If you thought the days of twinkling disco balls and legwarmers were a thing of the past, think again. We’re living through a ’70s and ’80s revival in many aspects of modern-day pop culture, and with that comes the return of a time-honored pastime: roller skating.
On Feb. 14, St. Augustine — more specifically, Anastasia Island — will welcome the area’s only retro-themed roller skating rink, known as Ponce de le Rollin’. This boutique rink is chock-full of all the good things every roller-skating rink should have, like groovy carpets, neon lights, spray-painted walls, bumpin’ tunes and much more. Guests of all abilities are encouraged to strap on their skates, toss on their sequins and hit the rink.
“It’ll be a place to hang out for both locals and tourists,” said Melissa “Missy” Gangemi, Ponce de le Rollin’s owner and founder. “I hope to bring a sense of community. I want it to be a fun, safe place where kids can put their phones down, listen to music and skate.”
The rink is on the smaller side, with a capacity of about 125 people, and promises a family-friendly atmosphere with skate rentals available in every size from “toddlers to tall people.” Tickets can be purchased directly at the rink as walk-ins or online. To accommodate the smaller size of the rink and the parking lot, skating sessions on those polished concrete floors will be available in 90-minute intervals.
If the funky design of the rink wasn’t enough, Gangemi said that Ponce de le Rollin’ will schedule themed skating nights, such as student nights, neon nights, disco nights, ’90s nights and various other nights correlating with upcoming holidays. The rink plans to collaborate with local DJs to bring a unique sound to the floor, whether that’s mixing ABBA tunes or rocking out to Nirvana.
Gangemi is a first-time business owner and local to Anastasia Island, having previously worked as a Realtor before shifting her focus to raising her children alongside her husband. The location of the rink happened by chance, but Gangemi knew that it would be the perfect place to bring her business to life.
“I have teenage daughters now, but when they were younger, things to do with them were so limited on the island, especially if it was raining,” she said. “I always loved roller skating — my husband, too, when we were younger — and we just thought this would be a cool thing to bring to the community.”
Ponce de Rollin’ joins a community of other small business owners who Gangemi said have been nothing but supportive. She’s also grateful for the support of local skating organizations, who have helped spread the word about the rink’s opening this month.
You can find Ponce de le Rollin’ at 201 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine, and join them for an afternoon of good, old-fashioned skatin’.
