Family Matters,  Niece-com-poops,  party party

80’s Skate Party

May 22, 2010 /

helping Bug skate

My niece, Rapunzel (no, that’s not her real name), turned twelve yesterday and we celebrated by having an 80’s flashback party at the local roller rink. We didn’t wear old prom dresses and rock out to Depeche Mode (which I would have liked) but we did have a really good time skating and acting like a bunch of tweenagers. It took me back to my own tween days. Like totally.

skates

pals

swirly

We broke out the totally tubular glow bracelets and waved them around like we really didn’t care. I don’t know if glow bracelets were popular back in the 80’s. I sort of remember them at Disneyland…but they were super fun in the semi-darkness of the skanky skating rink that probably hasn’t been painted, re-carpeted or vacuumed since the 80’s. It’s such a dive. But we love it because of that.

candy bar glow-cuffs

candy bar

The candy bar from Bug’s Rainbow Birthday made an appearance with some old school Now and Laters, candy dots and blow pops. They never go out of style.

birthday girl

lacing up holding up Bug

Bug even skated a few laps with real big girl skates that actually rolled—unlike last time where she trudged around with wheel-locked skates. I need to take her more often so she gets the hang of it. I tried really hard to hold her up and push her around but it was murder on my back. I guess I’m not really a tweenager anymore.

bday girl books!

Rapunzel opened presents and we ate technicolored cupcakes that CC made by the light of a nearby coke machine and our many many glow bracelets.

Martian Cake

tweens

V and Rapunzel

the girl called Elmo

me CC and her tweenager

And then we skated, skated, skated until we smelled like sweat-balls from the 80’s and they turned the lights on and kicked us out.

14 Comments

  • Carrie

    May 22, 2010 at 11:05 am

    I didn’t know they still had skating rinks! They tore down the one in my old home town and now it is a really nice office park that is totally empty b/c no one has any money to start a busienss.

    Very fun looking party! I can’t believe Rapunzel is so big! Some of those girls have boobs! What happened to the little girls?

  • Cath

    May 22, 2010 at 11:53 am

    Thanks for bringing back all the sights, sounds, and SMELLS of the skating rink! We wore those big brown skates too – do all skating rinks have those? What a great party!

  • Madge

    May 22, 2010 at 12:23 pm

    I’m bummed that we couldn’t make it. That looks like so much fun. I bet it smelled wonderful there, hahaha! I’d like to meet up there kid free and have a good workout. :P

  • BeachMama

    May 22, 2010 at 5:54 pm

    I love it!! We don’t have a roller rink left, but your looks just like our old one. Brings back a few memories. And Depeche Mode, so awesome. We had glow bracelets back then, but only at the fair, not at the clubs that came in when Raves started happening in the 90’s (not that I have been to one, but I had friends, just to clarify ;) )

  • a chris

    May 22, 2010 at 10:39 pm

    Hah! I definitely went rollerskating a couple of times as a kid (yes, in the ’80s), but when you talk about skates I always have to readjust my expectations from ice skating. Refrigerated air, zamboni exhaust, scrape of metal on ice, hot “chocolate” from a machine…

    My tailbone gets scared either way.

  • gingermog

    May 26, 2010 at 1:42 pm

    Sounds like a great day. Roller disco is becoming cool again. I went to a rink just before Christmas and it was so much fun .First time I’d had skates on since I was, 14 which is a long time ago. I loved the laid back cheesiness, 80′ school-disco music, multi coloured outfits and how unpretentious everyone was, just hanging out and having a good time. Too hot to drink anything but cola. After 15 years of being together I learnt something new about my husband… he’s good on wheels… which I never knew as he sped off leaving me duck footed in his wake. he can even skate backwards! :)