Thursday Night
Friday, January 28th, 2011I have discovered WoW. “Oh no!,” you say? Oh yes! Surrounded by others of varrying talent. Some chose to go slow. Some go fast. Some can do things I could only watch in amazement, hoping that I can improve to a point of doing such things with ease.
I speak, my friends, of World on Wheels. I found this place online while searching for a place that sold roller skates. They do indeed sell skates, but they are also something else of high value. WoW is a roller rink. I headed down there following my Google Maps directions on Monday. Got a little lost when I did due to one odd little road, but I found it. Unfortunately, Monday is closed to all but private events.
You head down the stairs into some strange bowling alley basement where you find yourself in a small room of carpeted walls. The lighting is dim. It’s a bit intimidating. There’s a ticket window where a woman in a black and white striped shirt takes your money. It seems whenever a transaction occours in this building, the cashier must slide a card. Here, she gave me my reciept and change and pressed a button to unlock the door so that I might enter.
Inside was nostalgia. All the bits and pieces I remember from hitting various roller rinks as a kid. Shelves full of rental skates. Fancy wheels ond accessories on display. Pay keyed lockers. Concessions, though not nearly as much candy as I remember. The 30 year old decor was well worn but in well enough condition. And there was the rink. On the other side of a small fence to keep people from falling in and at the bottom of a carpeted ramp was the old fashioned polished wood floor.
Dozens of skaters rolled around the oval surrounding a small island in the center where someone might take a break. There were two areas in the corners where one could also take a breather. Now, when I was a kid, the rinks I went to didn’t have a little island. They were more inclined to have their DJ in the center who would invariably play the Hokey Pokey at some point during the skate. Their DJ was off beside one of the ramps above the rink and he did not at any point play that particular song.
A disco ball hung in the center reflecting off the colored lights with good music playing over head. No pretention. Everyone enjoying themselves. Thursday nights are adult skate(25 and up) and this was my first night, so I suppose I can’t really say if things are different on other nights, but it was comfortable there. I left my stuff on a table(like several others) and it was left alone. Despite the corner with so many lockers it seemed I didn’t need one. Didn’t have any quarters at that point anyway.
I skated off and on, occasionally stopping for a song or two on the little island. Got off the rink for a drink and found my way back on after the three-song backwards skate. I watched others to see how they got it down. There was some great skill presented that showed me where I stand. I loved to watch the others who could dance and glide across the floor. I am in awe of them.
At this point, my best ability is to not crash into other people or fall down. And then I started to watch everyone at once to see what the commonality was. If I’m to get good enough to skate down Santa Monica Blvd, then I need to learn what the body’s supposed to do. It’s not so nearly as agressive as I had thought. Sure, it is when you’re doing derby, but other than that, you need to be lose and relaxed. If you can’t dance on the wheels, don’t try to dance on them. Wait till you get better. And I will. It’s an education and doing this reminds me that I love learning.
So… the plan now is to make this my Thursdays. Perhaps I’ll skate at other times during the week. Try to get around the block and maybe reach he point of doing it without crashing into the thorny bush, but I’m making this night important.