Skating (well, trying to skate) at Orbit Fun Center
If you were reading my previous posts, you probably know that I work as a nanny. And a part of my job is to keep kids entertained when they are not at school. The best part of my job (other than the money) is that I can pick different activities, and my employers will cover the cost, nut just for kids, but also for me. And I usually try to pick the activities that are fun for kids, but at the same time I want to try them too, but I do not feel like spending my own money on them.
One of these activities was roller skating. Last time I tried roller skating, was when I was in second grade, which is quite a long time ago. And since the kids I am taking care of have suggested to go roller skating, I agreed. The closest skating rink that was open on that day, is called Orbit fun center, and it indeed was a lot of fun.
How to get to Orbit Fun center and how much will skating there cost you?
Orbit fun center is situated in Huber Heights, Ohio. More precisely, on 5001 Nebraska avenue. It takes about twenty minutes of driving to get there from Dayton. And since this place is not situated in a city, the price is much lower than it would be in Dayton itself.
The place itself is extremely visually unappealing. It looks like an abandoned warehouse, including peeling paint, and the only indicator that we are at the right place, was a lot of cars in the parking lot. But trust me, it's the interior that matters, because once you enter, the place looks much better.
They had a special Black Friday deal, where four people can skate for three hours for thirty Dollars, and the price included a skate rental! Pricing on regular days depends on the day, and they are constantly adding coupons for the reduced price of skating on their website, such as free skate rental or the offer where kids can skate for free If you sign up for their mailing list.
It does not matter how long you stay, the admission price will always be the same, regardless on if you skate one hour or five hours.
Choosing the right skates
Once you pay at the front desk, you can enter the skating rink space. There is a big desk where you rent skates. Well, if you have your own, you can obviously bring them, and you can also bring roller blades if you prefer rollerblading. They do not rent roller blades at this place, but some other skating rinks in the Dayton area do.
The skates that skating rinks rent, are usually pretty beat up, and prepare for some blisters, but you will forget about the pain because roller skating is so much fun. Just remember to wear long socks, not shoe liners.
You will be choosing the skate size based on your shoe size (no kidding). Do not get skates with your shoe size, get the ones that are one size bigger. For example, my shoe size in the United states of America is seven, so I rented skates that are size eight.
My skating adventure and tips on how to survive in a skating rink
‘Why adventure?’, you might ask. Well, there are three main reasons for using that work. First reason is, like I already mentioned, that I have not skated since I was in second grade, but I love rollerblading.
Second reason is that, other than trying to survive on my roller skates, I also had to keep an eye on three kids that I was taking care of. And the third, and most important reason was that, since I roller blade a lot, I am used to have a brake in the back. The skates have a brake in the front.
No matter how hard I tried, I could not get used to a brake in the front without falling forward. So when it was time to brake, I just waited until I stopped rolling forward and then ‘walked’ off the skating rink, or I tried to put one skate sideways to stop. It all wend moderately well, until a little kid cut me off and I slammed the brake in the back that was not there, which resulted in some crazy waving of my arms to regain balance. And one of the kids told me that it looked funny. No kidding.
Roller skating itself is not that hard once you get the hang of it, but I had some trouble with the balance at the beginning, since I am used to rollerblading and it feels much different. If this is your first time on skates, you can use a roller skating aid. It is basically like one of those walking aids for other people, with that difference that roller skating aid has wheels on the bottom. I was thinking of trying it, but then I figured out it would be a little too embarrassing.
You can see a little kid using the roller skating aid. Do not worry, they have them in adult sizes, too.
And please be careful when you are entering the skating rink. People who are already roller skating in the rink, have the right of way, so do not cut people off. I have seen four different people crash into each other because they were not paying attention while entering the skating rink.
Games and special events
There are quite a few arcade games, surrounding the skating rink. And you can win some cool prices, they do not cost a ton, and they give you something to do during a break. Yes, you will definitely need quite a few breaks, because the roller skates are pretty heavy and your feet will hurt after a while.
One of the games, which only costs fifty cents to play.
Skee ball, a.k.a. a very fun, but frustrating game.
If you do not feel like playing arcade games during your break, you can also just sit down on one of many benches.
The Orbit fun center skating rink is also visually appealing. The lights are dimmed, there is a disco ball on the ceiling and the walls are painted with an UV paint, which results in a nice glowing effect. The music is energizing and quite loud (almost too loud at times), and they have a DJ!
Twice per hour, they will organize different games on the skating rink, such as limbo and races. You do not have to participate, but you have to get off the skating rink while those games are happening, to ensure everybody is safe. After those games, the employees usually show off their crazy roller skating skills. I was watching them with my mouth open.
In the United states of America, birthday parties at skating rinks are incredibly popular. The kids that I am taking care of, have been invited to a roller skating party seven times in the last year! And if you decide to celebrate your birthday at a skating ring, that means it will be just you and your friends, no other people.
Orbit fun center also offers late night adult skating. I love that idea and I decided to give it a try sometime in the near future. I must say that I feel like I will be a little more confident with just adults skating around me.
And if you feel like you need an instructor, they offer skating lessons that only cost five dollars per hour. I should try it next time just so an instructor can teach me how to brake with a brake in the front.
A few words for the end…
Deciding to try roller skating after so many years was definitely a step out of my comfort zone, but I am really glad I did it. So if you are looking to do something fun on a cold, rainy day, roller skating is your answer.
