Chuany Aouloukas dances inside the middle of the rink during a skating party. — Photos: D.A. VARELA/Miami Herald/TNS
When Gabe Colon and Pam Mostacero heard the Super Wheels skating centre in Kendall, Florida, the United States was going to close in 2023, they made it their mission to save it.
The iconic venue – which had existed under the names Hot Wheels or Super Wheels – had been a Kendall institution since 1986. It was the venue for countless birthday parties, unsupervised teenage meetups, and weekly flexing for experienced skaters who had been mastering their skills since they were kids.
But suddenly in November 2023, owner Thomas Mitchell announced the place was closing. That was after the Crystal Plaza strip mall, where the skating rink is located, was sold, and he couldn’t reach an agreement with the new landlords.
The couple sprang into action, looking for funds wherever they could. They mortgaged their house and got their parents to give them some of their savings.
“We put our house at stake here,” Mostacero said. “It really was a family endeavour and something we felt was a priority.”
Two roller-skaters perform skate tricks around the roller rink.
The couple knew how important the place was to the community, and were able to come to an agreement with the landlord to preserve it. But they were not prepared for the overwhelming support they got from the generations of locals who collectively sighed with relief when they realised the belo-ved skating rink was saved.
“We have no shortage of people that come and give us their stories,” said Colon. “And that is so meaningful to us.”
One thing saved with Miami Skate Rink was the collective memory of the good times people had there. And no one has experienced that more than Brenda Hodgdon, who has been working at the rink for over 30 years.
Hodgdon, who wears earrings shaped like roller skates, is one of countless locals who are in love with this palace of spin that may be the true centre of centreless Kendall.
Hodgdon recalls her first day at the rink this way: “I was making the cotton candy, and I put salt instead of sugar ... You know, we’re young and we’re dumb, so we couldn’t tell the difference between salt and sugar in a cotton candy machine. I don’t think I’ve ever made cotton candy since then!”
A roller-skater tightens her skates next to the rink.
An average Saturday shift at the rink for her starts at 3pm. She hangs out next to the arcade in the skate room handing out rental skates for guests. She does it all with a smile. Sometimes, she’ll work behind the ticket booth greeting those who enter. Nights end at 11pm, and so does Hodgdon’s shift.
Laura Sharp, whose parents Byron and Beverly owned the rink in the 1980s and 1990s, expressed her gratitude for the new owners’ preservation of the place’s integrity.
“The rink has done so well, being such a fun spot for people of all ages,” Sharp said. “There’s something about coming to the roller skating rink and just being able to enjoy our time.”
Heidy Arias, 54, used to go to the skating rink as a teen. Back then it was called Hot Wheels.
“The place reminds me of when I used to go with my friends, and that’s what makes it so special to me,” she says. “I remember the first time I went, I was probably 11 or 12 years old. It was my first time skating, and I was holding onto the wall the whole time!”
DJ Laz on the turntables during a skating party at Super Wheels.
Miami Gardens resident Melissa Rodriguez also remembers the first time she visited. It was three years ago. They celebrated a sister-in-law’s birthday.
“I had never gone roller skating,” Rodriguez said. “The rink had a nice ambience. I liked how retro it felt and the arcade section as well.”
Madison Lopez Guerro first visited in 2011. She is glad that it is still thriving.
“The roller rink has always been a welcoming spot for older kids and teens to hang out,” she commented.
Through the years, Hodgdon has noticed that first-time skaters have become younger.
“They imitate the older skaters,” she said.
Customers and employees are confident that the rink is in good hands and will continue to thrive.
“I don’t think this rink is going to go anywhere anytime soon,” Hodgdon said. “I mean, we get more crowded every Saturday and Sunday.” – By RACHAEL OQUENDO and
JULIAN CAMEJO/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service
