and failure? It’s such a simple thing! Immersed in the chaotic day-to-day, the leader doesn’t see the mechanisms that are producing the bad results. The systems are there, working constantly,
In Your Roller Rink Business: Defeating Chaos, Breaking Loose
There are other hyper-successful small businesses like Centratel out there, too, spread across a multitude of industries. They operate with their own versions of a systems mindset, too.Here’s the reality: Most small business owners see their worlds as a complex, confused, random mass of sights, sounds, and events. And because of this misperception of bottom-line reality, the leader is working long, stressed hours, killing fires, and performing endless recurring tasks… and is almost always contending with cash flow problems. There is no time or money to build a solid infrastructure, coddle customers, train staff properly, or do the creative tasks necessary to create growth. Usually, family life is less than optimal, too. And so many times there are health problems. It’s a pity. As the years march on, entire lives are spent this way! You know it’s true. You’ve seen it…or maybe you’re experiencing it yourself.
ricks and mortar, virtual, retail, construction, service or product-producer, owneroperated or with a large staff: It doesn’t matter. Whatever the composition of the business, dysfunction almost always has its roots in the same foundational weakness: a fire-killing, chaotic, non-systematic approach.
The Roller Rink business? Often familyowned, it’s the perfect example of a small business that is surviving but is bogged down by a multi-tasking, fire-killing approach. There are a lot of spinning wheels and, therefore, lots that can go wrong. It’s a too-common scenario. Is there a fix? Yes, and it’s a simple thing.
In my business, Centratel, I worked 80-100 hours a week for 15 years with an income just barely enough to support my two children. (I was a single custodial parent.) But when the systems mindset awakening came to me twentythree years ago – suddenly, in a single moment of time – I instantly began to turn things around. I now work no more than two hours a month while my personal income is…let’s just say… more than my wife Diana and I need. Yes, I substantially profit-share with my leadership staff.Inow operate a number of ventures, including an international non-profit, but my original business of 38 years, Centratel, is an elite-quality, high-tech telephone answering service with approximately 800 competitors nationwide. It is, by several statistical measurements, #1 in our industry. An intensively employee-dependent operation with wages comprising over 50% of monthly income, our bottom line regularly exceeds 30%.
Gerber, and Dale Carnegie. Better said, the mindset gets underneath these proven methodologies and makes them even more potent.
By Sam Carpenter
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12 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider liability & human resources
Note: My life-specialty is helping owners of small to medium-sized businesses break loose; to finally eliminate organizational inefficiency so growth can happen, profits can increase, and personal freedom can be found. In 2008 I wrote (what some call) the definitive book on business systemization, Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less. The 4th Edition was published in 2021 -Sam Carpenter Photo provided by: Sam Carpenter
The Work the System methodology takes a simple yet deep tact, one that begins with a single “tweak” in the leader’s perspective of how the business is mechanically constructed and operated. With this new vantage point, inefficient methodologies are easy to detect, and subsequent necessary actions come naturally.
Know this: With a different leadership tact, in a very short period of time, you can turn your operation into a super-efficient machine that can grow. You really can, finally, break on through to the other side, to find yourself in the personal place you’ve always dreamed about. How long does it take to effect great change? Usually just a few months of part-time effort. (Of course, there’s some work to do, but it is typically not intrusive and time-consuming.)
Fixing these bad results is called fire-killing.
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 13 liability & human resources whether one sees them or not. So, it follows that unseen (and therefore unmanaged) systems will produce random results that are seldom optimal.
The successful leader sees the machinery and, therefore can adjust it to produce desired results.
In Oregon, he was a U.S. Senate and Gubernatorial candidate. He is Married to Diana Bybee of Kentucky.
Sam Carpenter was born and raised in upstate New York, and after over four decades in Oregon, Sam now resides in rural SE Kentucky with his wife Diana. His background includes engineering, journalism, publishing, surveying, forestry, construction management, telecommunications and a myriad of blue and white collar enterprises and jobs.
The leader who is blind to the machinery that is producing the bad results won’t be able to reach into that machinery to adjust it so it will create desired results.
Again: It’s the seeing part that is critical. How does the successful systems mindset business owner spend his or her time? In system improvement, the opposite of fire killing…. How is your operation? Profits of 30% and more? Is it serene and calm (yes, even a roller rink can be that way.) How is your personal life? Is the business slowly wearing you down? The solution is a simple one. Read my book and find out how to finally break loose! How do you get the book? For free, you can download the first part of Work the System at www.workthesystem.com. Or buy the complete book on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. It’s in hardcover, Audible, and k\ Kindle. For hands-on personal help implementing the Work the System Method, go to WTS Enterprises.com.
Author and entrepreneur, he is founder and president of Centratel, the premier telephone answering service in the United States. He has owned and operated the business for 38 years and his experience rescuing and then propelling the enterprise to the number #1 ranked answering service in the U.S., comprises the “thread” of his best selling business book.
Originally published in 2008 by Greenleaf Book Group, Work The System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less is now in its fourth edition (2021). His second book, The Systems Mindset: Managing the Machinery of your Life, was published in 2016 (thesystemsmindset.com).Sam’soutsideinterests include mountaineering, skiing, cycling, reading, traveling, writing (currently working on his fourth book), public speaking, an overseas non-profit 501C, local property development/rehabilitation, and especially long “rucking” hikes with his two hounds in the surrounding Kentucky wilderness.
14 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 15
H ow do you create longevity in skaters (and potential long-term revenue) if you’re not giving your customers an opportunity to learn how to be better skaters? You can’t! An effective learn-to-skate program in your skating center is imperative to growing skills among skaters and keeping them returning for more. Nothing is more exciting than seeing that skater learn how to do a new move or trick and seeing their eyes light up when their friends and family see them excel. So, let’s discuss how to create a learn-to-skate program in your rink.
The RSA has developed a complete turnkey program for your skating center to teach skaters how to be their best. All it takes to get started is to license your learn-to-skate teacher and then have them teach the materials to your skaters. It’s so simple that if you’re not using it, we can guarantee you’re losing money not doing so.
16 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider coaching & sports
First, ensure that all your floor guards or a designated skate teacher get their certification to be a Learn to Skate Coach. Visit www. rollerskating.com/becomeacoach and download the Learn to Skate Application ($40 fee per coach), download the study guide, videos and exam. Complete the exam using the study guide and return it, along with the application and coach certification fee.Once certified, these new coaches can access all of the materials on the RSA website.
ADVERTISE YOUR PROGRAM
Bob Labriola owns Fountain Valley Skating Center in Fountain Valley, California, and shared during a Town Hall Meeting that he’s had over 500 artistic competitive skating champions. He considers himself a “businessman who teaches roller skating.” The better people can skate, the longer they will be customers. With the formation of American Roller Sports and the goals of RSA President Cort Wahlig, the intention is to have a teacher in every skating center in the country. On Monday nights, Labriola has a class session from 6-8 pm, with approximately 25 people in that class paying to participate. Many are now taking private lessons intending to get involved in artistic skating.
Chris Finley, owner of Skaters Choice in Panama City, Florida, has relied upon triedand-true marketing methods to help promote the program at her rinks. “We have banners hung up in the rink, we have flyers posted, and, of course, word of mouth,” she says. “If we see a skater struggling, we’ll pull them aside and tell them about the lessons. We also have our deejays make announcements during public skating. Most of our promotion has been in-house, but we also have it posted on our website.” Some rinks offer additional incentives, such as coupons for a free class, a “two-for-one” pass, or a free item from the snack bar, if a child signs up for a lesson. Some offer punch cards to students. After so many punches, they earn a reward like a pair of skates or free admissions.
LLearn to Skate Program How to Implement the Learn to Skate Program in Your Skating Center
ACCESS THE MATERIALS TO TEACH YOUR CLASSES
By Lynette Rowland
Next, you’ll want to advertise that you have learn-to-skate classes. Not only have we provided you with posters to promote your learn-to-skate program to a younger audience, but we have also developed materials for your adult learn-to-skate program!Download the posters and take the files to your local print shop or online store to have them create whatever materials you would like. These files are in PDF format and can be opened and edited in Adobe Illustrator should you wish to change them. Have a sign-up sheet at your skate counter, any costs associated with the program, and a complete plan on when you provide your classes.
Brian Tilley, manager at Insanity Complex in Madison, Alabama, an inline skater and a professional skater for Rollerblade, says that the RSA’s Learn to Skate Program is one of the best programs ever put together for the roller skating industry. He has been using the beginner Roller Roo program for quite some time and averages 50 people every Saturday morning from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The return business from this program has been tenfold, Tilley says. “This is one of the best programs ever put together for skating. From this program, I have created speed skaters, repeat customers, and made little kids with skating birthday parties feel good about themselves.”
Photo Credit: istockphoto
LICENSE YOUR LEARN TO SKATE TEACHERS
With the materials you download to market the program, you’ll also find skills sheets, exams, and certificates to give your skaters. The program has two levels for kids – Roller Roo and Super Skater. The first level introduces the basics and explains how to teach each level, and the second level is more advanced. Once your skaters complete all three skill sets of each level, you will provide them with a certificate of their achievements.Thosestudents who would like to progress into more advanced disciplines can now proceed to the Achievement Program, also available on the RSA website under the SRSTA tab. Teachers who want to move into this program need to be certified as a speed, artistic, or hockey coach, which are also available on the website. If you have any questions about the programs, please contact Deb Wahlig at sk82gold03@aol. com.
Just log in on the front page of www.rollerskating.com, and you’ll now be able to download the materials under the Learn to Skate portion under the SRSTA tab.Tilley recommends that you have skate coaches that are skilled and old enough to know how to command a crowd. “I think all skate centers could benefit from [the learn to skate program] and grow their business even more. Having the right person is one of the most important keys. Someone who is good at explaining things and is good with people. You need a manager or a skate professional that is older do these programs.”
The RSA’s Learn to Skate Program is one of the best programs ever put together for the roller skating industry.
In total, with all the class programs he runs in his rink, he brings in nearly $8500 in monthly revenue on roller skating classes alone.
“There has to be a schedule though, as there’s no difference between doing this between August or January; if there’s any difference, it’s the climate and level of moisture, which is part of the consideration of what we’re looking to clean out,” he said. “We need to slow down the approachment of the dirt we’re going to see in the skating center.”
Douglas Foval, owner of Skate Gallery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, views maintenance at his rink as a 24-hour job, given there are more than 40,000 square feet to maintain.
“If you don’t stay on top of your maintenance, it will cost you more later on,” Foval said. “For example, if you don’t take care of your AC units, they will get damaged and cost you a bunch of money to get them back online.”
“We do our monthly maintenance like AC filters, changing out cleaning fluids, monthly building inspections, air fresheners etc.,” he said. “Then you have the things you do at certain times of the year such as clean outside AC units, trim bushes, touch up paint, etc.”
18 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider
Now is an excellent time for rinks to ensure their lighting, sound, flooring, and kitchen equipment is clean and working at a high level and that all maintenance in caring for these segments is performed properly.
“Close to half the industry has a Quik n’ Crispy at their concession stand, and most operators have seen their concessions evolve to a point where they are making as much as
WRITTEN BY: KEITH LORIA
BOTTOM’S UP A rink needs to protect one of its most valuable assets—the rink floor—and while maintaining this is a year-round job, the summer is a great time to take the maintenance program a bitJoefurther.Nazzaro, owner of Roll-On Skate Floor Coatings, which provides roller skate coatings to rinks around the country, noted this is one of his busiest times, though it doesn’t need to be.
He recommends all rinks offer 20 feet of scrapping mats at the door, which have three textures—a fiberless one to scrape the shoes, one that wipes, and then a standard mat.
“From then on, you have to worry about water and sugars from soda or oils from food— and we’re tracking syrup, sugar, and other types of chemicals,” Nazzaro said. “It’s from the bathroom and the snack bar, and those go to the carpet, which allows it to accumulate.”
So, that means cleaning the carpet because that’s how the wheels transfer things to the rink floor.“That carpet can only be cleaned in one way without any solutions involved—warm water extractor is the only tool that can be relied on to remove the cocktail that’s been blended onto the carpet,” Nazzaro said. As for the floor itself, he noted “water is our friend.” Soft brushes are recommended for twiceweekly cleaning using water only or pH Neutral cleaners, and he is aghast at those who use vinegar, noting people should save that for a salad.Speaking of no-nos, he also noted that you should never clean a skate floor with a string mop. If an automatic scrubber is unavailable twice weekly, Nazzaro mentioned trying towel tacking with non-residue cleaners as an alternative. Most cleaners are alkaline in nature and convert fats and oils most effectively in higher alkaline pH levels.
“It’s the surface oils on the floor we’re really after,” Nazzaro said. “However, the higher or lower the pH levels, the more corrosive the cleaner—pH levels toward the extremes, tend to dull finishes. Also, variables such as how long cleaners sit on the coatings or abrasives used or the cleaner’s temperature may harm the finish.”
When he’s putting a list together for getting this prepared when kids are back in school, it usually begins with those projects started earlier in the year that were never completed.
I
t’s summertime, and with the busy back-to-school season not too far away, it’s the perfect time for rink operators to do annual maintenance in their facility.
CARING CONCESSIONSFOR Paul Artt, president and founder of Dallasbased QNC, Inc., which supplies innovative Quik n’ Crispy Greaseless Fryers to roller rinks around the country, notes that air fryers need to be properly maintained to keep the food tasting the way people expect. Plus, there are so many options that can be created using the air fryers, so it keeps the menu full of skater favorites.
Photo Credit: istockphoto
Some rinks have units over 25 years old because they follow these important guidelines, which impacts the longevity; yet others see systems fail after 5-10 because they ignore cleaning and care requirements.
“If they don’t take care of the equipment, it’s going to lead to product failure,” Artt said. “If the grease builds up, it will eventually get into the compartments and damage the electronic controller and relays. It also affects the performance of the equipment and results in longer cooking times and changes the flavor.”
ON YOUR FEET
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 19 25 percent of their profits from here, so it’s important to take care of the equipment,” he said.Even though many rinks are now running summer day camps, so they’re not as empty as they once were during the summer months, most still usually have limited hours and do not always serve food, so it’s a great time to do the maintenance required on any food service equipment.“It’sanideal time to follow the manufacturers’ recommendations on how to clean and service the units,” Artt said. “The air filters should typically be replaced. And the units should be cleaned both inside and outside.”
While skates must be maintained year-round, summer is the perfect time to ensure that all the skates in the rink are clean and that the wheels areAworking.greatoption for rink owners is RSA’s Skate Maintenance Program, which is free to members.
The electronic system, My Skate Repair, was created by rink operators to help simplify the task of documenting skate inspections, maintenance, and repairs. For members who want to sign up, it’s completely free the first year with a $50/year maintenance fee each year thereafter to support the storage of materials.
To sign up, contact Doug Foval at dougf@ skategalaxy.com and include your rink name, Photo Credit: Roller Dome
For instance, ‘If I have never been here, would I bring my children in?’ ‘Can you see in the parking lot at night?’ ‘Are parking stalls painted?’ ‘Is trash picked up?’ ‘Is the entrance viable from the street?’ ‘Does my business stand out from other businesses near me?’
With sound, replacing any fuses or batteries is a great start, but also testing each speaker to make sure things sound as they should. Also, for hanging speakers, make sure everything is tight in place, so nothing falls.
“As an outsider, I believe, when maintenance is not done, it shows you do not care, lost passion for your business, or are just limping it along for a few more years,” he said. “It is the first thing I look at when I walk into a business I am not familiar with. Is the business clean, well kept, and are the employees friendly? If the answer is yes, then the owner is invested and cares.”
“If you stay on top of your rink’s maintenance, people won’t really notice it; however, if you don’t, the customers will let you know all about it on social media,” Foval said. “We haven’t had our parking lines repainted in several years, and yet here comes a customer on Facebook saying they couldn’t tell where to park because the lines had faded so much. So, then the whole world knows about your parking lot.”
“I think this is the most important first impression you can make,” Bakken said. “Most rink owners already have cleaning supplies. Make a cleaning list and have employees attack it when business is slow. Check all your lighting—especially exit signs, flashing systems, or fluorescent tubes. If you have protective covers over your lights, are they clean? As bulbs go out, replace them with LEDs. The upfront cost will be more, but the long-term savings are worth it.”
That’s why it’s important to get ahead of things and maintain your rink the best you can.
LIGHTING AND SOUND
He also recommends looking into Energy Star programs which could help defer costs for new LEDForreplacements.rinksthatignore
DON’T FORGET
20 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider address, phone, owner name, and email to use. Once you are entered into the system, you will receive an email to confirm and set up your password. The confirmation email is only good for 24 hours, so make sure to click on the link as soon as you receive it. After that, you’re ready to upload your materials.
lighting maintenance, Bakken noted it could really hurt the business over the long term.
There are a lot of components that make up a facility, and things like bathrooms, HVAC equipment, and water systems are just a few of the other things that need to be maintained so that the rink is the best it can be.
What’s a rink without strong lighting and sound? Probably empty, and that’s why operators should make sure that both are maintained and working to full capacity.
As for lights, Elwood Bakken, sales manager of Action Lighting in Bozeman, Montana, noted that maintaining lights is required because skaters don’t want to see dark areas or lights that stop flashing.
“The best way to start is to just walk around your rink and make a list of what is not working,” he said. “I would start outside, walk across the street, look at your business and ask yourself some important questions.”
“All of this will lead to happier—and safer— skaters,” Nazzaro said.
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 21 Protect Your ProtectBusiness.YourSkaters.ProtectYourFuture. General Liability Coverages • $0 Deductible • Hired and Non-Owned Auto • Additional Insureds • Boy and Girl Scouts • Schools & PTAs • Special Events • Rides and Arcades • Assault and Battery • Medical Payments • Sexual Abuse and Molestation • Active Shooter Coverage • Teams, Leagues and Roller Derby through American Roller Sports Program Property Coverages Refer to the actual policy(s) for complete terms/conditions. • HVAC Equipment Breakdown • Computer/EDP Equipment • Replacement Cost • Crime Coverage • Money - In & Out • Food Spoilage • Ordinance or Law • All Risk - Special • Hurricane and Wind • Garages and Sheds • $1000 Deductible Anthony anthonyprofaci@jbltrinity.comProfaciwww.skatinginsurance.com1-800-925-RINK Endorsed Provider for the RSA These coverages are provided by “A-rated” carriers that understand your business and provide the specialized coverages you need. Our industry-wide expertise and claims assistance completes your insurance protection at a price you can afford. OUR COMMITMENT TO THE RSA ► Serving as the RSA Endorsed Insurance Provider Sponsor ► Diamond sponsor at every Roller Skating Industry Event ► Kids Skate Free Sponsor ► Roller Skating Manufacturer Associate Member ► Sponsor of local RSA Chapter Meetings ► Roller Skating Museum Sponsor ► My Skate Repair Program Sponsor ► Risk Management assessments for all customers ► American Roller Sports Insurance Provider DEDICATED TO THE INDUSTRY JBL Trinity has a division of underwriting and claims managers dedicated to the roller skating and FEC industry. Thanks to the dedication of these skilled professionals, JBL is at the forefront of the industry. We provide a full menu of insurance coverages to meet your specific needs, including but not limited to: General Liability, Property, Liquor Liability, Employment Liability (EPLI), Builders Risk. We hope that you will give JBL Trinity an opportunity to quote your roller skating rink or family entertainment center. Visit us on the web at www.skatinginsurance.com to fill out an application. 50 First Avenue Atlantic Highlands, NJ Phone: 1-800-925-RINK Fax: 732-888-4646 The Official RSA Endorsed Insurance Carrier
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Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 23
24 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider
• Trusting in the intentions of others
•
Equally important is that the mission feels authentic. A disconnect is most common when employees see leaders acting in ways that appear to be counter to the mission. For example, a costsaving emphasis from leaders over the mission of creating a worldclass customer experience. Or a mission tied to fiscal responsibility in a company where leaders regularly seem to be over budget.
Often, when leaders are looking for a culture quick-fix (free beer), what they really need is a plan to restore basic universal values. No amount of enhancement to the work environment will improve employee engagement if leaders aren’t living universal values.
1. CONNECT EMPLOYEES TO THE MISSION
Similar to having a clear mission, when leaders live by clear values, it helps employees feel they are part of a group with similar goals and become motivated to be successful members of that group. While each culturesfoundtheculture.promoteuniversalworkculturespecificshouldcompanyhavevaluestoitsandthetheydo,somevaluesapositiveSomeofuniversalvaluesineffectiveinclude:•Commitmenttotransparency in leadership decisions
A strong culture must begin with a leadership team acting as role models.
Start with a solid cultural foundation. Review your mission and your employees’ commitment to that Ensuremission.yourleaders are modeling company values. And assess your PPPs to ensure they are aligned to and build culture. Following these steps will ensure a highperforming culture regardless of the free beer.
Crushing Culture: One Beer at a Time
By Michael Rees
When leaders are looking for a culture quick-fix, what they really need is a plan to restore basic universal values.
I once reviewed the employee handbook for a small company that indicated more than 30 times how an employee could be fired. Just about every page had a statement like, “... up to, and including termination of employment.” This same company claimed to have a goal to help employees “be their best selves.” These types of contradictions are culture killers. As you review your PPPs, consider the following:
• Open and honest communication at all levels
3. LIVE UNIVERSAL VALUES
• Clearly communicated goals Belief in employee potential and their desire to grow and develop
Assess whether the company mission and vision are clear and authentic. One leader was convinced that “our purpose couldn’t be more clear to employees.” Ironically, most of the employees I spoke with felt the purpose had shifted recently and wasn’t clear at all. Clarity around why the company exists is the starting point for addressing cultural concerns. Your mission is the first place you should look if the culture doesn’t feel right. Employees aligned with the company’s purpose are more engaged and passionate about being part of the company’s success.
• PPPs should allow employees to solve problems creatively and share their ideas with the team.
2. ENSURE THE MISSION IS AUTHENTIC
4. REVIEW POLICIES, PROCESSES, AND PROCEDURES (PPPS)
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 25 liability & human resources
I ’ve worked for likemustobserver,tookandpingfood,thatknownamazingatsprees,employeestap,beer-on-offeredthatcompanieshavefreetakenonshoppingallowedpetswork,orthrownparties.I’veothercompanieshaveprovidedfreeactivitieslikepong,foosball,cornhole,andeventripstoHawaii.Tothecasualtheseofficeshaveseemedwonderfulplacesto come to work each day. Unfortunately, in many cases, employees still felt stressed and frustrated and rarely took advantage of many of the fun perks (perhaps with the exception of the beer). These businesses spent a lot of time and money trying to create fun cultures, “one beer at a time,” but the result seemed to be the opposite. Can office perks like free beer be bad for company culture? The blunt truth is that addressing the office environment as a first step (or as an only step) in building culture will likely come across as disingenuous, inauthentic, or possibly even manipulative.Butwhat’s the solution if leaders can’t even gain employee satisfaction with free beer? Below are some suggestions arranged in order of those that should be addressed first.
• Do you have incentives, bonuses, or compensation structures that need to be changed because they pressure employees to choose between doing what is best to meet the company mission and doing what is best for •them?Doyou have PPPs allowing employees to collaborate, share knowledge, and make •friendships?Doyouhave a person or group accountable for monitoring culture? Do you have metrics in place to assess the state of the culture?
Significant data shows the impact a positive culture can have on the financial success of a business. However, building a positive culture requires more than offering free beer or arcade games. If leaders attempt to improve culture with additions to the work environment before they address foundational issues, their efforts may create more damage than good.
CCultureCompany
• Do you have a structure in place to allow employees continual growth? Are employees given opportunities to learn and become experts in their fields?
Running promotionssavvyis key to a successful rink operation, and often thinking outside of the box can help bring customers back and new people to the facility.
Unique Ideas
How to PromotionalExcitingCreateEvents
"Promotions definitely keep the product fresh and keep your customers coming back," says Mike Penrod of Orbit Fun Center in Dayton, Ohio. That means running the same promotions you do every year, which often includes the major holidays, and coming up with unique ideas to revolve promotions around. These promotions could include anything from running a promotion around a new movie or Netflix release to a weird day on the calendar, such as Left Handed Person's day, which incidentally is Aug. 13 this year.
The PromotionsStandard Most rinks will hold special events for holidays and run promotions based on those special occasions."Youalso need to have your winter break promotion to bring in school kids, and your summer promotions when kids are also out of school," Penrod says. "The idea is to get people back into roller skating and keep your current customers interested in the product as well."
"We gave a free skate rental for all girls on Mother's Day, and for all boys on Father's Day, but we got some flack on Facebook, so we're going to redo that next year," he says.
Robert Kramer, the owner of Wigwam Skate & Event Center in Terre Haute, Indiana, notes the main reasons to do promotions are to draw awareness to the facility, increase the guest count, and increase per cap.
One of the most successful promotions at Wigwam Skate & Event Center has been a princess promotion, where someone who once played a princess at Disney came in dressed up. The center held a princess tea party and a coronation ceremony, and all children attending received a tiara and wand.AtOrbit Fun Center, if a prominent musician comes to the area, the rink will often hold concert ticket giveaways and a theme night for that artist playing their music.
Orbit Fun Center promotes their First Fridays College Edition to the 21+ crowd. Photo credit: Orbit Fun Center
By: Keith Loria
contests."Thething about a holiday like Halloween is we've done it so many times before, that we try to find ways to change it up," Hughes says. "Everyone does something around the holidays, so making it different and new is a great idea."
Promotions don't need to be just about one day—they can be tied to a weekly or monthly event, such as the Olympics or National Roller Skating Month in October. You could even host a RolladiumNorthlandownercom.kidsskatefree.programKidsthethemorewillsomeFree,""KidspromotionrecurringlikeSkatewhichcentersdotogetfamiliesindoorsusingRSA'sfreeSkateFreeatwww.EdHughes,ofSkate Center in Liberty, Missouri, notes that promotions are essential to maintain excitement within the facility.Heis a former promotions committee chair with RSA, where he helped plan monthly promotions that could be presented to the membership, with flyers and templates created, so it's easy for rinks to run the promotions.
Wigwam Skate and Event Center in Terre Haute, Indiana holds a popular Princess Skate at their rink. Photo credit: Wigwam Skate and Event Center
Cater to Customers Because of the market that Orbit Fun Center is in, Penrod does a lot of promotions catering to adults and college students, and these include things that are different than what he would do when trying to attract a family-friendly audience.Hughes adds that the purpose of the promotion isn't about just increasing the bottom line but increasing the excitement with customers. Therefore, asking for suggestions from them is a good idea, and you could even hold a contest on social media for the person who comes up with the best idea for something new.Armstrong says with all the talk about equality between boys and girls this year, Mother's Day and Father's Day took some scrutiny, and he's listened to what his customers want.
St. Patrick's Day and Easter follow in the spring, and you'll see lots of green on the rink for the former and Easter egg hunts for the"Springlatter. break also comes, and we try to do promotions with different themes to bring them in," Hughes says. "One day may be a toilet paper skate, where they can TP the rink at the end of the session; or we may have a crazy hat day or backward day, where everyone wears their clothes backward, and everything at the rink is done backward." When fall hits, many rinks do back-to-school promotions. Then there's Halloween, which rinks also capitalize on with costume
28 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider
At the beginning of the year, rinks may run promotions around Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Valentine's Day, and New Year's. "We have run a beat-the-clock session where the earlier you arrive, the cheaper the admission," Hughes says. "As the day goes on, the admission will go higher to the regular admission. We've always packed them in using that particular promotion."
Brad Armstrong, the owner of Roller Kingdom in Reno, Nevada, notes that promotions drive patrons in, so a rink operator should dedicate some time to thinking about how to improve them.
"We would use Chase's Calendar of Events to figure out what national days were coming up or special days," Hughes says. "We would also look at movie releases and the hot fads and trends of the time."
"We have the staples that we do every year, but we try to morph them," he says. "We try to gather the brain trust, and we talk about how to make things a success, and that seems to create some facilities.entertainmentmediafollowingoperatorsfromforyouideas."goodSometimesgetideaspromotionsotherrinkorbysocialofother
Involving the staff in the planning is also a great idea, as they will often come up with ideas and may know what attracts some of the younger generations.
February: If you're looking to attract millennials, a good idea is to have a matchmaking promotion at the rink for single people on Valentine's Day weekend. Similar to speed dating, you can have people skate one time around the rink with different people to get to know them until a match is made.
September: With the start of school, this is a great month to hold back-toschool promotions, offering specials to any students.
Promotion Ideas for 2022-2023
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 29
"We also follow the hasAlmanac,Farmer'swhichalistofthose weird days like "Ice Cream Day" or "Sushi Day," and that generates ideas," Armstrong says. Learn from Mistakes Not every promotion is going to be a winner, but even for those that don't work, a rink operator can get something out of it.
April: On Easter, have kids bring in a plastic Easter egg for a free skate rental. You can also have an egg coloring contest and give a gift certificate to the winner.
By advertising your promotions on social media and around the community, you'll get new people interested in trying out the rink and possibly bringing back old customers."Igetpeople every day who tell me they didn't even know this rink existed," Penrod says. "We get customers from different ways. Instagram and Facebook are huge, but we do flyers, and word of mouth is stillSomestrong,"willdo local radio advertisements for bigger promotions, but that's sometimes costly for the average promotions that you do "Promotionsregularly.aregreat because you're able do something new, and if it works, you can put it in your lineup and have something successful you know will continue," Penrod says. "Part of the excitement of a promotion is counting your cash box at the end of the night."
June: A beach party with people in bathing suits and swim gear is a fun way to bring people through the doors during the summer months.
November: November is Military Family Month, so holding a night for military and ex-military members and their families with big deals is a great way to attract a new crowd.
advertisement-wise,"Penrodsays."Therecouldhavebeenotherthingsgoingoninthecommunity,soitmayhavegottenoverlookedbythetargetaudience."Thoughsometimesyoumayshakeyourheadandrealizeitwasanideathatwasn'tsolid."Likeanything,somepromotionsarejustgoing to be better than others, and there will be some that you think people will love, and it flops," Hughes says.
"I refer to it as our New Year's Eve because it's so popular," he says. "We make sure all our fog is juiced up and ready for the day. It's a really good day for usalways."Therink also does a "Freaks Come out at Night" promotion in October for adults who dress up in whichcostumes,hasbeen a huge hit over the past three years.
"Normally, we have what I call an 'after action' meeting where I'll sit down with the staff and discuss the promotion and how well it went and what we could have done better."
March: Get ready to see the green—and not just the money that will come through the door. On St. Patrick's Day, have people dress in green for some holiday specials.
"We always try to do promotions where we don't have to spend a ton of money," Hughes says. "You don't want to spend $500 on a promotion and have it flop. You want fun ideas that you can promote heavily 30-60 days before they happen."
Putting the "Pro" in Promotions
July: For the Fourth of July, which is often a slow day for many centers, run a promotion where anyone wearing red, white, and blue gets a free drink or a coupon to the snack bar.
October: Hosting a haunted house at the facility is a great way to bring people in for the month, as people love celebrating Halloween all year.
August: Tell a Joke Day is August 16, and a great promotion idea is to have an open mic for comedians to have skaters present their best joke. Offer prizes for the best jokes.
For promotions centered around new movie releases, Hughes suggests planning the entire session based on the idea. For instance, Thor: Love and Thunder came out this summer, and he came up with an idea for games using inflatable hammers. He also held a Thor lookalike contest where people wore blonde wigs. The goal was to bring new people through the door.Hughes rink recently held a fog night, where the staff took a haze machine and fogged up the facility to the point that customers could hardly see and were given glow sticks to guide their way around the rink. They also held specials on glow items at the pro shop.
December: Decorate the rink for the holidays and have someone dress as Santa. Collect toys for a local kids' charity and provide free admission to anyone who brings along a toy.
May: International Harry Potter's Day is May 2, and with so many fans out there, this is a great series to plan a promotion around. You can have people dress up as their favorite characters and offer food based on the world of Hogwarts.
Wigwam Skate and Event Center in Terre Haute, Indiana promotes their events through colorful marketing materials. Photo credit: Wigwam Skate and Event Center
One of Armstrong's biggest promotions every year comes each Friday the 13th, when someone at the rink dresses up as Jason.
"Even if it doesn't work the first time, you can look back at the promotion and see why it failed and maybe try again and execute it differently, and that can be timeframe-wise or
January: Run a promotion at the beginning of the year centered around New Year's resolutions. Have people write them down and offer free skate rentals for anyone who has a list to offer.
Many rinks around the country have special events for Halloween. At Ghostly Manor Thrill Center in Sandusky, Ohio — which features a year-round haunted house and a roller rink as part of its attractions — General Manager Billy Criscione offers trick-or-treating during one of its Family Fun Nights. Families can enjoy roller skating, bounce houses, a jungle gym, pizza and Roll-A-Bout Skating Centers in North Carolina says that Halloween is one of their biggest seasons of the year. Photo provided by: Roll-A-About Roll-A-Bout customers and staff go all out with their costumes during Halloween. Photo provided by: Roll-A-About
On the West coast, Brad Armstrong, owner and manager of The Rink in Sacramento,California;RollerKingdominReno,Nevada;andTopGunSkatingCenterinFallon,Nevada,saystheyusestreamers,traditionalghostsandpumpkinstodecoratetheirrinksforHalloween,whichtheygetfromPartyCityandSpiritHalloweenstores.“(It's)moreofakid-friendly,family-
friendly, not to scare anybody kind of situation,” he Inadds.addition to decorations, some rinks add some spooky factors to other areas of the business. For example, at Cheap Skate in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Operator Ed Golebiowski offers a special ICEE at their concession stand called the “Spooky Cotton Top.” “That is orange ICEE and then we have purple cotton candy that we pull apart and just put right on top,” he explains.
From haunted houses to Halloween-themed parties to spooky concessions, there are lots of great ways to celebrate this spooky holiday with roller skaters of all ages.
Over at Roll-A-Bout Skating Center, with locations in Burlington and Eden, North Carolina, General Manager Lisa Pruitt says Halloween is one of their biggest seasons of the year. To prepare, she says they start decorating in mid-September by using tablecloths as flag banners and between 1,000 to 2,000 orange, black, lime green, and purple balloons.
e don't mean to scare you, (see what we did there?) but it's already that time of the year to start preparing for one of the most popular holidays on a roller rink's calendar – Halloween!
And Golebiowski says they also change up the prizes in their arcade for the Halloween season. “If you have claw cranes, look at getting Halloween merchandise in those,” he suggests. “We put Halloween plush in our cranes and they do really well around that time.”
“I have been collecting (Halloween decorating) supplies for the last 20 years,” Pruitt explains. “Dollar Tree is a big go-to. We get balloons from BargainBalloons.com.”
“We had different age groups for kids,” he explains. “We would get them onto the skating floor without skates. We would just drop a whole bunch of candy in the middle and just kind of let them have at it.”
And with the popularity of adult skate parties right now, Armstrong also holds an adult event for Halloween at his rinks, which they call “The Freaks Come Out at Night.”
“We have a big costume contest for the adults — we give away some skates or a gift certificate or some wheels,” he details. “We bring in national DJs from the likes of New York or Houston, and they work the skating circuit, so they're well-known DJs. We typically do that at my rink in Sacramento and my rink in Reno, which has a culture for the
2. Fake spider webs are easy to find at any store and can be put on almost anything as a decoration.
At Cheap Skate, Golebiowski hosts two Halloween skating parties — an evening adult party and a daytime event for kids. In the past, the daytime party has included a costume parade, trick-or-treat stations, and a candy scramble.
Cheap Skate hosted an exciting dance flash mob for Halloween last year that was a huge hit.
6. Tap local high school and college drama departments for “roaming talent” — people in costume for parties and haunted houses.
7. Consider partnering with a local nonprofit for your Halloween event — they can help you spread the word, and you provide them with part of the proceeds.
10. Use social media to find volunteers to help set up and staff a haunted house or tunnel.
a drink for a special price.
5. If offering trick-or-treating stations, use a card or wristband to ensure kids only go through it once.
9. Get your staff in on the fun and film a quick and fun promo video for your Halloween offerings.
“We'll have seven to eight stations set up to give away candy,” he explains. “We give the kids a card so they can stamp it to show they've gone to each station.”
4. People like to dress up for Halloween, so give them the opportunity whenever possible.
Photo by: Clockwork Steve Photography
3. Try to purchase Halloween decorations the day after for cheaper to save for next year.
8. Although social media is essential, don't forget the power of email marketing and word of mouth.
1. Before setting a date for your Halloween party, ensure it does not conflict with other major fall community events, like a homecoming football game.
HauntrepreneursSkate Inc. produces some of the top haunted houses around the country. Photo credit: Hauntrepreneurs Inc.
“The reason that we do that is just because we know exactly how many people are coming and we can be a little bit smarter when it comes to staffing for labor,” Golebiowski explains. “We'll get a pretty decent amount of pre-sales and that way we know exactly what to expect on those nights.”And
balance of scary but not too scary, so it's enjoyable for all ages. “We claim it's scary, but the little kids love it just as much as the big kids do,” she says. “And the parents absolutely love it. They love to hear the kids screaming and hollering and running away, and they just had a goodWithtime.”the popularity of Halloween events for businesses and community organizations, properly marketing any special parties and attractions your rink will offer is crucial.
adult
Pruitt says it's all about hitting the right
Anotherskating.”option some roller rinks use to heighten the spooky factor at their location is adding a haunted house.
Leonard Pickel, owner of a haunted house event designing and consulting firm Hauntrepreneurs, says a rink can easily bring in a small haunted house by placing it on one end of their skating floor, in a play area, or even outside in a parking lot under a tent.
32 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider
Criscione says next to word-of-mouth, email marketing is a rink's best tool for spreading the word. And social media can also be helpful, especially if you develop a Halloween promo video. “Everybody likes to watch videos nowadays,” he explains. “A good promo video for what's going on, whether it's just trick or treating or some kind of spooky setting or new decorations, it's a good tool to use to spread out across social Golebiowskimedia.”sayssocial media is their most significant marketing avenue for Halloween events through Facebook and Instagram. For their adult party, he says they create and post a “save the date” about six weeks in advance and start pre-selling tickets, which is what they usually do for their special events.
For the past 25 years, Roll-A-Bout Skating Center has set up a haunted tunnel in the covered porch area leading to their front door that patrons to their annual Halloween skating party walk through to get into the building. “It's almost like a little haunted trail before they ever get in the building,” Pruitt explains. “We use tarps to hang from the roof of the covered porch hangs down to darken it up. And of course, there's some strobe lights, laser lights, and sometimes a fog machine in there.”
“The system that we recommend and sell to our clients is a freestanding system so you wouldn't have to screw it into the floor or brace it to the building in any way, shape, or form,” he explains. “It would just be basically panels that would stand up at the end of the of the floor. We would lay carpet down on the floor and then set the panels on top of that.”
Pickel suggests using social media tools like Facebook advertising to reach people who are already going to haunted houses in your area. “That provides you the opportunity to while people are standing in line waiting to go into a haunted house thinking about what they're going to do after that — hey, let's go skating,” he says.
Cheap Skate sells fun Halloween-themed items like this "Cotton Top Icee" drink. Photo by: Cheap
By Sara Karnish AFTER BEFORE
34 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider
Tim and Brenda Price, new owners of RollXscape Skating Center in Holland, Michigan, bought their rink in April 2021, spent six months in construction, and reopened in November 2021. “We started with the
R ink owners who invest heavily in refurbishing the interior but spend less on the exterior could miss a significant opportunity to boost their business’ curb appeal. Roofing, lighting, and signage are just a few elements that give the rinks’ exterior a fresh look and create a positive first impression with customers.
Naturally, a roof will show some wear and tear over time. Green algae and black streaks are common signs of aging. Periodic checkups on any roof can help identify small issues before they become big problems. “The low slope rubber covering is on a roll, so there will be seams, and we weld the seams together using adhesives. After about 10 or 12 years, the adhesives start loosening. I would do regular inspections after about the fifth year,” Christy recommends adding, “low slope roofs are about two times more expensive than a steep slope roof. Water sits on them more, so they get more water damage. A saying we hear is ‘water always finds a way.’ If you’re looking at options between low slope and steep slope—the steep slope is more economical, requires less maintenance, and is more cost-efficient. If you can choose, the steep slope is going to be more cost-efficient.”Regularroof checkups are even more critical if your rink is in an area prone to intense weather—particularly hail. “Not all areas are storm markets. If you’re in a storm market and your roof is over 10 years old, you probably have storm damage and may not even know it. If you’re in a market that gets a lot of hail, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone come out and look at your building,” Christy said. “As a roofing company owner, we do a lot of restoration work—roof, siding, gutters, paint. [If you do have storm damage] Some owners might think, ‘My roof is so old, my insurance company won’t pay for it’. Don’t think ‘I don’t have storm damage’ or ‘my roof is too old.’ That’s incorrect thinking. If they’re taking your premiums every month to cover storm damage, they’ll pay for it.” How the exterior helps a rink stand out
It’s no surprise that any major building renovation is a huge investment. Aaron Christy of Indy Roof Company in Indianapolis, Indiana, says, “A new roof is insanely expensive, especially for a large building like a rink. It’s the most expensive part of building or maintaining a building, and to do it every 20 to 30 years… if someone’s looking at buying a property, that’s something to take intoThereconsideration.”aretwotypes of roofs — low-slope (flat) and steep slope (shingles). As Christy explains, “No roof should be completely flat; the architecture of the building is going to dictate what kind of roof goes on there. With a low-slope roof, you’ll either have black rubber or white metal. They are both pretty similar in durability. Aesthetically, you can’t see either one from the ground. You do get better energy efficiency with a white metal roof.” Several good shingles are on the market for a steep slope-style building with a gabled roof. “Most are oxidized asphalt—rubber shingles. Because they’re rubber, you can put them on in the winter, they have more elasticity, and tend to bounce off rather than cracking or getting damaged. If you have a steep-style roof, rubber or polymer-modified shingles [are good options].”Christy adds, “We use two brands of rubber shingles, both are fairly on market price. There are various colors available, and really good options these days. People have to do a little bit of research. If I put shingles on that aren’t as good, I’ll have to re-roof the person’s house. Doing right by the customer should be the number one priority—turn them on to an impact-resistant, polymer-modified shingle.”
What to look for in roofing materials
BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS OF ROLLXSCAPE'S EXTERIOR UPGRADE.
The Crucial Importance ofCurb Appeal
Tracey Giordano, who co-owns Skate Station in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, with her husband Shawn, recently completed extensive renovations of the entire rink, inside and out. She said the importance of an attractive exterior could not be overstated. “It’s the first thing people see. That tells all,” she said. “If it looks run down or dirty, nine times out of ten people won’t go in.” The Giordanos made a major capital investment, replacing the roof, installing a new sign, paving the parking lot, and painting the building’s exterior. Interior projects included replacing the kitchen equipment, increasing the skate inventory, gutting and installing a new floor, installing LED lighting, and more. They bought the rink seven years ago, but until they were forced to close during the pandemic, they hadn’t done any large-scale renovations. “[The previous owners] had let it go and weren’t putting any money into it…when I bought it, it was bad. When COVID hit, it was kind of a blessing for me to be shut down for 10 or 11 months. That was my time to remodel. Before the big remodel, we did little things,” Giordano said. Since reopening in January 2021, Giordano said the change has been remarkable. “I’ve got customers who travel to our rink. Our birthday parties have been sold out since we reopened. We always get good reviews and comments on our social media pages—we have a lot of followers.”
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 35 outside,” Tim Price explained. “We completely whitewashed the exterior to get rid of the tan and brown exterior, and added lime green to the trim to match the interior. We basically gutted the inside and removed a whole bunch of walls to give it more of an open feel, and painted it with brighter colors—purple, orange, blue, and green—to make it look more inviting. The roof was fine, so we didn’t have to do anything there, but we did add four A/C units.” They also added new signage. “We painted the signpost and frame and went from a faded blue to black. We updated the sign with our new logo and name, added the changeable marquee underneath it. We also updated to LED lighting outside for illumination.”
When it comes to exterior lighting, there are more options available than ever before.
“LED lighting is still very much a trend—I think you’ll continue to see a lot more of that. The pricing has come down so much,” Bakken said.
The possibilities for a rink renovation can be overwhelming. Planning and researching are crucial to keeping the entire project on track and close to budget. Although it might be tempting to go big and bold with a renovation, getting the latest and greatest in equipment and décor, it may be better to keep it simple. That’s the advice the Prices received: “Always make it simple and clean, then add on. If you go big, there’s nothing to build on. Go back to simple and clean.”
Brenda Price said, “We couldn’t do an LED sign…we had to stay within the confines of the current ordinance or we wouldn’t be grandfathered in.” They say the changes have boosted the whole look of the rink, and customers are giving the renovation positive reviews.
Bakken said some of the other products they offer include chasing border lights and open-face marquee letters (tabletop or larger letters with individual bulbs in them). Bakken points out, “The more attention you can bring to your business through lighting, the better. But check with your municipality first [before installing lighting]—there are a lot of areas with regulations against flashing lights; some do not have those types of regulations.”
Remodeling costs
Elwood Bakken of Action Lighting in Bozeman, Montana, says there are a lot of exciting things happening with signage. “People are starting to see controllable/ addressable lights. These are lights you can set to any color, time, or blink in a pattern of RGBW. They’re great for both the inside or outside of a rink. You can wash your whole building in one color—maybe all in green for St. Patrick’s Day—and you can change it the next day using an app.”
Giordano admits the scope of her rink’s renovation was a tremendous expense, but it was worth the cost to get the quality work they wanted. “The first thing I would tell a rink owner is if they’re remodeling something someone else had, don’t take shortcuts. Do it right the first time. Don’t try to save money or cut corners, because down the road, you’ll have to fix it.” Giordano received two grants from the SBA, three grants from Clearfield County and took out a small bank loan to fund the renovation. She commends her county government, saying, “Clearfield County really stood behind their businesses.” Giordano recommends rink owners look at funding programs through the SBA and, “If you’re lucky, you can go to your local bank and apply for a loan, or get a line of credit on your building.”
Sometimes lighting is overlooked in the broad scheme of a rink remodel, but it adds important aesthetic and safety elements to its exterior. “Curb appeal is so important because it’s your business’ first impression—it speaks to the quality of the experience people will have when they walk through your doors,” Bakken said. “Parents with kids want to know, ‘Will everything be safe, be taken care of?’ Safety is very important, and they can see that right away from the outside.”
“The upgrades brought people back to the rink. Our Number One reviews say how clean and inviting the rink is. The reputation before was that it was dark, dingy, and dirty. The outside gives customers their first impression. When people drive up, you want them to have an expectation of what they’ll see inside. If the outside looks nice, they expect the inside to look nice. It starts with the bright white across the building, and the lime green trim—it stands out from everything else around us,” Tim Price said.
Zoning restrictions limited their signage options. “We had to stick within the confines of what was already there. The township had a new ordinance; if we’d made any other changes to the sign it would be on the ground. Now it’s 10 feet in the air. We also had to stick with the changeable letter marquee,” Price explains.
Price continues, “The previous owner just had a banner that covered the existing sign. There was no lighting or anything, so you could only see it during the day.”
“Another big trend is the new LED neon. This is a flexible product that can be cut with scissors— there’s no gas or glass to it. It’s very safe to use. You can put it around your doorway just to draw attention to it.”
BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS OF ROLLXSCAPE'S INTERIOR UPGRADE. PHOTO CREDIT: ROLLXSCAPE
Brenda Price adds, “We had a lot of comments when we cleaned the parking lot up. When it was freshly blackened, it changed up the look. People notice that—they really pay attention to that sort of thing.” She noted their parking lot gets a lot of trash blowing in from an empty lot beyond their property; they make a conscious effort to pick up the trash. “If you’re going to pick up the trash outside, you’re going to keep it clean inside,” she points out. The latest in LED and traditional signage Whether cutting edge or classic, signage is an important element of a rink’s exterior. Basic signage gives the rink a crisp, fresh look, but LED lighting adds a definite ‘wow’ factor to draw business. An extensive study by Arbitron showed digital media in public reaches 70 percent of Americans. Uploading media to digital signage boosts your rink’s visibility and adds to its overall curb appeal.
GET STAFF INVOLVED With only so many hours in a day, it's hard for rink owners and operators to take the time to create content for social media. This is where staff can be invaluable, Salter says. “Employees are already on their phones, so you should encourage them to use that phone to benefit the business,” he explains. “Encourage them, empower them, to make social media content. We have had numerous staff members that we have given the phone to and said, hey, go shoot me a funny video. And the staff member comes back and we have a piece of content that is absolutely hilarious or that is absolutely genuine, and the angles in which they caught the image were so much beyond what I was thinking because I didn't grow up with the phone in my hand.”
36 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider social media & technology Stop Advertising and Start Marketing: How to Use Social Media to Effectively Market Your Rink I
“But every time we include a real staff member or a real customer, it gets four to five times the amount of engagement.”
Written by: Corrie Pelc
A recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll, on behalf of Sprout Social, found:
And Salter says the time you post is unimportant — it's about consistency. “Social media algorithms work on engagement, so the more content you can provide (for) someone to engage with, the greater likelihood they will engage,” he explains. “So if we have a post that has a lot of likes, we tend to post more immediately after that because we know that lots of people are engaging, so they have a greater likelihood of engaging in the future.”
SMediaSocial
• 63% of consumers anticipate businesses using social media as their main way of communication with them
According to Scott Salter, general manager of Alvin Skate-N-Party in Alvin, Texas — and RSA's social media chairperson — the best way for rinks to effectively market themselves through social media is by being genuine.“Every single person is selling and salespeople have a bad rap,” he explains. “If you can translate your products into a genuine message about community, about respecting and loving your employees and your customers, and you can show a side of your business that isn't a super cheesy sales message, people really cling to that.”
• 62% of customers believe businesses that do not have a strong social media presence will be less successful than those who do. With so much riding on social media, it's more important than ever for rink owners and operators to have a smart and strong presence. However, with staff shortages an issue and time always being a factor, how can rinks effectively market on social media with the time and resources they have? Here's some tips on how to do just that.
“You don't have to directly say we're
• 80% of patrons expect a business to be on social media and use it to engage with current and potential customers
Salter says that rather than posting a photo of an open sign to let people know your rink is open, post a photo of a smiling employee holding the door open. “Every time we make a post that is a digitally created piece of artwork, it gets some likes and attention,” he explains.
BE GENUINE
n the world of marketing, social media continues to be king. With more than half of the world using social media platforms daily, it continues to be an easy — and in most cases free — way to market your business to a wide audience. Not to mention your current and potential rink visitors rely on social media to find out about businesses they want to patronize.
And Dominguez stresses videos do not need to be professional or long to make an impact — he says a 15-second video is perfect for social media.
Interskate Roller Rink, and we want you to come here — sometimes it helps to be a little more passive about it,” he explains. “You don't have to make an ad for your rink. Sometimes it takes just being there and seeing things and people seeing what's going on in the background and wanting to be a part of it.”
What if staff is reluctant or nervous to help with social media? Dominguez suggests rinks have the team make a few trial videos as a teambuilding exercise to get them used to the idea. And he says staff should use their own speaking voice whenever possible in a video rather than just music or sounds over the video imaging.
Photo credit: @dawsonish on TikTok Photo credit: alvinskateparty@ on TikTok
VIDEO IS KEY Another critical aspect of social media marketing is videos. Research shows about 91% of people watch online videos.Dawson Dominguez, general manager at Interskate Roller Rink in Lewisville, Texas, knows the power of social media videos first-hand, as his personal TikTok account has over 5.4 million followers. And although his original intention in starting the account was not to publicize the rink, it ended up doing it for him anyway. Now they have people calling and visiting the rink because of his TikTok videos.
“You don't have to spend a lot of time on it,” Dominguez adds. “I've done a walk-through of the rink — people love that. Just do a “this is our rink“ type (video). Show what it's like during a busy session and say hey, it's a great night to come in. Just show off what you've got going on.”
Salter and his staff achieve being genuine through the messaging they use for their social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.Forexample,
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 37 liability & human resources Chart compiled from national airplay charts and Promo Only feedback. For more information, vist www.promoonly.com. The Industry’s #1 Source for Music and Music Videos.
Setting the right tone creates a positive first impression with new hires. “It starts when you first talk to the [potential] employee on the phone,” says Jim Dvorak, CEO of United Skates of America and newly inducted RSA Hall of Fame“Youmember.getaresume, respond back, set up an appointment…but the old days of being tough are out. You have to be friendly and excited. They have to see you as positive and a great company to work for. If you don’t exude positivity, they won’t come to work for you.” He adds, “You’ve got to set the stage at the very beginning. If they get a bad impression, they’re not going to work for you. And if they do, it will be Dvorakhalfhearted.”pointsout that making interviewees and new hires feel welcome immediately is critical. “Shake the person’s hand, take them around and show them the facility. Introduce them to anyone—your sales manager, assistant manager. Make them feel important.”
Dvorak said respectable compensation is part of keeping employees motivated—don’t expect a new hire to work for a “bargain price” salary for long. “You’ve got to be competitive in the benefits and salary part of the business,” he says. “You also have to be human. If [a new hire] is going on vacation with their wife and family next week but can start the week after, work with that. A lot of people don’t think like that. It doesn’t mean we don’t have high expectations—we do. For people who really perform when they start, you want to keep them on the path to success and make them feel important. We just try to be like how people should be.” Inclusivity and seeking feedback from all staff is a key element of the United Skates of America culture. “We try to have a diverse staff. It brings a lot of value, not just to the people we hire but to the community. It’s a terrific thing. We’re big on that—we feel it’s important.”Ifanemployee’s motivation is starting to wane or their performance is slipping, it’s time to evaluate why this is happening. Coaching and pep talks can only go so far if an employee is truly not performing to the expected level. Dvorak says his managers have a straightforward conversation with the employee.
Rink owners should have a clear set of values that serve as guiding principles for everything they do. “As a leader, you have a right to set the values,” Silverstein says. “Start with a set of values that are about people. When you make decisions based on a set of values, hire from these values, fire from these values, you create a great place to work.”
“We have a philosophy that we always want to be honest with people. We don’t sugarcoat. We can talk to them every single day, not just reviews once a year. Our associates are not employees; they’re associates—they’re partners of our team. If they’re trained and act like partners, they’ll come back with us. If they’re being a rotten apple, we can’t work with them. Fortunately, we don’t hire many people like that anymore. [There’s] excitement and fun that we show when we’re talking to them. We ask them ‘what do you like to do?’. We get a feel for them. It’s amazing how many kids are doing such cool things,” Dvorak adds. When it’s no longer a mutual fit, it’s best to part ways. Ideally, these separations are few and far between. Commit to hiring a strong workforce and treat them accordingly. Dvorak says, “It’s hard to find good people. You have to pull out all the stops and make them feel welcome.”
n the world of marketing, social media continues to be king. With more than half of the world using social media platforms daily, it continues to be an easy — and in most cases free — way to market your business to a wide audience.
Get to know your employees as people. Find out who they are outside of work hours. Build a rapport with them. If employee retention is a problem, take a step back and re-evaluate your approach. Silverstein suggests asking yourself questions like “What’s your relationship with your people?”, “What do you know about them?”, “Have you taken the time to really get to know them?”, “Where are you thinking about going to school?”, “What will you study?”, “How can I help you?” Make an effort to build a relationship with them.
Keeping rink employees motivated and morale high all begins with the rink owner.
38 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider liability & human resources Tips and Tricks to Motivating Employees and Boosting Morale
I
“Workplace culture is something that’s inspired in people. You can’t mandate people to work hard and have fun, but you can create the environment that inspires it,” explains Sam Silverstein, CEO of The Accountability Institute, speaker, and author of multiple books on workplace motivation. “What the leader has to recognize first is what are the changes they need to make in themselves? What happens when you create a workplace culture that inspires people to want to be their best and is based on accountability is you naturally get greater communication, teamwork, creativity, better customer service. The experience your customers get will never exceed the experience your workforce gets.”
Rinks continue to face staffing shortages and hiring challenges. According to industry professionals, the key to building a successful workforce is creating a positive, uplifting environment and culture—a place where people want to work and enjoy going to every day.
MEmployeesMotivating
Chris Maganias, owner of six Astro Skate rinks throughout the state of Florida, admits hiring has been a challenge over the past two years. He is known for building an atmosphere of excitement and high energy for both staff and skaters. One of his hiring tips is to hire a young person—ideally, one who is already a regular at the rink—before they find other work at a supermarket or fast food joint. “We’re all about skating. We offer tons of incentives— raises, evaluations twice a year. We tell them [the workers] ‘the more you learn, the more you can make. For the younger people, we let them know the managers at every one of our six rinks started where they are. To me, that gets them to buy in.” Maganias goes above and beyond for his employees. “At the end of the year, we take our seniors out to a nice dinner, so we’ll have 40 or 50 kids get dressed up and look nice. I like to reward. We also do an Employee of the Month, where we give a plaque, but also money.” Maganias is a big believer in coaching employees to learn accountability and personal responsibility. “This is a first job. You have to counsel them. They’ll not show up because they want to go to the beach. You have to tell them some behaviors aren’t acceptable and won’t be tolerated,” he said.
Written by: Sara Karnish
Rink Highlight on...
RollerAlohaRink
S ome people have goals for themselves. Liz Ruiz has a goal for her community of San Jose, California: to preserve skating. Although she says she’s “not there yet,” the evidence would suggest otherwise because people in San Jose have a place to skate. That wasn’t always the case. In 2014, San Jose Skate (known as Aloha Roller Rink when it opened in the 1970s), closed. For five years, there was no rink building. “People missed it,” Ruiz firmly believes. “It was a rite of passage.” Growing up on skates It was part of her personal rite of passage. The San Jose native began skating when she was 9 or 10 years old and became a “full-fledged rink rat” by the time she was in junior high, spending about 40 hours a week in the rink. She stopped going when she grew up, but the love of skating remained within her. When she started gaining weight due to being sedentary at her office job, Ruiz began looking for a way to exercise. An article about roller derby enticed her back to her oldButrink.eight years later, the rink was sold and was going to close. “It was the only rink in the area,” she recalls, observing that other roller rinks in the vicinity had already closed their doors. “I tried to keep it alive, but couldn’t. If I didn’t do anything, our community would not have a rink. The next generation of children would miss out on skating, which was such a staple of my upbringing.” Going mobile Ruiz did something. She bought out the entire inventory of skates as the first step in the next chapter of San Jose skating. Next, she bought a mobile trailer to haul those skates to various locations where she offered off-site events, such as schools and libraries. She also scheduled corporate events. But her regular gig was at Roosevelt Park’s outdoor hockey rink on summer weekend nights.
with owner, Elizabeth Ruiz
turned into a four-year (in November) rental agreement. Going from a little summer operation that took 10 hours a week with two or three employees to a much bigger operation that requires 33 employees was “an immense challenge,” she admits. But it’s another step toward her goal.The challenge paid off –not only for Ruiz and her rink but also for other shopping center stores. “We’re the only skate rink in the Bay area,” she says. The rink is pulling in people from 45 minutes to an hour away. That has benefited other stores and altered their demographics.
40 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider Photo credit:
By Lori Lovely
When Eastridge Management approached her for a meeting, Ruiz investigated Eastridge Center and found a space she considered suitable for a rink. But during the meeting, she discovered that the group wanted only a one-day pop-up event in the parking lot. “They used to have an ice skating rink,” she says, believing it to be the inspiration for theSheidea.had an idea of her own and convinced the management company to let her use the indoor space she selected. The announcement went viral with more than 100,000 likes. “The response was immense,” she effuses. It resulted in turning a oneday pop-up into a two-month holiday event.The two-month holiday event
“I couldn’t afford a building,” she remembers. “I worked as a part-time nanny. So, I partnered with the city to rent their hockey rink.” It kept skating alive for the community. Four years later, she’s still providing skating at the park, but she finally found a building – almost by accident. From rink rat to mall rat
Aloha even won an award for its impact on the shopping center, proving its value to theRuizmall.calls her relationship with the mall “mutual love,” but she says the mall is not her forever home, and she is already preparing to transition to a permanent location that she hasn’t found yet. Eye on the prize Ruiz had to make some compromises to make the mall space work. She performed a “shoestring budget remodel” on the rented space because it’s not hers, and she has no intention of diverting money from her savings to invest in improvements she’ll have to leave behind once she finds a building to buy.For example, rather than paint murals on the walls, all the art is painted on canvas so she can take it with her. Similarly, during the pandemic lockdown, she built a blacklight mini golf course she could take with her. Liz Ruiz
It’s easy to understand that remodeling requires contractors with a different skill set than the typical rink owner.
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 41 Photo credit: Liz Ruiz
1. Have a goal or a mission and stick to it.
Top 15 Things I Learned from Opening a Skating Rink
Hello, goodbye, hello again The advantage of renting space is that she can test-drive the concept before signing a long-term lease. Even so, it’s been difficult, notably when the state mandated a lockdown in March 2020 due to the pandemic. “Aloha was going to close down, but this was just a trend of us losing these very valuable places,” she remembers thinking. She was determined not to let her rink become another COVID casualty. “There were times where I had to take loans against my retirement to stay afloat while waiting for government funds to come through,” Ruiz laments. In the interim, as a very different way of serving her community, Ruiz used the rink as a walk-in mass vaccination site for Santa Clarita County, capable of inoculating up to 2,000 people daily. Aloha is used as a way to say both hello and goodbye in Hawaii. Keeping it as the name of her rink was intended as a nostalgic connection to her past and is part of the rink’s origin story. “Bringing back the Aloha name, and helping that kind of spirit stay alive, was important to me,” she says. But it also symbolizes the endings and beginnings of skating in her own life. The next beginning will be finding a place to call her own. “I want to own my own building,” Ruiz says. “Everything I’m doing goes toward that.” In the meantime, she was offered another location in Santa Barbara four hours away, and is currently working on renovating that facility in the Paseo Nuevo Mall. “There are a lot of adult skaters and fewer kids in Silicon Valley,” she notes, so that facility will cater to them. It will offer skating, arcade games, laser tag, and a concessions bar when completed. She remains open to more locations as the opportunity arises, keeping in mind her mission to preserve skating for the community. Skating is important to her. “It’s what I did for fun when I was young. It was my hobby, my sport,” Ruiz reminisces. She wants to share her enjoyment of skating with the community - to preserve a place for a younger generation to experience the same rite of passage that meant so much to her.
9. Know the difference between “need” and “want.” Start with only what you need, Ruiz advises. “As the facility starts earning money, you can add some of the wants.”
12. Learn about yourself. “You have to know your shortcomings,” Ruiz says. “Mine is marketing.” Calling herself her worst employee, she recognized that she was “standing in the way of my own business,” so she hired a marketing professional.
“There’s an energy at the rink,” she marvels. “Everyone is having a good time. I love watching families come in. The parents are sharing something they loved with their kids, and the kids are falling in love with skating.” With her vision, they’ll have a place to skate for a long time.
3. Long-term budgeting is essential. “I didn’t want a loan,” Ruiz recalls, explaining that one estimate she got to convert a building to suit her needs came in at $1.5 million. She felt that would have put too much financial strain on her business because it would take too long to pay off.
4. Don’t over-invest. Ruiz wisely chose not to put too much money into a temporary, rented space. “Calculate your breakeven point,” she advises. Don’t be a perfectionist because the casual skaters don’t care, she shared. For example, her DJ booth was a mall kiosk, and she pulled up carpet squares to panel the walls. “For most skaters, the garage-sale version is fine.”
15. Do a soft opening. After all the staff training, have an invitation-only private session to test where your weaknesses are before going public.
2. Don’t go into too much debt. “People have a huge, glamorized plan for their ideal rink,” Ruiz says, “but that’s expensive.” In the beginning, taking on too much debt can be a significant stressor on a new business, which often can’t sustain a high debt level. It’s essential to be realistic about your finances. For example, when Ruiz wanted to buy her old rink, she worked as a part-time nanny. The rink owners wanted $40,000 a month; she knew that was unsustainable debt.
Liz Ruiz meets people who want to open a skating rink all the time. She generously shares her experiences and the lessons she’s learned from opening her own rink. Here are some of her tips:
5. Make the business pay for itself. Don’t get ahead of yourself with purchases, features, amenities, or employee hires. You don’t have to have everything at once; attempting to do so could over-extend your finances. Monitor cash flow and be sure your expenses are less than your revenue. Manage growth. “Don’t grow too quickly.”
10. Learn about the industry. You need to understand roller skating. You have to have knowledge about the skates.
14. Take steps. “You can’t stay in the planning stage forever.” Even if things aren’t perfect, she urges potential new owners to move forward. “It will always be scary. You’ve just got to take the step. Don’t be afraid to fail. This is skating; we know how to get back up.”
13. Invest in getting the right team members and rely on their expertise. “You can’t even open by yourself,” she explains, adding that the team includes contractors and employees.
7. Determine which opportunities will help you reach your goal.
It will always be scary. You’ve just got to take the step. Don’t be afraid to fail. This is skating; we know how to get back up.
8. Check each step you take to see if it moves you toward your goal. Don’t get distracted by things that won’t help you achieve your goal.
Other amenities the site offers include a party room, arcade games, air hockey tables, a photo booth, and tables and seating for eating. “I’m working on a food and beverage license, but there’s a pizza place next door, and I offer packaged snacks.” Ruiz wasn’t willing to put money into any permanent fixtures she’d have to leave behind. Instead of classic hardwoods, her customers skate on the concrete floor. “I’ve never been able to provide an ideal skating floor,” she says, referring to both the mall and the outdoor park venues.Noamount of money could fix the most significant obstacle of the mall rink. There are pillars in the middle of the floor she can’t change. This obstacle fuels her dreams of finding a proper building that she can customize to suit a rink’s needs.
Ruiz capitalized on several opportunities, starting with buying the skate inventory from the rink that was closing and agreeing to the mall’s offer to put on a pop-up event.
6. Break your plan down into manageable steps. To get started, you don’t have to have everything done to perfection. Do what you can afford and build on your success.
11. Learn about your audience. For example, Ruiz says Silicon Valley attracts many singles just starting their careers in the tech industry, so she anticipates fewer family and child skaters than adult skaters at the new rink she’s opening. You need to adjust to provide what your customers want.
FUN in Functional
ombining her passions for skating and artistic expression, Chelsea Mae Gagnon, aka the Skatemaker, builds “FUNctional”customizedart on wheels. Featured on her Instagram and Facebook pages, they are available for sale through her
By Lori Lovely EMMA BAYENS
PHOTO CREDIT:
PHOTO CREDIT: CHELSEA MAE GAGNON PHOTO CREDIT: CHELSEA MAE GAGNON PHOTO CREDIT: CHELSEA MAE GAGNON
A Art Skatesin The Skatemaker: Putting
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Because of her injuries and the resultant pain, she’s unable to work a “regular job,” explaining that “some days I’m broken, in a lot of pain and can barely move.” She used a walker to get around in 2016. In 2019, she learned to crochet to help focus her mind. That led her to create crochet street art. By 2020, she was ready to start skating. After completely glittering and rebuilding the Riedell 265 boots she wore for Derby City Roller Girls, she decided to create custom roller skates to sell.
42 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider news and commentary
Chelsea
To get started, she did a lot of research and studied how to build skates correctly. Her experience working on her 1963 Ford Fairlane 500 and vintage mopeds taught her how to use tools – and the value of quality parts. Not short on supply of inspiration, Gagnon keeps lists of favorite color combinations and ideas she daydreams about. But she also listens to her customers’ desires. “I really love when customers have zany ideas!” For example, she turned a fancy pair of cycling shoes into roller skates for one of the former announcers for Derby City Roller Girls, who is into mountain bicycling.Someof her favorite designs include: the with Artist Mae Gagnon
recoveryholdsandPark.andHillthefavoriteskating,summers.”thehadmygodmother’sgreasingadvisesbackoffersaddition265developedmadebychelseamae.wixsite.com/theskatemakerwebsite,TheideatobuildcustomrollerskatesaftershecustomizedherownRiedellbootsandremountedthem.Today,intobuildingcustomrollerskates,shemaintenanceandrefreshes,includingbrakeinstallation,cushionswaps(shereplacingcushionseverysixmonths)andpivotpinsandoilingbearings.Gagnonbeganskatingatage4.“MyfamilyownedSkatewayUSAinhometown[of]Henderson,Kentucky.IbirthdaypartiesthereandwastherealloftimewithYMCADayCampduringtheStillaregularskater,Gagnonenjoysoutdoorparticularlyatsunset.“Someofmyplacestoskatearemyneighborhood,UniversityofLouisvillecampus,CrescentReservoir,TheParklandsofFloydsForkLouisvilleWaterfrontPark.”ShealsoenjoystheDavidArmstrongExtremeHowever,aseriesoffivekneesurgeriestwobacksurgeriesthatbeganin2013stillherbackatthepark.Butchronicpainandledtowheresheisnow.
If you're looking to commission Chelsea for custom skates of your own or for customers, she can be reached at com/theskatemakermadebychelseamae.wixsite.
One of her customers placed second in the 26-mile NYC Skate Marathon in Brooklyn while wearing her skates. “My skates are designed to be used, and I encourage customers to go on adventures in their skates.” In fact, sometimes she even writes encouraging notes to them on the underside of the plates, anticipating that “moment of unexpected joy” when they receive their customized skates. Connecting with her customers is key. The relationships she’s developed through building skates are special to her. “I truly care and want to connect with customers,” she says. Many of them become friends. While working on a commission, she thinks about the person the skates are for, putting “focus and love” into every“Itdetail.means a lot to me that my roller skates spread joy in the world – not only to the folks who are wearing them,” she says, “but also to the people who see my customers out roller skating and then reminisce about how much fun they’ve had on skates.” That’s why, she explains, she is patient when building skates, taking time to give attention to each little task at hand in order to achieve the “best and most badass result.”
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 43 news and commentary
PHOTO CREDIT: CHELSEA MAE GAGNON PHOTO CREDIT: CHELSEA MAE GAGNON BRAND NEW “HYDRATE AND SKATE” CUPS FOR SALE We are excited to share that our BRAND NEW cups are in and available for purchase! Cups are adorned with fun, neon sign shapes, including skates, snack bar goodies, disco ball, music notes, and the phrase "Hydrate and Skate." We've even doubled the number of cups in each box to 500! Price: $295, plus shipping Details: 500 32-ounce reusable cups, black lids, and clear straws. 70mil thickness. Order by phone: Contact Accountant, Tonya Crenshaw, at 317-347-2626 Ext. 111 / accounting@rollerskating.com. Order online: www.rollerskating.com and click on STORE to get started
Bo Naked Roller Skates. “When I was 16 years old, I worked on a 1963 Ford Fairlane 500. My car had a 289 V-8 engine. When I would take it cruising or to the drag strip, I beat a lot of the boys my age. One of my customers loves the whole story of it all so much that they commissioned me to design their long-distance roller skates to look like my old muscle car.” Kill Bill Roller Skates. “One of my favorite movies is Kill Bill: Vol. 1, so I am building a pair of skates right now that are inspired by the bride’s yellow tracksuit in the movie.” Despite their beauty, Gagnon’s skates are built to be used regularly – and “very aggressively.”
Baby Cherries Roller Skates. “They were inspired by the color scheme of some of my favorite 1990s toys, especially the cherry toy that came with the Baby All Gone doll in 1991. I’d been daydreaming about them, and when I described my idea with a customer who wanted roller skates for the skatepark, we went for it!”
The Hard Facts About
Rink Flooring 101
44 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider
“When compared to concrete, maple is obviously a better surface to fall on, as far as scrapes and burns and bruises because it's got a finished coat on it,” he explains. “And it's a smoother surface to fall on so you don't tend to road rash yourself as much as you would when compared to concrete. My understanding is that recreational skaters prefer maple and some of the speed skaters prefer concrete. Maple is kind of a stickier surface — you don't tend to slide and you've got a little more control, which makes it more of a preferable surface for recreational and more along the lines of beginning skating.”
As for concrete, Nazzaro says that flooring medium is often found in buildings converted into rinks and are not necessarily designed for skating use right out the gate. “There's a lot of wavy characteristics in the slab and substrate,” he explains. “Either you grind the (concrete) level or you apply something on top of it.”
Flooring Installation, Longevity and Giving Customers the Best Surface Possible CORRIE PELC FOUNTAINBLU SKATING ARENA IN NEW CUMBERLAND, PENNSYLVANIA REFINISHING THE SURFACE. PHOTO CREDIT: DIANE SCHIAZZA FOUNTAINBLU SKATING ARENA'S REFINISHED SKATE FLOOR. PHOTO CREDIT: DIANE SCHIAZZA
When it comes to a roller skating rink, nothing is more vital than your rink flooring. Whether it's hardwood, laminate, or concrete, your floor has to provide an amazing experience for roller skaters. A good rink floor is smooth and level with the right balance of slickness and grip that allow roller skate wheels to glide and stop as needed. How can rink owners and operators keep their rink flooring in tip-top shape? What do they do if they find an issue? And is there one type of flooring that is better than another? Let's dive deeper into rink flooring to answer these questions and more.
While the most expensive option for rink flooring, hardwood offers some performance characteristics that make it a popular option for many roller rinks, according to John Evans, technical director of the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association.
For rinks just starting that cannot afford to put in hardwood or high-density particle board, Nazzaro advises them to stick with concrete if they
According to Joe Nazzaro, skating industry flooring consultant and owner of Roll-On Floor Systems in Hurst, Texas, there are four main types of roller skating flooring — hardwood (specifically northern hard rock maple), high-density particle board, concrete, and interlocking skateboard tiles.
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 45 can. “The public acceptance of concrete as a substrate to skate on has increased exponentially since it started 40 years ago,” he explains. “The initial investment of just coating the (concrete) slab, if it's doable, saves them money going in and gives them a running start toward a hardwood floor if that's something they dream of. Later, if their business is successful, they can then choose to go to Overhardwood.”atAloha
Fun Center in San Jose and Santa Barbara, California, owner and CEO Liz Ruiz has found success using concrete for her rink flooring. “It was the most economical choice for us,” she explains. “My rinks used to be department stores and they had a concrete floor base, and so I kept that. It was going to be a lot of money to transition it, plus I'm not keen on the idea of investing heavily into a property that I do not own. So I figured if I was going to put wood floors in, I would do it after I was able to buy my own building.”
At Fountainblu Skating Arena in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, owner Diane Schiazza has maintained the rink's original hardwood flooring installed in the 1970s through regular light sanding and recoating every few years.“That helps protect the wood and it helps put the shine on it,” she details. “(And) the coating adds some ROLLER DOME NORTH IN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA; ROLLER DOME IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA; AND KATE'S SKATING RINK IN GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA WORK VERY HARD TO KEEP PRISTINE FLOORS FOR THEIR SKATERS.
Know When to Recoat Regardless of which type of flooring your rink has, a proper maintenance regimen is key to keeping it clean forKimskaters.Wall, owner of Floor Systems, Inc. in Fort Wayne, Indiana, says one of the biggest aspects of maintenance is recoating the rink floor. “Whatever floor you have, you need to coat it every year or so depending on how many people you skate,” he explains. Floor coatings are regulated by federal laws under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as state regulations, affecting the coating choices rink owners have to choose from. “There are several things that are EPA acceptable and every state has almost its own guidelines for it,” Wall says. “They all tend to follow the California EPA or the New York EPA, but they put a little bit of a twist in when they accept theirs. We're going more and more to water-based (coatings), but there are some oil-modified finishes that are EPA approved in most states.”
“The solution to that is to just make sure that everything is equalized,” he says. “It's very important to mitigate the damage as quickly as possible. Oftentimes that cupping (will) relax if it's mitigated soon enough, and the environment comes back to equilibrium. If it sits there for a couple of weeks, it's likely that it will not relax and it becomes more of a permanent state. It's important to mitigate as quickly as possible and it needs to be done by somebody who knows what they're doing.”
46 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider grippiness to the floor. Some people might (recoat) it every year, some people might do it twice a year, but if you do it too often, too many layers of floor coating build up and then it has a tendency to flake and chunk up, so then your floor looks really uneven and you just feel ripples on the floor. It really depends (upon the volume of) people skating through your building.”
“Every week on Mondays when we're closed, we dedicate that to floor care,” she says. “We're constantly keeping an eye on what our floor is doing. Occasionally (there can be) chipping. For instance, maybe somebody's got their skates where they're really low and they're scraping along (the floor surface). Every Monday we go and we fill those.”
Help, My Floor Has an Issue!
At Aloha Fun Center, Ruiz and her staff spend Mondays filling any cracks or chips they find in their concrete flooring, so they do not become a more significant issue down the road.
And moisture is not just a problem for hardwood flooring – concrete can also be negatively affected by it, Nazzaro says. For that reason, he advises all rink owners to have a moisture meter — which he calls the “stethoscope for your floor” — to check for any moisture issues in their flooring. “All of a sudden, I've been coating my concrete for 15 years, and right along the edge is coming up, and even the epoxy is coming off,” Nazzaro gives as an example. “Okay, let's look at the backside of the epoxy down to the concrete — what do you see? A little bit of sand. Your floor is failing, it's failing because you have moisture. We'll find out where the moisture is and stop the failing, we'll patch the hole, and move on. If I can't take a moisture meter, I can't give that counsel.”
Staff Involvement Regular maintenance also requires buy-in from rink staff. Not only are staff members the ones typically cleaning up spills, but they can also alert rink owners and operators of any potential issue with the floor.
Sometimes an issue may happen where too much water is introduced into flooring — maybe a pipe has burst somewhere underneath the floor, or a spill was left to sit for too long — or the surface of the floor becomes dried out. This, Evans says, can causing “cupping” where the flooring takes on a washboard-type appearance.
And at Fountainblu Skating Arena, Schiazza ensures staff understands the importance of their regular floor cleaning plan. “We have an employee manual and guidelines,” she says. “We go over each job and what's entailed and why. Why it's important to keep the floor clean and keep messes off the floor. It's basically for safety — you don't want spills all over your floor, you don't want gum all over your floor.”
Despite the best intentions and maintenance regimens, sometimes things go wrong with skate flooring.Withhardwood floors, one of the biggest culprits is humidity change, says Wall. “The wood floor in a skating rink is the largest hygroscopic material there, so anytime the moisture goes up and then it comes down rapidly, the only place to absorb it is a wood floor,” he Becauseexplains.woodexpands and contracts based on the environment around it, Evans says it's vital for rinks to maintain a proper environment.
Ruiz agrees and says her top tip for rink owners is just vigilance. “We're consistent with rink floor care regimen,” she explains. “We don't wait for the floor to require assistance — we're maintaining every single week. And we build that in because ultimately the skates and our floors, that is our asset that were selling and providing to the community.”
With so much to think about and do to maintain a rink floor, it's easy for rink owners and operators to become overwhelmed.
Regular Maintenance
What if something acidic, like a soda, spills onto a rink floor — will that eat away at the coating? Nazzaro says it's not the acid rink owners should worry about, but the sugars and oils from things like cotton candy and popcorn — as well as skaters' hands every time they fall onto the floor and pick themselves back up — that can cause rink flooring to become a “slippery“Surfacecircumstance.”oilsaretheissue on (a) skate floor,” he explains. “The focus has to be on the surface oils on the floor to remove them. And the only way you do that is cleaning with a pH zero cleaner. That means there's no detergent — all detergents are oil-based, so we keep detergents off the floor, and we try to clean that floor with a non-detergent cleaner twice a week.”
Schiazza suggests treating it like maintaining your pool at home. “You need to stay on top of it and be consistent,” she says. “You can't neglect your floor and then in five years say hey, we need to do something about this. You really need to stay on top of inspecting it for any splintering of the wood, which shouldn't happen, or any kind of damage at all.”
Ruiz says she depends on her skate guards to alert her to any issues on the rink floor, as well as her maintenance manager, who is also a skater. “When he gets off of work he's skating our floor on his free time, so he's very in tune with (the floor) and if there's something that's off,” she adds.
Wall recommends rinks follow a basic daily maintenance of dust mopping the floor before and after each session. And once a week, use a cleaning solution to remove residue dust mopping does not remove. “We recommend a non-foaming, non-detergent solution, similar to a gym floor cleaner; you can buy at a local janitor supply store,” he says.
Stay Vigilant
In addition to recoating flooring, rinks should also abide to weekly and daily maintenance procedures to keep it in the best shape possible.
“We recommend an environment that has a temperature range between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity between 35 and 50%,” he says. “That's a pretty comfortable relative humidity range. It's pretty consistent with what you'll find in most homes.”
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28 Baiting Place Rd., Farmingdale, NY www.radioboss.comadam@radioboss.com11735 RINK WARE Harold 25711harold.herrin@rinkware.com1-800-720-1219HerrinDrybrookRd.,Spring, TX 77389 ROLLER DIGITAL Kevin 13910213-839-6940ColumboFijiWay,Apt. 171, Marina Del Rey, CA partners@rollerdigital.com90292 ROLLER PLANET Bob ColoradoJamesSprings, www.rollerplanet.netcustomerservice@rollerplanet.netCO SEMNOX SOLUTIONS LLC Brian 11498DukeLuna Rd Suite 200, Farmers Branch, TX www.semnox.combrian.duke@semnox.com616-264-481675234 TIMES TWO TECHNOLOGY Kendall 508-283-3830Cabe Ext. 801 1257 Worcester Rd. #296, Framingham, MA www.timestwotechnology.comcomkendall.cabe@timestwotechnology.01701 YOUR EVENTS TEAM Michael 8424323-431-8700DouglasA.SantaMonica Blvd., #736, West Hollywood, CA www.youreventsteam.commichael@youreventsteam.com90069 COIN OPERATED LOCKERS AMERICAN LOCKER SECURITY SYSTEMS Edward www.americanlocker.cominfo@americanlocker.comGrapevine,815716-664-9600RuttenbergSouthMainStreetTX76051 CONSULTING AND RINK PLANNING RC SPORTS INC. Nathan 14501913-894-5177DieringerW.98th,Pillar 18-51A, Lenexa, KS www.rcsports.comnathan@rcsports.com66219 US DESIGN LAB 15077813-947-2360N.40th St., Suite 103B, Tampa, FL www.usdesignlab.comgary@usdesignlab.com33605 FINANCIAL, PLANNING AND PAYMENT SYSTEMS CFG WEALTH MANAGEMENT SERVICES Michael 9840317-841-7959PuckettWestpoint Drive, Suite 150, Indianapolis, IN www.cfgwms.commpuckett@cfgwms.com46256 CSA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS David 797866-400-0272BrewerBishopsCircle, Evans, GA 30809 www.csabusinesssolutions.comdbrewer@csamail.net FEC FINANCIAL GROUP LLC Scot 12414800-417-6883HeitMedford Rd., Philadelphia, PA www.fecfin.comscott@fecfin.com19154 INTERLINE CASH SYSTEMS INC., DBA CA$HMATE USA John P.O.888.437.0920KinleyBox366261, Bonita Springs FL www.cashmateusa.comjohn@cashmate.us34136 FLOOR MATERIALS INSTALLATIONSAND ASTRO CARPET MILLS Stefanie 800-542-4189Mantoothextension 836 PO Box 1059, Calhoun, GA www.astrocarpetmills.comsmantooth@marquisind.com30701 FLAGSHIP CARPETS Marsha 734800-778-5241LongS.RiverSt., PO Box 1779, Calhoun, GA www.neoncarpets.commarsha@flagshipcarpets.com30701 FLOOR SYSTEMS INC Kim 4517260-484-7746WallIndustrial Rd., Fort Wayne, IN www.floorsystemsinc.comkim@floorsystemsinc.com46825 OMEGA PATTERN WORKS Kristin Messick Office: 800-554-7007 Cell: 620-200-5405 PO Box 1059, Calhoun, GA 30701 www.omegapatternworks.comkamessick@gmail.com REPCOLITE Roy 1250231-726-5911Spencer9thAve, Muskegon, MI 49440 www.repcolite.commuskegon@repcolite.com ROLL-ON FLOOR PRODUCTS Joseph 233817-571-2438Nazzaro Jr.W.PipelineRd., Hurst, TX 76053 www.roll-on.comjoenazzaro@aol.com SOUTHEASTERN SKATE SUPPLY #2 David 462800-241-8060RamseyVeteransMemorial Hwy, SE, Mableton, GA www.southeasternskatesupply.comdavid@seskate2.com30126 TITE COAT INTERNATIONAL Scott 2440800-442-8483GrayCountyRoad 870 Crane Hill, AL www.titecoat.comowner@titecoat.com35053 GROUNDS MAINTENANCE AND OFFICE CHEMICALS AGENT + CLEANER & PROTECTANTS Brian 2733417-864-6644CarelE.Battlefield #156 Springfield, MO ProtectedByAGentPlus.combrian@agentplus.solutions65804 INSURANCE AMERITRUST INSURANCE GROUP Lisa 11880913-266-5325IgnotoCollege Blvd, Ste 500, Overland Park, KS association/rsahttps://www.ameritrustconnect.com/lisa.ignoto@ameritrustgroup.com66210 HANASAB INSURANCE SERVICES INC Robert 625323-782-8454FerrerSouthFairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA www.hanasabinsurance.comrobert@hanasabinsurance.com90036 JBL TRINITY GROUP LTD Anthony 50800-925-7465ProfaciFirstAvenue, Atlantic Highlands, NJ www.skatinginsurance.comanthonyprofaci@jbltrinity.com7716 LEGAL INTERNATIONAL AMUSEMENT & LEISURE DEFENSE ASSOCIATION PO Box Louisville,4563KY www.ialda.orginfo@ialda.org502-473-095640204
Dr, Suite 30375
PARTY CENTER SOFTWARE
48 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider connections 2022 RSA Affiliate Member Listings If your firm services the roller skating industry or small business owners and you would like information about becoming a member, or you are a current member needing to update your information, call the Association headquarters at 317-347-2626 Ext. 108. If you would like an additional listing under another RSM category, there is a charge of $125 per additional category. COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY & SOCIAL MEDIA BEYOND Kristin 204302-668-7282Novak-CsapoMiriamDr.,Bear, DE me.getbeyond.com/kristinnovakcsapokristin.novak-csapo@getbeyond.com19701 BOOKING ZONE Ryan 6880954-347-0906WrightSW20th St.. Plantation, FL www.bookingzone.comryanw@bookingzone.com33317 HOWND Brandon 1840877-394-2410WilleyE.Guadalupe Rd., Floor 2 Tempe, AZ www.hownd.combrandon@hownd.com85283
INFLY 36801-550-6166W.Syracuse Rd., Vineyard, UT www.infly.coteam@infly.com84059
LILYPAD Jeremy Devalk 4056 Meadowbrooke Dr., Unit 148, London, ON NBL www.lilypadpos.comjeremy@lilypadpos.com1ES
RADIOBOSS 2-WAY RADIOS Adam
MANCUSO, INC. Nick 297859-404-7744ChampaRuccioWay, Lexington, KY 40503 nick@visitchamps.com/mancusonick@visitchamps.com Scott 1010888-804-1166DrummondCameradoDrive #206, Cameron Park, CA www.partycentersoftware.comsales@partycentersoftware.com95682 9450503-488-5516McLeanSWGemini Beaverton www.partywirks.comlarry@partywirks.com97008 516-694-6000Smith
IDEAL SOFTWARE SYSTEMS Cat 3839OwenHwy 45 North, Meridian, MS fecsales@idealss.com800-964-332539301
INTERCARD INC. Rhonda 1884314-275-8066StevensLacklandHill Parkway Suite 1, St. Louis, MO www.intercardinc.comrstevens@intercardinc.com63146
PARTYWIRKS.COM Larry
CREATIVE SERVICES OF NEW ENGLAND
Cockeysville, MD
FUN EXPRESS Lae 4206402-939-3020PhonephakdyS108thSt,Omaha, NE 68137 laep@funexpress.com www.funexpress.com FUNTASTIC NOVELTIES INC. Kris Wall 4515260-482-1566FriesnerIndustrialRd, Fort Wayne, IN www.funnov.comkris@funtasticnovelties.com46825 GLOWORKS Joe 23133800-809-4569IaconaSchoenherr Road, Warren, MI www.gloworks.comjoe@gloworks.com48089 RHODE ISLAND NOVELTY Dan 350800-435-3456HighcoveCommerce Dr., Fall River, MA www.rinovelty.comdhighcove@rinovelty.com02720 SSM VENDING Judi 1716877-213-0500Heston-DonnellWestBroadway Road Suite 111, Mesa, AZ www.ssmvending.comjudi@ssmvending.com85202 STICKER AWESOME Jill 319425-999-3379Cook169thSt.SW, Bothell WA 98012 www.stickerawesome.comjill@stickerawesome.com THE STUFF SHOP Mike 111800-860-8474HillTripleDiamond Blvd, North Venice, FL www.stuffshop.commike@stuffshop.com34275 PARTY SUPPLIES PARTY DIRECT Kimberly PO800-548-7868HawkinsBox353,Peru, IN www.partydirect.comacct@partydirect.com46970 REBECCA’S Joseph 233817-545-2745Nazzaro Jr.W.PipelineRd., Hurst, TX 76053 www.rebeccas.comservice@rebeccas.com SURESHOT REDEMPTION Meg 1500402-659-9688BonnichsenS.HellmanAve, Ontario, CA www.sureshot-redemption.commegb@sureshot-redemption.com91761 PLAY BOWLINGEQUIPMENT,&LASERTAG ART ATTACK Doug 101www.artattackfx.comsales@artattackfx.com863-438-7469WilsonShepardAve.Winter Haven, FL 33838 CREATIVE WORKS INC. Armando 350317-834-4770LanutiBridgeSt.,Mooresville, IN 46158 www.thewoweffect.commarketing@thewoweffect.com LASER BLAST Carla 6118877-338-7889EwaldGotfredson Rd., Plymouth, MI www.laser-blast.commike@laser-blast.com48170 LASERTRON Ann 251716-836-0670KesslerMeyerRd., Amherst, NY 14226 www.lasertron.usinfo@lasertron.us PLAYSMART Gary 107217-221-4031BootsNorthMissouri, Sedalia, MO www.playsmart.comgboots@playsmart.com65301 QUBICA AMF Rob 8100804-569-1000GeigerAMFDrive, Mechanicsville, VA www.qubicaamf.usrgeiger@qubicaamf.us23111 RIDE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY Tamara PO503-606-4438DeanBox40,Independence, OR 97351 www.bumpercar.comRDCcars@gmail.com SOL-EFFECT ENTERPRISES Johnson 11878626-599-8277YehClarkSt., Arcadia, CA 91006 www.soleffect.comjohnson@soleffect.com ROLLER MANUFACTURERSSKATE ATOM SKATES Josh 2750253-301-3460HaagenWilliamson Place NW Suite 148, DuPont, WA www.atomskates.comInfo@atomskates.com98327 CHICAGO SPORTINGSKATES/NATIONALGOODS Joel 376973-779-2323AransonHollywood Ave., Fairfield, NJ 7004 www.chicagoskates.comskater@chicagoskates.com CRAZY SKATES USA Trent 2801317-222-6105CarterFortune Circle East Indianapolis, IN www.crazyskateco.comcontact@crazyskateco.com46241 JAMMERZ SKATE COMPANY Robert Burt 2229 23rd Ave. Rockford, IL www.jammerzlightedplates.comjammerz2010@yahoo.com815-708-778161104 RIEDELL SKATES INC. Bob 122800-698-6893RiegelmanCannonRiver Ave N, Red Wing, MN www.riedellskates.comtylerh@riedellskates.com55066 ROLLER DERBY SKATE CORP Tony 311217-324-3961MuseWestEdwards Street, Litchfield, IL www.rollerderby.comtmuse@rollerderbyskates.com62056 SKATES US INC. David 415765-935-7477RippWestEaton Pike, Richmond, IN www.SkatesUS.comdavid.ripp@skatesUS.com47374 SURE GRIP INTERNATIONAL Jim 5519800-344-3331BallRawlings, Southgate, CA 90280 www.suregrip.comskates@suregrip.com ROLLER SKATES & DISTRIBUTORS GOLDEN HORSE RENTALS/LW SKATES Walt 4004817-781-1898HedrickCedarCreek Ct, Arlington, TX www.usedrentalskates.comwaltskate@yahoo.com76016 PARADISE SKATE WHOLESALE SHIPPING Robert 1201925-470-6549BruceW.10thSt. Antioch, CA 94509 www.paradiseskatewholesale.comrobert@paradiseskate.com RC SPORTS INC. Nathan 17501913-894-5177DieringerW.98th,Pillar 18-51A, Lenexa, KS www.rcsports.comnathan@rcsports.com66219 SOUTHEASTERN SKATE SUPPLY INC. Glenn 2917800-444-7528Ramsey JrNicholasAve, Roanoke, VA 24012 www.seskate.cominfo@seskate.com SOUTHEASTERN SKATE SUPPLY #2 David 462800-241-8060RamseyVeteransMemorial Hwy, SE, Mableton, GA www.southeasternskatesupply.comdavid@seskate2.com30126 ROLLER SPORTS AMERICAN ROLLER SPORTS 6905 Corporate Drive Indianapolis, IN 46278 317-347-2626 Ext. www.americanrollersports.cominfo@americanrollersports.com105
North Lake Worth Beach, FL www.cranemachines.comjchapman@elautgroupusa.com33461
COAST TO COAST/ELAUT GROUP USA Jimmy 2201732-238-0096Chapman4thAvenue
BMI MERCHANDISE Dave
Jim 1199508-892-1555MorelandMainSt. Suite 417, Leicester MA www.cs-ne.comcsneinfo@yahoo.com01524
Rinksider - The Roller Skating Business Magazine 49 connections MEDIA BOWLING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE & TRAINERTAINMENT David 6829817-886-4840GarberGreenLeave Dr. North Richland Hills, TX www.trainertainment.netdavid.garber@trainertainment.net76182 RINKSIDER MAGAZINE Lynette 317-347-2626RowlandExt. 107 6905 Corporate Drive Indianapolis, IN www.rollerskating.comeditor@rollerskating.com46278 ROLLER SK8R MAGAZINE Susan 4712540-339-9461GearyOakRd.NW, Roanoke rollerskater@susangeary.comVA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND PARKS MAGAZINE Scott 1062610-645-6940BorowskiE.Lancaster Ave. Suite F/5, Bryn Mawr, PA www.tapmag.com19010 MUSIC ASCAP John www.ascap.comjjohnson@ascap.comNashville2800-505-4052BonaccorsoMusicSquareWestTN37203 NOVELTY ITEMS/ REDEMPTION PRODUCTS A & A GLOBAL INDUSTRIES
Kim 17800-638-6000DunnStenersonLane, www.aaglobal.comkdunn@aaglobal.com21030 1960732-363-0212SchwartzRutgersUniversity Blvd., Lakewood, NJ www.bmimerchandise.comdschwartz@bmimerchandise.com8701
HOSIERY
LAYMON HUGHES
Suite 160, Dallas, TX www.q-n-c.compaul@q-n-c.com75243 SCHWAN’S FOOD SERVICE Doug 9472507-537-8140PriestasHuntersPond Dr., Tampa, FL www.schwans.comdouglas.priestas@schwans.com33647 STATE FAIR MINI DONUTS Pamela 1515763-438-2867PalmArchwood Rd, Minnetonka, MN www.statefairminidonuts.comppalm@statefairminidonuts.com55305 SOUND SYSTEMS, LIGHTING, ART & SPECIAL EFFECTS ACTION LIGHTING Elwood 310800-248-0076BakkenIcePondRd., Bozeman, MT 59715 www.actionlighting.comelwood@actionlighting.com AUDIO LITE Terry 701800-255-1015MaxfieldGrahamSt., Emporia, KS 66801 www.audiolite.comterry@audiolite.com FROGGY’S FOG Christopher 302615-469-4906MarkgrafRutherfordLn,Columbia, TN www.froggysfog.comsales@froggysfog.com38401 STAR WHOLESALE LIGHTING AND SOUND Michael 55678-570-7608CoueyThomasGrace Annex, Sharpsburg, GA www.buystarwholesale.commichael@starliteffc.com30277 UVSCENERY, LLC Greg 2218508-739-6846KaplanMassachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA www.uvscenery.comuvscenery@gmail.com02140 SPECIAL PRODUCTS & SERVICES TOTAL CONSULTINGSPORTS Alphonses Heraghty 45 Ashley Circle, Commack, NY 11725 heraghty36@gmail.com631-241-3058 VENDING, VIDEO & COIN OPERATED GAMES AMERICAN CHANGER Wayne 1400954-917-3009SnihurNW65th Place, Fort Lauderdale, FL www.americanchanger.cominfo@americanchanger.com33309 AMUSEMENT CONNECT Frank 7020www.amusementconnect.comfrank@amusementconnect.com816-405-3187LicausiUniversalAve.,KansasCity, MO 64120 BAY TEK GAMES INC. Lauren 1077920-822-3951PerlbergE.Glenbrook Drive, Pulaski, WI www.baytekgames.comsales@baytekgames.com54162 BENCHMARK GAMES Paula 51561-588-5200RinkerHypoluxoRd, Hypoluxo, FL www.benchmarkgames.comprinker@benchmarkgames.com33462 BETSON ENTERPRISES Bob 303201-438-1300DipipiPatersonPlank Rd, Carlstadt, NJ www.betson.combdipipi@betson.com7072 PIPELINE GAMES Beverly 4000732-387-0233RuhmanBordentown Ave. Suite 30 Sayreville NJ www.pipelinegames.combeverly@pipelinegames.com08872 PLAYER ONE AMUSEMENT GROUP Bill www.winwithp1ag.combill.freeman@cineplex.comDeland,1390386-747-0845FreemanCanaryDriveFL32720 SHAFFER DISTRIBUTING CO. Paul 11001-800-282-0194JonesW.3rdAve, Columbus, OH 43212 www.shafferdistributing.compjones@shafferdistributing.com WHEEL, LACES, MANUFACTURERSBEARING ANABOLIX SKATE COMPANY Mike 1221317-903-6172ElsburyLuceCreek Cir., Greenwood, IN www.anabolixskate.comanabolixsk8@gmail.com46142 DERBY LACES Jill www.derbylaces.comjill@derbylaces.comBothell,319206-499-5533Cook169thSt.SWWA98012 MATTER WHEELS Doug 3800doug@matterwheelsusa.com714-891-3456GlassLimmerLoop,Hutto,TX 78634 RUBY ROLLER SPORTS 2601816-683-4000Madison Ave., Suite B Kansas City, MO www.rubyrollersports.comluke@rubyrollersports.com64108 ROLL ONE DIST. DBA ROLLERBONES AND BONES BEARINGS Isaac 6860805-683-4779OltmansCortana Drive, Suite B Goleta, GA www.rollone.comisaac@rollone.com93117 WRIST BANDS, TICKETS AND TOKENS HOFFMAN MINT Wayne 1400954-917-5451SnihurNW65th Place, Ft. Lauderdale, FL www.hoffmanmint.comwayne@hoffmanmint.com33309 NATIONAL TICKET COMPANY Patrick 5562800-829-0829CarterSnydertown Rd., Paxinos, PA www.nationalticket.compcarter@nationalticket.com17860 Clearfield, PA Rink For Sale: Asking price $575,000 (Includes everything besides personal items). Skate Station, 55 Skate Aly, Clearfield Pa 16830. 20,000 sq ft building sitting on appox 2 acres. Remodeled inside and out fully in 2020 including new wood floor with logo painted on top. We invested roughly $ 475,000. New blacktop in Fall of 2020. Great location in Clearfield County. This rink is one
Business & Facility known as Wagon Wheel Roller Skating 305 Van Horn Ave., Mills, Wyoming is for sale. Centrally located in Mills and suburb of Casper, Wyoming. Turn Key Facility is 20,456 sq ft.: Main building built 1955 cement block, cement floor with roll on. It has two steel side additions added in 1980 that includes a 1,035 sq. ft. 3 bedroom apartment. 12’ overhead door to enter, paved parking lot 24,854, lot size 91,083.96. Inquire Rink 307-265-4214 or Beverly Vanhorn cell 307-259-2574 or Larry Lunt 307TO333-3261.PLACE YOUR HERE OR IN CALL 317-347-2626 107. WITH A
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Sharon 1017256-845-1034HughesSandersAve. NE, Fort Payne, AL www.laymonhugheshosiery.comlaymonhughes@bellsouth.net35967
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Paul 12021651-669-8993ArttPlanoRd. of the main attractions of Clearfield, PA. Built 1964. Business has great income flow and can support itself. This rink is a staple to the county and I really want to keep it a rink. Please call or email us for further details on the remodel or with any other questions. Tracey (814) 329-8341 or traylinn@verizon.net.
50 Find previous issues of Rinksider at www.rollerskating.org/rinksider connections USA ROLLER SPORTS Heidi 4730402-483-7551PermatteoSouthStreet, Lincoln, NE 68506 www.usarollersports.org SIGNAGE & APPAREL EXPERT HOSIERY LLC Abid 5448919-799-7707SheikhApexPeakway No. 115, Apex, NC www.funtimefootwear.comsupport@experthosiery.com27502
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Established, Fully Operational Roller Skating Rink For Sale – Skateland Canton, 1040 W Hickory St, Canton, IL 61520. Has been operating for 45+ years (7 years under current ownership group) Business, Building and related physical assets are offered. 15,000 SF Building including ~8,000SF wood skating rink area + additional 720 SF storage space attached. Rink includes fully operational: Snack Bar (fully equipped), Pro Shop, Arcade Area (3rd Party Gaming Company – and some games available for purchase), Rental Skate Area (~350 pairs of rental skates), Music DJ booth (with new Peavey sound system), Public Restrooms, Office Area, Ticket Window and Lobby Entrance. Asking $375,000. All serious inquiries with reasonable offers will be considered. Business to remain open and fully operational indefinitely. Please call at 309.647.6958 for further details.
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