Skateworld of Waco

First of all this was my very first visit and after standing in line to get tickets, no one ever told me where to go once inside so I stood in another line only to find out that’s not the line for skates. My son and I got our skates, then I went to rent him a kiddie skate walker. There was a wait, so I put my name on the list. Right after I got back to the rink I was told on the speaker that our name was up… So I wobbled back to the front again to get the rental… Finally we were in business but it’s definitely harder than it looks and harder than it was the last time I went skating some 15 odd years ago… Anyway the place is okay. Kind of a bad layout and pretty cramped with all the parties going on up front. My main upset though is that I wish instead of just stating the rules over and over on a microphone that they had workers skating that could assist. It was mine and my sons first time skating and I saw a little girl gripping the wall. I asked if she needed help and she said yes, so I gently tried to skate with her to the wall. Then over the speakers I hear them and telling us not to hold hands because if one falls we both will. I then fell and let go of the girls hand. Then she fell but was close enough to bounce up and get to the exit area. They told me I need to get up right away but I couldn’t. I must’ve looked like a cockroach on its back. I tried to use the stopper to pop myself up but I’m older now and I over estimated my abilities. My leg felt cramped and my knees were bruised. All the while I hear them stating that people who don’t get up are an obstacle to those still skating! I tried to crawl to the wall which I wasn’t far from then my son who had also fallen was struggling and they just kept repeating not to leave your kid in the rink. Duh! I hurried and untied my skates as they repeated the rules on kids not being left and then ran in the rink with socks on to help him out. How about some help?! $ 18 and $ 3 for a skate walker down the drain for 10 minutes of humiliation. This was such a horrible experience that I actually left in tears. Part of the blame is my inability but the other part is the lack of assistance.

I was part of a large birthday party group that planned an event at the rink. After days of calling to make sure the location would be open and no answer or return calls, we decided to go anyway. There was no indication on their website that the location would be closed for Mother’s Day, so imagine our surprise when we waited around for 45 minutes and no one showed up to open the place. Another of the group finally called the manager, who just apologized for the oversight in not posting and that was that. Really, a birthday party of 15+ being left outside your closed location for nearly an hour because you just didn’t bother to post anything saying the location would be closed is just an oversight? Terrible.

I went here the other night and had a lot of fun. I hadn’t gone skating in a rink like this in a long time, nor had my date, so it was a great blast from the past and we both had a great time. The facility itself is a little run down, and not too many people where there (we were there for the Adult Retro Night), but they just don’t bring in the money they used to I suppose. It’s a shame that more people don’t go skating anymore.