You no longer need to own roller skates to go roller skating at Golden Gate Park’s Skatin’ Place, because starting Saturday, roller skates and inline skates will be available for rental at the celebrated outdoor rink.
That nutty outdoor roller disco party every Sunday near Sixth Avenue in Golden Gate Park dates all the way back to 1986. But the good times really only rolled for people who already owned roller skates or roller blades. There has been no method for renting roller skates at that skate park known as Skatin’ Place in the weekly event’s 38-year history.
But there will be, starting this weekend, and the skate parties are now extended to Saturday, too. SF Rec and Parks announced Thursday that roller skate rentals will be available at Skatin’ Place starting Saturday, April 27, and continuing every Saturday and Sunday thereafter.
Golden Gate Park visitors who don’t have their own pair of skates will still be able to experience the beloved Skatin’ Place on the JFK Promenade thanks to new skate rentals launching this Saturday! Details here: https://t.co/uSfO3dxPSm pic.twitter.com/BkAPBgY8My
— San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (@RecParkSF) April 25, 2024
And it probably will not shock you that the skate rentals will be provided by Church of 8 Wheels founder and “Godfather of Skate” David Miles, Jr., via his company DMJ Skate Sport Marketing.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for many years. With several improvements recently made at Skatin’ Place and the permanent closure of the JFK Promenade to cars, now is the perfect time for rentals,” Miles said in a press release. “People can come out and get the full roller-skating experience at one of the most beautiful parks in the nation.”
Rental prices will be $20 per hour for adult skates, and $12 per hour for youth skates. Both roller skates and inline skates will be available for rental. Helmets and pads will also be available for $5 per hour, and you can reserve your rentals in advance.
DMJ is owned & operated by David Miles Jr., who is famously known as the @Sk8GodFather. From founding the The Church of 8 Wheels to creating pop-up roller rinks for sought-after events like Burning Man, Miles has dedicated his life to spreading positivity & fun through skating. pic.twitter.com/Epz70GQEk6
— San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (@RecParkSF) April 25, 2024
Roller skating flows through the history of Golden Gate Park, as the park’s designer and original superintendent John McLaren built a roller rink in the children’s playground back in 1891. There was apparently an informal system of skate rental trucks in the park in the 1970s, though recreational equipment vending was banned in the park in 1982, a few years before Skatin’ Place and the Sunday roller disco parties were established.
According to SF Rec and Parks, “there are plans to expand rentals to include Fridays in the future.”
Related: Video: 'Totally Free' Gives You A Peek Into The Lives Of SF's Roller Skate Community [SFist]
Image: @RecParkSF via Twitter
