October 11, 2022 |
Two of the three gyms at the Rawlins Family Recreation Center will open after hours Friday for the first Skate Night, part of an effort to provide indoor weekend activities to the city.
To launch the new program, skating will be free this weekend, Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Randy Flamig, a recreation supervisor at the facility, said cones will be set up on the gym floor to create skating lanes.
No outside skates will be allowed to protect the gym floor which was refinished this summer. The concern is that personal skates used on sidewalks might be chipped or scarred in a way that might damage the hardwood. Flamig said the skates provided will by the rec center won’t cause any damage.
The gym floor was installed when the rec center was built in the late 1980s. Over the summer, during June and July, crews sanded down the hardwood repainted and waxed it.
Nikki Howell is also a rec supervisor. Howell said enough skates will be on hand for every member of the family who wants to get out on the floor.
The rec supervisors were charged with transforming the basketball court into a skating rink suitable for different ages and abilities.
Howell said plenty of rec center staff will be on hand this weekend to make sure the inaugural weekend rolls smoothly, and to help novices who may be on roller skates for the first time.
The two rec supervisors said the idea to add skating to the list of wintertime activities has been in the works for almost a year. Howell said skating is big in other areas of the country and even Wyoming.
Skating is free this weekend as the rec center launches the new program. Moving forward, the fee including skates will be $5 for kids 12 and under. The fee for adults is $7. The rec center eventually will offer skate parties, where the rink can be reserved for private birthdays parties. This weekend is the launch party, and everyone is invited. The hours are Friday nights 7 to 9 p.m. and Sundays 3 – 5 p.m.
Pictured above: Skates at the Rawlins Recreation Center. Photo by Matt Copeland/Bigfoot 99.
