Glide Through the Weekend at RollerHolic !
Written and photographed by Cami Ismanova.
A few weeks ago, I had a weekend dilemma: “What shall I do? Should I go horseback riding or disco roller skating?” Both of them have a high chance of awkward moments and most certainly painful falls. Both of these activities cost the same, except a horseback ride would last for ten minutes, while a roller-skating session would last for two hours. Two hours of possible falling and being rolled over with some 1980s hits playing? Yeah, that sounded about right! Accompanied by a less enthusiastic friend of mine, we headed over to RollerHolic, an inline skating rink at Unam Plaza.
But before we dive into the description of interior-exterior-price-vibe things, let me briefly shed a bit of light on the history of roller skating. It all started in 1743 in London during a stage performance where the first roller skates were used. Later in 1760, John Merlin (not the wizard one) invented the first inline skates. In fact, he made a grandiose entrance by crashing into a ballroom mirror during a masquerade party, all while playing a violin! That is when the three-century-old history of roller skating began. The most popular years of roller skating were in 1935, and then on and off between the 1970s and 1990s.
Roller skating is considered a sport, a type of transportation, and a form of leisure activity. There are several types of skates such as quads, inlines, and tri-skates. Quads have two pairs of wheels, inline skates have four wheels in a line, and tris have three wheels in line (which eventually proved to be the least comfortable of the three). There are records of single-wheeled quintessence skates and attempts to skate on them, but surely it was not widely practiced since it is almost impossible to skate on one wheel – although it might be hilarious to watch someone try.
As for RollerHolic, it is a big inline skating rink that offers its services both to kids and adults. The skating rink is huge and can easily hold a lot of people. It costs 8,000 won for children and 10,000 won for adults for gear rental and two hours of skating. The gear consists of a pair of roller skates, helmet, and elbow and knee pads. If you or your kid is a first-timer, they will offer a free lesson teaching basic moves, how to maintain balance, and safe falling tips. I should mention that the owners are extremely nice and welcoming. They will guide you through the whole process. There are lockers and a small cafe available inside. The menu in the cafe contains a little of everything. They offer a traditional coffee menu, waffles, and ice cream, as well as spicy, cheesy rice cakes, stir-fried rice, and dumplings.
Now on to the interior. The surface of the big rink is so smooth that you will glide over it effortlessly. It is surrounded by a circle of seats and tables where parents usually rest while their children skate around for hours without noticing how time flies. The walls are all painted in street-style graffiti. There are side tracks for beginners where they can safely practice how to skate. The lights reflect off the floor which, along with the right music, gives you that disco feeling for sure.
Overall, it is a fun activity that is family friendly and fun for dates. RollerHolic is the right place to roller skate because of their high safety and service standards, as well as affordable prices. But besides that, there are so many side benefits for our health. For instance, roller skating helps to burn calories since it is a sport, and it does not put too much pressure on your joints. In terms of body fat reduction, it is similar to good old jogging. Last but not least, it develops balance and coordination, strengthens the heart, and in some cases, prevents diabetes.
ROLLERHOLIC (롤러홀릭)
Address: Unam Plaza, 104-3 Seogang-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 광주광역시 북구 서강로 104-3 (운암동)
Operating Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 midnight (weekdays); 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. (weekends).
Phone: 062-412-8090
So why not give it a try?
Cami Ismanova is a student at Chonnam National University majoring in economics. Writing has always been her passion. She writes about the environment, cafes in Gwangju, and traveling around Korea and abroad. She has dozens of hobbies that keep her happy and busy all year long. Instagram: @camidisman