We thought we were on to something when, over winter break, we discovered Bellevue's Skate King and tried roller skating with our kindergartener. I hadn’t been on roller skates in decades, but one step in the door brought back all those sixth-grade memories from my hometown rink in Minnesota.
Our son loved it, and it was an inexpensive weekend family outing, so we returned, with plans for more visits. We were sad to learn that Skate King is closing June 30. “Business has been real good lately as we have been averaging 800-1,000 skaters every Saturday,” writes general manager Michael Louis on Skate King’s website. “Simply put, the value of the land has exceeded what a skating rink can generate especially with the shape that the building is in. Eastside Harley Davidson will be taking over the building after an extensive renovation to the building.” The Seattle Times has a nice read on the rink’s history and takes readers down memory lane.
So where does that leave would-be rink rats? Some other area options include Everett Skate Deck, Southgate Roller Rink in White Center, Pattison’s West in Federal Way, Lynnwood Bowl and Skate and Skate Tiffany’s in Puyallup. In Seattle, the Bitter Lake Community Center offers Friday night family skate nights.