Topsail Beach Skating Rink has been a family-friendly tradition for more than 55 years. BY ASHLEY DANIELS PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY CONRY DAVIS
he Topsail Beach Skating Rink has been around since The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” sat at the top of the Billboard charts. That was 1964, and the skating rink surely played that hit on vinyl as skaters made their rounds on the old maple floor. With more than 55 years of history, the rollerskating rink still operates on the second floor above the town’s post office as a landmark/time capsule. Dan Arnold runs it with his aunt, Doris Jenkins, who originally opened the skating rink in 1964 and would work there every night after her day shift as postmaster. Now, Arnold carries on this same tradition. Jenkins turned 83 in May. “This summer, she’s feeling real good and she skated on her birthday,” says Arnold over the phone during his shift at the post office. “But if there’s too many people in there, she won’t … She’s still mighty graceful when she skates.” Arnold says that not much has changed over the years, including the lack of air conditioning inside the building. But that hasn’t impacted the draw, proven by the full house each night. “We’ve never had air conditioning,” Arnold says. “We just open the windows and turn on the fans, but it’s not miserably hot in there like it used to be because we got a new roof and new insulation.” Something else that hasn’t changed, he says, is the familyfriendly atmosphere amidst nostalgic surroundings. 68
Topsail Magazine
Let the Good Times “It’s always catered to the tourist families,” Arnold says. “They bring their kids in and learn how to skate, go back home and continue to love to skate somewhere else and then come back the next summer. … And then that kid brings in their kids, and then they’re bringing their grandkids.” The skate music is still played on old 45s, as well as a new digital sound system Arnold installed, in a variety of genres, from 1950s classics through today’s hits — even classical music, which is what Jenkins prefers. Skaters glide hand-inhand for the ballads and faster for the pop songs with pep under the old disco ball that was hung so long ago, plus some LED lights that Arnold added to shine off that ball for the “younger crowd,” he says.
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