Al Greer
Last night, I spoke with radio personality, Al Greer, who shared his experience as a roller skating DJ. He said that he DJ’d at Rollerena on 103rd and Calumet in Chicago and Skate City on 63rd.
When I ask people about the rinks where they skated, only a few have mentioned this rink, so I really need people who have roller skated to share their stories, memories and images.
Image credit: article.wn.com
I went there almost every weekend growing up in the 70’s… I love when we used to take our skates off and dance on the skate floor. I was in a dancing group called The Satin Dolls and we used to perform there after last call for all skate. I felt like a superstar at that skating rink because all the boys wanted to talk to me… I also smoked my first cigarette in the bathroom at the skating rink I regret it now but I did
My friends and I skated there every Saturday. This was during the mid 70’s and I believe this was the era when the crazy legs, gangster walk, and the big wheel were created. I particularly remember that Flashlight by Parliment was a the biggest hit out for big wheeling, Many hits by James Brown was for gangster walking, and Enchantment was for couples only.
Me, my sister and all of our friends and family use to skate at the Rollerina. We lived on 102nd and Yates and went to St. John De La Salle Academy which is on 102nd and Vernon. Our school would let us have skate parties as a reward for having a great school year. We used to look forward to this every year. What a great rink the Rollerina was. We were all devastated when they turned into a grocery store.
We use to walked there we lived on 103rd & Princeton.
That was a good skating rink disco it was so cool
Hey Al! What was cool about the rink?
OMG me and my brother and sister skated at Rollerina for years. We lived at 122nd and Throop and we felt like big kids when my mom actually let us catch the bus there. We all got skates for Christmas one year and didn’t have to rent them anymore. And when we got to go to the Midnight Ramble…..WOW
Wow. That roller rink was in my neighborhood as a very young child. I don’t think I made it up there before it closed. š