Childhood pastime a fun, healthy alternative
Nicole Kelly
Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Sports
Every weekend seems to bring the same events; bars, house parties, basketball games or going home to visit friends and family, but there may be a fun alternative that has been overlooked since you were about 12 years old.
Roller skating was something fun to do during elementary school and junior high. It was a time to be rid of your parents and spend a few hours alone with friends and even that special someone you like, maybe even gaining the courage to ask them out on the moonlight skate. Most people have put the idea of a fun night roller skating in the back of their minds and traded it for a case of Busch Light or a trip to The Village.
"Going skating on a Friday night is fun because I can spend a few hours with friends and just act like a kid again," Casey Berglund, an employee at Skatepark in Eldridge, Iowa, said.
Skatepark is just one of the local skating rinks in the area. Its located is in Eldridge, which is about 10 miles north of Davenport on Highway 61. The rink has open skating hours on Friday nights from 6:30-10:30, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4. Admission is $5 of Friday nights and $4 on Saturdays and Sundays. To rent roller skates it costs $1.50 and for roller blades its $2. They also have very reasonably priced food at the concessions stand. Nachos are $2.50 and a hot dog is only $1.25 compared to about $4 at the movies.
"We try to keep our prices low so that everyone can afford to come here," said Derek Hamilton, the assistant manager. "We have a wide variety of food and drinks and we also have a gift counter where people can buy little toys like glow sticks and rabbits feet."
Another rink in the Quad Cities area is Skate City in Moline on Avenue of the Cities just a couple miles off Interstate 74. They are open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. On Wednesdays the hours are 6:30-8:30 with $2.50 admission and $3 skate rental every night. On Fridays, its $7 from 6-9 and $4 from 9-11 and if you want to stay the whole night from 6-11, its $9. Saturdays they are open in the afternoon and at night. During the day, its $5.50 from 1-4 and at night its $7 from 7-11. On Sundays they are open from 1-4 as well at the same price as Saturdays.
Skate City also offers reasonably priced food including fries, ice cream and soft pretzels. During skating hours they also offer laser tag. It costs $4 a person if you are a paid skater and $6 if you are just coming in for laser tag. They also offer different rates for fundraising and group skates.
Next time it seems like the Quad Cities have nothing unique to offer, remember there is always something to do if you look hard enough. Roller skating is a great way to relax and spend time with friends, plus its great exercise. So next weekend plan a unique night out with friends and relive the magic of your childhood on wheels.
Roller skating was something fun to do during elementary school and junior high. It was a time to be rid of your parents and spend a few hours alone with friends and even that special someone you like, maybe even gaining the courage to ask them out on the moonlight skate. Most people have put the idea of a fun night roller skating in the back of their minds and traded it for a case of Busch Light or a trip to The Village.
"Going skating on a Friday night is fun because I can spend a few hours with friends and just act like a kid again," Casey Berglund, an employee at Skatepark in Eldridge, Iowa, said.
Skatepark is just one of the local skating rinks in the area. Its located is in Eldridge, which is about 10 miles north of Davenport on Highway 61. The rink has open skating hours on Friday nights from 6:30-10:30, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4. Admission is $5 of Friday nights and $4 on Saturdays and Sundays. To rent roller skates it costs $1.50 and for roller blades its $2. They also have very reasonably priced food at the concessions stand. Nachos are $2.50 and a hot dog is only $1.25 compared to about $4 at the movies.
"We try to keep our prices low so that everyone can afford to come here," said Derek Hamilton, the assistant manager. "We have a wide variety of food and drinks and we also have a gift counter where people can buy little toys like glow sticks and rabbits feet."
Another rink in the Quad Cities area is Skate City in Moline on Avenue of the Cities just a couple miles off Interstate 74. They are open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. On Wednesdays the hours are 6:30-8:30 with $2.50 admission and $3 skate rental every night. On Fridays, its $7 from 6-9 and $4 from 9-11 and if you want to stay the whole night from 6-11, its $9. Saturdays they are open in the afternoon and at night. During the day, its $5.50 from 1-4 and at night its $7 from 7-11. On Sundays they are open from 1-4 as well at the same price as Saturdays.
Skate City also offers reasonably priced food including fries, ice cream and soft pretzels. During skating hours they also offer laser tag. It costs $4 a person if you are a paid skater and $6 if you are just coming in for laser tag. They also offer different rates for fundraising and group skates.
Next time it seems like the Quad Cities have nothing unique to offer, remember there is always something to do if you look hard enough. Roller skating is a great way to relax and spend time with friends, plus its great exercise. So next weekend plan a unique night out with friends and relive the magic of your childhood on wheels.
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