In decades past, nearly every town had a roller skating rink that was filled each weekend with youngsters flying across polished floors on old-fashioned roller skates.
With the rise of in-line skates, which most often are used on roads, sidewalks or at outdoor skate parks, roller rinks seem to have gone the way of drive-in movie theaters.
Bridgeville RollerPlex, however, is drawing youngsters today as it did when it was built in the late 1950s. Formerly Great Southern Roller Rink, the rink on Washington Avenue was renamed in 2006 after it was bought by a couple who had skated there as children in the 1970s.
To adapt to changing times, owners Greg and Julie Horan refurbished the rink to offer in-line roller hockey all week long and one session of family skating on the weekends.
It turned out to be a good business move.
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Roller Hockey League has grown by 40 teams in the past year, according to Scott Mechtel, who served as elementary school director for the league and coaches the Bridgeville Bulldawgz, a youth travel roller hockey team. Five school districts in the league, some with more than one team, use the RollerPlex for practice and games. About 70 adult teams play at the rink throughout the week.
"It's pretty busy now," Mr. Horan, of Canonsburg, acknowledged.
A longtime hockey player, he saw an opportunity when the rink was put up for sale to give kids a place to play hockey and skate.
"Roller hockey was growing in the area and the Penguins were doing well," said Mr. Horan, who played on Mt. Lebanon High School's 1976 Blue Devils state championship team and later played in an adult league. Plus, the couple's son and daughter, who were 15 and 12 at the time, were playing hockey.
When the Horans bought the rink, it had evolved from a recreational roller and ice skating rink into a ball hockey arena, Mr. Horan said.
"It needed some updating," he said. Locker rooms were added, the concession stand was removed to make the rink longer and the concrete floor was covered with a blue plastic flooring for indoor roller hockey. The rink was closed for a year for the renovation and reopened in November 2007.
In-line roller hockey for youth and adults throughout the year accounts for 95 percent of the rink's business. The Rollerplex hosts the Bridgeville Bulldawgz, which is separate from the school leagues.
The smaller percentage of the business is the family skate time, which started Friday and will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. each Friday at a cost of $5 per person.
"It's kind of a lost art now, roller skating," Mrs. Horan observed.
"We have family skate so people can still come down and get a taste of in-line skating," Mr. Horan added.
The rink does not rent skates, so skaters must bring their own, either in-line or the old-fashioned, four-wheeled skates that might still be in the back of a closet.
Jennifer and Bob White, of Upper St. Clair, bring their two boys to the rink to give them a place to burn off energy in the winter months.
"It's a safe environment to Rollerblade, and it's affordable. It brings back memories for me because I used to spend my Sunday afternoons roller skating and ice skating at the Bridgeville rink," Mrs. White said.
"It's a fun business because it's entertainment," Mrs. Horan said. "The kids come in and have a great time."
Customers can bring in snacks or order pizza.
Ralph Harlan, who helps with maintenance at the rink, has been bestowed with the title of "supervisor of goalie personnel." It's his job to find replacement goalies when someone cancels in the adult leagues. He keeps a list of potential fill-in goalies in his cell phone and sends a text message when a spot needs to be filled.
Mr. Harlan, 62, plays in the "old-timers" league on Sunday mornings.
"There are some young kids that come down, too. It keeps us going and competitive," he said. "We come here as friends and we leave as friends. There's no pushing or shoving. It's a gentleman's game on Sunday mornings."
Mr. Harlan had played deck hockey before the rink changed hands.
"When Greg opened it about a year ago, I had to play on in-line skates and use a puck [rather than a ball]. I got my practice during the family skate time. I learned how to play goal during the game times and not to duck when the puck came to me. It's quite a challenge."
His three sons also play, sometimes against their dad.
First Published: October 15, 2009, 2:00 p.m.
