Even after a summer of staycations, local skating rinks are struggling

The Mainstreet USA roller rink, built in 1972, has survived disco, grunge and boy bands.

It's endured Afros, perms and mullets, while over the years hosting countless children's birthday parties, first dates and family nights.

But the Streamwood mainstay may not be around much longer, with fewer children coming through and lacing up their skates.

"We'd be lucky to stay open another year," co-owner Pat Rollins said.

Despite the purported popularity of the "staycation," the owners of Mainstreet and other area indoor skating facilities say they haven't seen the benefits.

The rink at 23 W. Streamwood Blvd. charges $2 an hour, with skate rental for $3 or $5 for inline skates. Rollins and her husband, Steve, took over the rink in 2002 when their sons Michael and Steve helped persuade them to buy it. The sons had worked there for the previous owners.

Despite the low cost of skating at the rink, business has tumbled as much as 25 percent from last year, Rollins said.

Skating rinks across the country have struggled since the 1970s peak of the trend - though the degree seemed to depend on many factors.

John Purcell, executive director of Indianapolis-based Roller Skating Association International, said the rink is another entertainment venue taking a hit from the economy.

"We get very uneven responses depending on what part of the country they're in and the economic conditions there," he said.

For instance, in Detroit, where the association was founded, the business is experiencing a significant downturn. In the South and Southwest, the impact isn't quite so bad.

Slow economy not only issue

For the Rollinses, slow business isn't the only problem. They also expect a steep property tax increase in the next two years. While their current annual taxes run about $56,000, they expect that to jump to $78,000.

The Orbit Skate Center in Palatine has a similar problem, owner Sandra Levin says.

"We're part of the movement to leave Cook County," she said.

Although she hasn't experienced a downturn similar to Mainstreet's - drawing clientele from more affluent suburbs like Buffalo Grove - Levin says she's finding the tax issue alone a killer. The sales tax in particular is taking a bite out of her skate shop business. Competitors in collar counties are paying only about three-quarters of the taxes Orbit is, she said.

But as for Mainstreet, the sales tax hike would be manageable if skaters continued to show up, its owners say.

Last year, a good crowd of about 200 would spend their Friday nights there. But that number has dipped to as low as 20.

Mainstreet first noticed the dip about four months ago and now the rink's future is very much in doubt.

"I honestly don't know (how we'll survive). We don't have a plan of attack yet," the younger Steve Rollins said.

Contrary to Mainstreet's experience, the poor economy is actually helping business at some rinks, like Skate on Grand in Fox Lake.

"Sometimes, when the economy is bad, roller-skating is something parents can afford," owner and operator Wally Illg said.

Family-friendly is key

A big part of attracting and retaining business has little to do with the economy, Illg said.

He believes some rinks in the region are facing hard times more from the loss of their family-friendly reputation. Once a rink is associated with gang activity or aggressive teens, its reputation as a place where younger kids and their parents can go for fun is almost impossible to recover, Illg said.

The Round Lake Roller Rink opened in 1918 and has weathered the Great Depression and multiple recessions since then, owner Vall Youngberg said.

But he said a lack of community support and an uncooperative bank are conspiring to make the most recent downturn in business the deathblow for the venerable facility.

"I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in now without such big taxes," he said. "If I just had $35,000, this problem would go away."

But what most upsets Youngberg is not just taxes themselves, but that they're being used against him to pay for such government-funded competitors as the Round Lake Area Park District Sports Center and Round Lake Beach Civic Center.

In the '70s, the rink was the local venue where bands like Styx and Kansas would come to perform, Youngberg said. Today, the civic center gets the equivalent business.

But Youngberg believes the rink can continue to be a positive force in the community by providing a secure place for young people to go and keep them off the streets.

Though summers are traditionally slow for rinks, with kids wanting to spend time outdoors, this season was especially brutal for Mainstreet.

Even school districts are rolling up their sleeves at the expense of the rink. Elgin Area Unit School District 46 once regularly scheduled field trips for students to skate. They've put brakes on the practice, citing financial concerns and the narrowing of field trips to solely educational purposes.

"We are not considered to be educational, even though it's healthy to skate," Pat Rollins said.

That's a big blow for Mainstreet, which depends on school-aged children and their families to keep the rink's doors open. One of its marketing plans is to give away 30,000 admission passes to U-46 students each year during winter, spring and summer breaks. It's also hosted physical education classes for Hoffman Estates High School.

Over the years they've redone the lobby area, added an extra ticket window, replaced the PA system and resurfaced the skating floor to make it look more like ice. Steve Rollins said he's trying to combat the stereotype of a dingy and antiquated rink.

But it remains hard to attract children and keep them coming as they enter adulthood.

Streamwood native Dan Burress said he has fond memories of hanging out at Mainstreet as a kid. But now in his mid-20s, having just moved back to Streamwood, he doesn't see himself going there, even though he does skate for exercise on occasion.

Making skating hip again

But Mainstreet USA owners are trying new ways to lure young people. They worked with promoter John Gallione to host battle of the bands-style concerts at the rink. A good draw brings in about $800 per show for the Rollinses. In contrast, a good night of skating would bring in $2,100 if 150 skaters show up.

"The concerts have helped, but it's still nothing comparable to actually get people to buy stuff and play our games," the younger Steve Rollins said.

Coachlite Skate Center in Roselle has also successfully used promotions to build up business during the slow summertime. Disc jockeys on Friday nights have attracted crowds of about 100, while $1 admissions on Wednesday nights have drawn up to 170 people.

Manager Ed Wanders said that at a such a low rate, even the big crowds on Wednesdays aren't big moneymakers. But the hope is that out of them may come ideas for future birthday parties or school outings.

Skating may not be as popular as it was in its '70s heyday when bell-bottoms and polyester filled the rinks. Recently, a rink in Southwest suburban Crest Hill closed, and Mainstreet has benefitted as parents who wanted to throw birthday parties at the shuttered rink shifted their plans to Streamwood.

But roller-skating still makes it to the mainstream. Fox TV's "Dancing With the Stars" has featured contestants on skates. Roller derby has also seen a comeback.

Mainstreet would like to capitalize on that interest, as female teams have popped up all across the country, including in Chicago. However, the rink is almost half the size of rinks that host derby matches.

Rink operators also hope the forthcoming roller derby film "Whip It," which opens Oct. 2, will create a new wave of interest in skating in general.

In fact, there's a line in the movie's trailer that Purcell, of the skating association, hopes will become a tagline for the industry. When the young protagonist tells roller derby skaters that they're her new heroes, one replies: "Put some skates on and be your own hero."

Levin, the owner of Orbit in Palatine, is also one of the directors of the brand-new American Skating Association, a not-for-profit intended to educate the public about the health benefits of skating.

In addition to building up business for rinks through school programs and public service announcements, the new association hopes to create new, more affordable insurance options for rinks.

Meanwhile, the Rollinses still are holding onto hope that the economy turns around. They don't want to close up shop.

"We have our fingers crossed," Pat Rollins said. "You never know. It's a strange business."

Skating: Many in the business hope roller derby, new movie will re-energize interest in rinks

<p class="factboxheadblack">Roller skating's ups and downs</p> <p class="News">• Roller rinks experienced their peak in the U.S. during the disco era from the late '70s to early '80s. At that time, there were 4,000 to 5,000 rinks in the U.S. Today, that number is about 1,600.</p> <p class="News">• Few new rinks have opened in recent years, mainly because of the high cost - usually around $1 million. Rinks are typically at least 12,000 to 13,000 square feet, carry high liability insurance and in many parts of the country are especially vulnerable to damage from extreme weather like tornadoes.</p> <p class="News">• Industry research suggests a rink typically requires a base population of 60,000 to 100,000 people to generate enough business to be successful.</p> <p class="News">Source: Roller Skating Association International</p>