Are you planning a “staycation” for your family this Labor Day Weekend? No problem, we are ready to roll through the long weekend with some awesome events.

If there is one thing we are excited for it’s the return of college football! If you won’t be in attendance at your favorite stadium watching your team start the season, you can still show your spirit at our College Football Kick Off Skate! Show up wearing your favorite team’s colors, skating will be going on from 7pm-11pm, admission is $8 and skate rentals are extra.

photo via freedigitalphotos.net

Do you like to score an early deal? Then this one is for you, be sure to check out our Beat the Clock Labor Day Skate on September 1st! The earlier you arrive, the less you pay in admission. Arrive before 4pm and pay on $2 in admission, after 4pm admission will be $6. Skate rentals are extra. Who doesn’t want to spend more time being active and skating?

Can’t make it either event? No problem, we will have our regularly scheduled skate sessions going on! We’ll be playing the best music all weekend long so you can stay cool and get some exercise with friends and family this Labor Day Weekend! There’s something for everyone and we don’t wait for holidays to have awesome themed- events, be sure to check our schedule regularly for all of the upcoming events and skate nights at Skate Station.

Roller skating is one of the best ways to spend quality time with friends and family, but what if you’ve never skated before? No problem. Here are a few tips for someone brand new to skating:

• Before moving forward, master standing still. It may seem basic but once you have mastered your stance, you’ll be all set when it comes time to get rolling. On carpet, try standing with your feet set wide apart and your arms out. This will help you feel controlled and balanced. Try to keep a slight bend in your knees, too.
• For the littlest skaters, we offer skate mates! For 5 dollars new skaters can gain some confidence in their wheels while they glide around the rink.
• Walk before you roll. Once you feel confident standing still and stopping, take small steps around the rink until you feel confident enough to start gliding and eventually, rolling!
• If you feel like you might fall, try not to flail your arms, this will cause you to fall! Keep your knees bent, and your arms out in order to keep your balance when you think  might fall down.

At Skate Station our pros are here to help you feel confident as a new-comer. In addition to our skate mate rentals, we have several types of skates to suit your needs. When you rent with us, we’re here to ensure that your skates are right for your skill level and are just the right fit!

For more information about our events, parties or skate schedules, contact us here. We’ll see you on the rink!

Throwing a birthday party that is memorable for your child is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Of course, you want to be able to include all of the bells and whistles to give them a day they will always remember and with our all-inclusive roller skating birthday party packages, you can. We can work with budgets as small as $99 and up.

Here are some of the top reasons our party packages are right for you:

• All of our party packages include unlimited soda for guests and pizza or a hotdog and ice cream.
• You don’t have to worry about making multiple arrangements for entertainment and food, we’ve it all covered down to the invitations!
• Your birthday child is going to feel like a rockstar when they get their birthday presentation on a 12 foot screen (added bonus: you’ll be the coolest adult to plan a birthday party in Sumter.)
• Do you have a special theme in mind? Just let our staff know!
• No clean up! We’ve got it covered from start to finish.

Planning a birthday party can be tricky enough. Why not just worry about the guest list and showing up? We’ll handle the rest. To have an events representative give you a call about planning a rollerskating birthday party at Skate Station fill out the form here.

Building custom Riedell 911’s

One of the barriers to exercise and fun is comfort. Roller-skating is fun, but not so much if you like to skate frequently and your skates are uncomfortable. Have you been discouraged by discomfort? You don’t have to be! Our pro shop is here to help. We can make buying skates a fun experience.

BOOTS

A good pair of entry level recreational skates tend to be really comfortable right out of the box. They tend to be made of vinyl so they don’t require the normal “breaking in” of leather boots.  Another advantage is that they will not stretch out over time, like leather would, as they break in. They wear well and are great for passing down to the younger skaters in your family. This will save your family money on rentals in the future.  Speaking of rentals, check out our other rental-skates. Trying different types of our rentals can help you decide which type of skates to purchase.

PADDING OR NO PADDING?

Some skates have padding and some do not. It is simply a matter of personal choice and what is comfortable to you. Traditional speed boots have no padding and are sized tightly. As the skates break in, they stretch to conform to the shape of your feet and create an amazing contoured fit. Padded boots don’t provide the same fit over time, but they tend to be comfortable from the start. They are usually more ridged and provide more ankle support.  The fit is more like a comfortable pair of running shoes. Tell our pro shop what your individual needs are for a custom fit.

WHEELS

Selecting the wheels are also important to getting your desired result. Some are designed for balance and stability, some are for outdoor use, and some are designed for grip on slippery floors. Being professional skaters ourselves, we know what questions to ask and what products to show you, so you can get the most fun and feel safe every time you are out on the rink.

The fit of your skates will make all the difference in your skating experience. You can get more exercise because you will be able to skate longer without the blisters and soreness that some skaters experience.

Stop in next time you are here, visit our pro shop at our Sumter skate center or online at sumterskate.com/pro-shop or call us at (803) 481-7655 to talk to our Skate Station experts!

If you don’t know what KidsSkateFree.com is, then you are missing out on the opportunity to get two free roller skating admission passes each week. At Skate Station, the free admission passes are valid for kids aged 12 and under. Each week, you will receive an email with two free admission passes for every registered child. Just present them at our ticket office during the valid hours, and your kids get free roller skating admission.

There is no catch or fine print – all you need is an email address to register. And, no, your inbox will not be bombarded with a plethora of spam. KidsSkateFree.com is just a way to get your kids active without breaking your budget. You’ll want to go ahead and register your kids before 5:00 p.m. on Sunday in order to get the free passes for the following week (the emails are sent on Mondays).

At Skate Station, you can use these free passes seven days a week during our afternoon skate sessions:

• Monday: noon to 5
• Tuesday: noon to 5
• Wednesday: noon to 5
• Thursday: noon to 5
• Friday: 3 to 7 p.m.
• Saturday: noon to 5
• Sunday: 2 to 7 p.m.

*Please note that these hours are during our summer schedule and are subject to change once school is back in session

There are now two different ways to redeem your free passes each week: you can either print them out and bring them with you or use your smartphone to access them.

So be sure to register you kids on KidsSkateFree.com and start taking advantage of the two free roller skating passes each week! Contact us if you have any questions.

Now that we are half way through summer, we want to emphasize that our 99 Days of Summer unlimited skating pass is still a great deal. For only $99, you get unlimited roller skating admission through Labor Day. There are absolutely no restrictions – as long as we are having a public skate session, you can use this pass for admission. This includes All You Can Eat Pizza night, Friday night skates, lock-ins and more. Plus, this pass includes regular skate rental.

We don’t want you to think that since half the summer is gone, you won’t be able to get your money’s worth because that is just not the case. There is still August’s lock-in to attend as well as daily skate sessions. The second half of the summer is the optimal time for roller skating because while the appeal of the pool is waning, the heat only seems to climb. So, you are restricted to indoor entertainment, and there is no better indoor fun center in Sumter than our roller rink.

So, beat the heat for the rest of the summer by roller skating with us. Our indoor facility is fully air conditioned, and you can skate as much as you want with the 99 Days of Summer unlimited skating pass. Pick one up next time you are in!

Looking for something fun to do this Friday night? Then head to Skate Station of Sumter for our Black Out roller skating party. This is the perfect opportunity to wear all of the neon clothes that might be hanging in the back of your closet because we will be turning off all of the lights and relying solely on black lights to illuminate the facility. Don’t just wear neon clothes, but accessorize with headbands, necklaces, socks, shoelaces and anything else you can find that will help you glow under a black light.

If you can’t seem to find anything, don’t sweat it. We’ll be giving away free glow sticks to the first 25 admissions. Also, our stuff shop will be featuring many different glow specials, so you’ll be able to stock up once you get to Skate Station. As far as the evening’s festivities, you can expect a variety of glow-related games and fun. There’s no denying that our Black Out skate is a fantastic way to spend a summer night.

The party begins at 7 p.m. and concludes at 11 p.m. on June 27, 2014. Admission is only $8, unless you are using your 99 Days of Summer unlimited skating pass, then your admission is free. We’ll see you on Friday!

The first day of the summer season is tomorrow. Of  course, considering how hot it has already been through June, you are probably thinking that summer has been here for weeks. While that is not officially true, it sure seems that way. Regardless of when summer starts, we want you to think of Skate Station as your first choice for fun this summer, and here are 10 reasons why:

1. 99 Days of Summer Unlimited Skating Pass – During the summer months, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we have an unlimited skating pass you can purchase for only $99. The pass includes regular skate rental and has no restrictions. As long as we have a public skate session, it can be used for admission.
2. Two words – air conditioning!! As we have already discussed, summers can be excruciatingly hot, but it is nice and cool inside our roller rink.
3. Too much sun is bad for you and can cause premature aging.
4. FREE admission! The last week of school, we distributed summer coupons .that included free admission passes. In addition, you can register for KidsSkateFree.com and get free passes every week.
5. Our new summer schedule. Since school is out, we have a new schedule and are open 7 days a week. So, any day you feel like roller skating, come see us.
6. Fantastic roller skating parties! We love hosting special roller skating events every Friday night. From lock-ins to special themed skates, you are sure to have a great time on Friday nights at Skate Station.
7. $2 Tuesdays – from 5 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday nights admission is only $2.
8. Our arcade – we have a wonderful collection of games to challenge your skills and win tickets. Then, you can take these tickets and exchange them for prizes in our stuff shop.
9. Roller skating is a cardiovascular exercise with the same benefits of jogging, but it is low impact and does not hurt your joints. So, you’ll be burning a significant amount of calories just by roller skating away the afternoon.
10. It’s Fun!

Join us all summer long for great roller skating fun, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about our summer hours.