Roller skating? As a competitive sport? Don't knock it 'til you try it

Andy Rowe realizes competitive roller skating might never attract the imagination of his two sons, and he doesn't even try.

"They stick to their soccer and basketball," he said Sunday, shortly after competing in the IIWAL Skating Competition at the Aurora Skate Center.

In fact, the Naperville man keeps his childhood hobby largely to himself, making regular appearances at the rink to stay in shape.

"As a kid growing up in a small town in west Texas, there wasn't much else to do," he said of his childhood pastime. "Not many people do this sort of stuff anymore."

Rowe joined about 100 other roller skating enthusiasts during a daylong roller skating competition at the rink. Competitors, many outfitted in sequined dresses similar to figure skaters, began their day before dawn lacing up and taking to the rink.

"Many of them just get a kick out of being out here," said Dan Warner, the rink owner and organizer of the competition, which was open to all skill levels. "They put on their costume and lay it out on the line."

Darlene Winton grew up roller skating at a rink in Oak Lawn near her south suburban home. But when the rink closed down 13 years ago, she went hunting for new digs and found them at a rink in Lombard.

Winton, of Bridgeview, now coaches at the rink with her daughter, Tara Usrey. The pair spent the day helping some of their students prepare for the contest.

"Some of them try it for a little while," Winton said. "And some of them we hook for life."