Rolling Along...
Riverbank State Park is in Manhattan on 145th Street and West Side Highway. It is an ice rink in the winter. Now during the summer it is a roller rink and packing the skating public in. The admission price is only $1.00! It is a State Park so admission price are low. The other night they had over 300 skaters and ran out of rental skates. With another 50 or so skaters still waiting in line to get in. The skating surface is smooth cement. The skating facility is covered on the roof and opens on the sides. This is on the Riverside Drive in New York City. Not to be outdone, another facility in Tuckaho, NY did the same. In Edison, NJ—The Roosevelt Park Ice outdoor complex now has roller skating from May—October on a plastic carpet-like floor. It is nice e to skate on. So now many ice rinks can go full-season from ice skating to roller skating!
Roslyn Rosee has died at the age of 91. Roslyn was the wife of Rinksider founder Irwin Rosee. From the late 1940sa through the 90s Roslyn attended many roller skating trade shows and national and world skating championships. Irwin died in 2003 at the age of 93.
Irwin and Roz were married in 1939. They were the perfect team. They had two children, Richard and Marilyn, and two grandchildren. Roslyn was like a second mother to me (Chester Fried.). I visited her at their Tinton Falls, NJ home every other week. Irwin and Roz traveled all over the world.
Roz’s late brother Ira
Hirsh was partners with Joel Aranson in the Johnny Jones Jr.—Roller Skate
Distributors Many old time operators remember Roz always ready with a song,
and her trademark red hair. She was one classy lady! Boy will I miss her!
They were all set for this year's Fourth of July skate. Longtime friends and skaters Janina Bacinch and Marion Giles, pictured on left, had their picture taken at the Jackson Skating Center, NJ—and they dressed for the occasion! Both skated competitions in Roller Dance in the 1950’s at the Bay Ridge Roller Rink in Brooklyn, NY. Their pro was Bob Fitzgerald. Janina and Mariuon still skate to this very day!
Did you know that Cher, pictured on right, was a top roller skating fan? During the disco era she was a regular at many Los Angeles rinks. In New York, Cher always skated at the Roxy and Empire Rinks. This signed 1981 photo is a classic. Cher was going to build a rink in Los Angeles, but disco died in 1981, and Cher had many engagements to attend to!