If April showers bring May flowers, then get ready for the full bloom in May! Our schedule has been blooming with fun and festive roller skating events, and we can’t wait for you to be a part of them!

Home School Skate-May 1

Skate Ranch is hosting a May Home School Skate on Friday, May 1. We’ll be here from 1-3pm for you and all of your friends in your home school groups to have a chance to get together, socialize, and work on those academics! Join us from 1-3pm on the first Friday of May in Lufkin!

Memorial Day Skate-May 25

Memorial Day takes place on the last Monday of May each year. Declared a national holiday by Congress in 1971, is a day to honor the memory of those that have died in American wars. At Skate Ranch in Lufkin, and Skate-O-Rama in Nacogdoches, we will be observing Memorial Day with a daytime roller skating session.  Here are the details you need to know:

• Admission is $5
• Session is 12pm-5pm
• Admission at Lufkin includes pizza and a drink
• Admission at Nacogdoches includes a hot dog, chips, and drink
• Bomb Pops and Red, White, and Blue treats available at the Snack Stop
• Rentals are $3
• No Passes Please

End of School Skate-May 29

The countdown to the end of the school year is here, and the last day is on the horizon. We know that you’ll be celebrating the last day of the school year and we will be too at Skate Ranch! Come on out and celebrate with our end of school late skate. $15 admission will get you pizza and a drink, six hours of skating fun from 6pm-12am, skate rental and fun and games with beach balls and more!

Of course these are not the only events we have going on in May. Check our schedules for our regular sessions on Fridays, Saturday, and Sundays. And don’t forget that Skate Ranch and Skate-O-Rama are the perfect locations for end of the year parties, birthday parties, and graduation celebrations!

At Skate-O-Rama we think the five best reasons for roller skating are fun, games, entertainment, food, and friends. You can find the evidence of this within our rink, and on our Facebook page (just check out the picture to the right!).

However, we wanted to share even more with you as to why you should add roller skating to your weekend in East Texas. So here are five more reasons to roller skate this weekend!

1. Learn Something New

It does not matter if you have a child that has recently conquered walking, or if you are a grown adult that has never gone skating before. As we mentioned, roller skating is fun! If you’ve never roller skated before, then this weekend may be the time to get on out and try your hand (or your feet) at something new!

2. Date Night

We’ve heard many stories about couples that have fallen madly in love on the skate floor. One of our favorites is about a couple that just recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at the same roller skating rink where they met. Why not bring that special someone with you and make a fun memory with roller skating?

3. Cool Down

Let’s face the reality people. We live in Deep East Texas. Our average temperature in Nacogdoches stays above 80 degrees May through September and May through October in Lufkin. Needless to say, we have days that it is just downright hot and miserable to be outside. Fortunately, Skate Ranch and Skate-O-Rama can keep you cool with air conditioning.

4. Wifi

Yes we have wifi! For our home school groups, our Work At Home Moms, and everyone else that needs wifi at the roller skating rink, we have got you covered. Visit us and if you need help getting on our network just ask. Don’t forget to share a selfie of you or a skatie of your skates while here and hashtag #rollerskatingtexas!

5. Fitness

Really, if you aren’t convinced yet that roller skating is awesome, then at least consider your health. Roller skating is a great activity to keep you moving and active. It is more forgiving on your joints than running, and with this helpful fitness calculator you can even figure out how many calories you’ll burn up on the roller skating floor.

There you have it! We’ve given you 10 reasons that you should include roller skating in your weekend plans, and we want to hear yours too! Make sure you comment below with your favorite reasons (or excuses) to go roller skating! Make sure you share with all of your friends that roller skating is one of your favorite weekend activities in Deep East Texas!

 

What’s the fastest growing sport in America? Roller derby! Beginning in April, Lufkin’s own Skate Ranch will host practice for the East Texas Bombers Roller Derby League on Tuesday and Thursday nights. It seems that there are often a lot of questions attached to roller derby for both skaters and non-skaters. We checked out the website for the international governing body for the sport, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), to find some answers to common questions.

What is Flat Track Roller Derby?

According to the WFTDA, “Flat track roller derby is a fast-paced contact team sport that requires speed, strategy, and athleticism.” In previous versions of roller derby, an inclined skating surface was used. With the growing sport evolving with the ages, the flat track version was adopted in 2001. This allows any flat surface to be easily transformed into a competitive or practice location. Many leagues carry out their creative spirit in using basketball courts, parking lots, and airplane hangars.  Of course many leagues also take advantage of great locally owned roller skating rinks such as Skate Ranch in Lufkin, TX.

Are there rules or guidelines to flat track roller derby?

Absolutely! While many on the outside may think that roller derby is just made up of a bunch of women skating in circles, there is quite a bit of skill and strategy involved. The WFTDA rules handbook is over 40 pages in length. That includes a lot of details for making sure the sport is consistent from league to league.

Who participates in flat track roller derby?

Anyone over the age of 18 can participate. Many leagues actively recruit ladies that are looking to participate in a fast-paced, fun, and growing sport. In fact as of April of 2015 the East Texas Bombers are currently recruiting participants, referees, and volunteers in Lufkin!

The derby practices at Skate Ranch on a regular basis. Don’t forget to check out the East Texas Bomber home bouts right here in Lufkin!

 

 

The flowers are blooming, the birds are hatching, and spring sports season is underway. At Skate Ranch and Skate-O-Rama, we are looking ahead to the end of the spring sports season. Have you considered where to host your end of season banquet or celebration for your softball, baseball, or golf team? We suggest a roller skating party at Skate Ranch in Lufkin or Skate-O-Rama in Nacodoches!

Our skating rinks in Deep East Texas provide plenty of space for your team to celebrate the season. The entire track and field team along with all friends and family members can easily fit into our facility. This is also true for the lacrosse, golf, soccer, baseball and softball teams. We know you’ll need lots of space to celebrate and space is something we can definitely offer.

In addition to space, we’ve got plenty for your team to do to celebrate throughout your time roller skating. You can lace up your skates and continue on the competition with some of our skating games. Or, you can try your luck against the coach with some of our arcade games.

Contact Skate Ranch or Skate-O-Rama to book your end of season party or fundraiser. We will gladly provide your team with one of the most memorable end of season celebrations ever!

 

According to the calendar spring time is here! For some that means spring cleaning, and for others provides a renewed initiative to get fit after the winter. We found tht the Mayo Clinic suggests that people exercise for at least thirty minutes a day. At Skate Ranch in Lufkin, TX, we think a great part of regular exercise should involve roller skating! Roller skating is good for the heart as it provides a great aerobic alternative to walking or running. When roller skating, not only are you getting that heart rate up, but you are also burning calories. We should also mention that it is much easier on the joints than the strain running places on the ankles and knees.

We have tons of opportunities this month for you to join us at Skate Ranch and at Skate-O-Rama in Nacogdoches. Whether you consider yourself young or old, come on out for one of our great events at our Lufkin and our Nacogdoches locations!

• Skate-O-Rama Schedule
• Skate Ranch Schedule

Don’t forget to follow Skate-O-Rama on Twitter, Facebook, and Google + and Skate Ranch on Twitter, Facebook, andGoogle + to keep up with other opportunities that we will offer to help get you rolling along this spring and summer!

By the luck of the Irish St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, and we figure that wouldn’t be the best night for late night roller skating and fun. Instead, we’re inviting you to join us a little early on Friday, March 13th for our Looney Leprechaun Late Skate.

Two Options-One Amazing Night

Skate for a little while, or skate your heart out all night. We’ve got two option that will be great for you no matter which one you choose.

• Skate from 6pm-10pm for only $7 admission
• Skate from 6pm to midnight for $12 admission

Festive Fun

Get in on the festivities and wear your green. We want to see just how green you can get! Show us your green skates, socks, pants, shirts, and hair ties.

Get your green, grab the gang, and come on out to skate the night away at Lufkin’s very best roller skating rink. Make sure to check in online and share with your friends on Facebook when you visit the Looney Leprechaun Late Skate at Skate Ranch on Friday, March 13th.

 

Home school skaters this is your chance to kill two birds with one stone. Join us Friday, March 6, from 3-6pm for our Home School Skate. Not only is roller skating at Skate Ranch fun for the whole family, but it is possible that it can help you with science or physical education requirements.

Physical Fitness

Roller skating provides plenty of exercise. If you are working on physical fitness requirements for your home school curriculum, we’d love to see how creative you can get. Why not use roller skating to help meet part of that goal?!

Science

Whether your home school group is covering the basics of simple machines at the elementary level, or force and motion with physics, the roller skating rink provides plenty of hands on (or feet on) experience. Roller skating will allow you the opportunity to be creative and gain first-hand observations in how skates work as compound machines made up of several simple machines and in acceleration as well.

While physical fitness and science may be part of the curriculum you are studying, we don’t want to discount the fun that comes with getting social. Make sure you spread the word to your home school group in east Texas and let them know that we’re open for our Home School Skate on Friday, March 6, from 1-3pm. Admission is $3 and rental is $3.