Merry Chrismas!!
Here's some of the people who came to celebrate Christmas on skates last Saturday! Family, friends, food, fun were all there.
Thanks go to all who helped put this on this fun event for a good cause! You know who you are!
With Gary doing his magic with the music, the mood was set for fun on wheels. When a break was needed there were goodies of all kinds! Then it was back on the floor to expend some of those calories, eh? (Unfortunately the Minnesota gang missed all the fun due to a car breakdown on the road to Chicago.)
Rock 'n' Roll Forever!
This is only a few of the people who rocked and rolled during the 50s Hop Food Drive! The others were too tired from skating, dancing, hula hooping, swinging, singing, rocking, and of course, rolling, to stick around for this group shot afterwards. Everyone brought in food to donate to the Hanover Township Food Pantry. There was Gary's Monster Hoop, a Hula Hoop State Champion, hand jive, Hand Jive for shy people (ask Gary to demonstrate this!), Dice Game, Hula Hoop Contest, Elvis, Marilyn, James Dean, Betty Boop, jukebox, carhops, carhop race, prizes such as an iPod, Club Aire skating lessons, Mainstreet skating parties, Sonic fleece vest, Club Aire family membership, pom poms, fuzzy dice, cateye glasses, and SO MUCH MORE!! If you missed this Hop, come to the next one.
Thanks go to all who helped put this on this fun event for a good cause! You know who you are!
Pink Ladies Find Elvis!!
During preparation for teh 50s Hop Food Drive this Saturday at Mainstreet USA Skate Center, a few of our Club Aire ladies found Elvis in the building!! These ladies already have their cateye glasses! ("Rhinestones" in the corners of these glasses add just the right amount of glitz/sparkle/bling, depending on your generation.) Need some of these cool glasses? Just come to the 50s Hop and pick up a pair. These glasses along with other 50s trinkets are going to be on sale at the Hop! Click here for more info and photos of the prepartions for the 50s Hop Food Drive!
At this 50s Hop, you can skate, dance, and have fun all while helping out the local Hanover Township Food Pantry.
Let's Rock 'n Roll for a Good Cause!!
COLOR ME PINK!!
Cyndi is so tickled pink about rollerskating she decided to make it official last Saturday at Club Aire's Halloween Party. Any suggestions about her crayon color? She was so excited about her costume, she didn't think about a color name, so help her out.
Up and down, and round and round!
Gary shows his talent again, by demonstrating his updated version of the "pat your head while rubbing your stomach" skill of yore. Not satisfied with the hulahoop you can buy at the nearest store, this yoyo-ing, hulahoop-ing master now makes his own adult-sized hula hoops!! Below is his Monster Hoop, which is 6-feet in diameter! Both adults and kids are always excited to try their skill with this Monster Hoop. Below are photos of kids and people getting hooked on Gary's Monster Hoop, plus a few photos of hoopers practicing with the smaller hoops. Want a custom-made, custom-colored, custom-striped adult-size hoop? Just let Gary know. These hoops are really classy, plus they make hulahooping so much easier for us klutzes.
HOT DOG!!
Hot Dog! Get your Weiner Whistle, everyone!
According to Kraft Foods, in 1952, Carl Mayer dreamed up the Wienerwhistle as a promotional giveaway. Shaped like an Oscar Mayer Weiner, it could be played like a real musical instrument. At first, Wienerwhistles were handed out by company spokespeople during Wienermobile appearances. In 1958, the whistles were packaged with Oscar Mayer Wieners, and in 1964, they were a sell-out success at the New York World's Fair, dispensed in vending machines for two cents.
This past Labor Day, Club Aire met the official Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in the September Fest Parade in Schaumburg (IL). And we got our Wiener Whistles! Actually, we skated right ahead of the Wienermobile, and heard all the variations of the Bologna Song (in rap, country western, and even polka!). We've all decided that being a Hotdogger (person who drives the Wienermobile) would be a great job! Check out the Wienermobile website and learn how to become a Hotdogger.
(For more photos, go to the News and Fun page.)
Thanks go to all the Club Aire members and their families who tirelessly helped out at the Big Top Event at Hoffman Estates last Saturday (almost all day!). It was so much fun!! Club Aire was joined by Sonic Drive-in/Bartlett, Mainstreet USA Skate Center, and Balloons by Tommy at the Business Under the Big Top hosted by Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hoffman Estates, the theme this year was the Fabulous 50s. Everyone was dressed up in 50s gear. Bowling shirts, poodle skirts, black leather jackets, jeans, and fuzzy dice were everywhere! Club Aire even received a coveted Olivia Bear Award for making the event super fun for kids and families! Thanks go to Sonic for helping out with the Carhop Races, and to Tommy for adding his special artistic touch with balloons. Good job everybody!!
Highlights include the Super Hoop by Super Gary, Carhop Races, limber kids doing the limbo, the Greaser Couple (Jim and Trudi), the Cruizin' Crew (Gary and Alison), Ms. Kitty, Marv the Marvelous, Good Golly Ms. Molly and Brother Bop, Linda the Crazy Carhop, Sonic Carhops, Evan and his camera, Gary Greenback Dollars, beads, 5-yr old that has been hula hooping for 10 years, the wind, balloon animals by Tommy and Amy, skating/dancing to 50s songs, drawings, professional hula hoopers under the age of 10, adults learning how to hula hoop for the first time.
For those of you who were at this event, notice a big element that is missing from these photos?? Stay tuned.
HORSIN' AROUND!!
A horse is a horse, of course, of course...
Here is Jimmy the Horse rollerskating on the road near his farm. This photo of Jimmy (owned by Albert McAlexander of Carysville, Ohio) was in Life Magazine, May 19, 1952. A free spirit on skates! And we thought controlling 8 wheels on 2 feet was hard enough! Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to find a video of Jimmy skating. Want to see a video of other rollerskating horses? Click here (or go to the News and Fun Page for Aug. 23, 2009.) (Thanks go to Gary, Head Data Miner at Indigo Dragon Productions, again, for finding great stuff!)
P.S. You can buy a photo poster of Jimmy rollerskating at AllPosters.com.
BALANCING ACT!!
Is that a plunger?? Yes, that's a plunger that Gary is balancing while skating. No, he is NOT simply holding the plunger, but is balancing it in his palm. Gary was showing how to use simple objects to help skaters skate more smoothly and gracefully. It started with simple plastic glasses being balanced on the fingers of one hand. But, Gary being Gary, he "pushed the envelope" by first balancing a glass in each hand while doing a spread eagle (right photo), then balancing a glass on his head (bottom and left photos), and finally graduating to a plunger! What's next in this balancing act, Gary??
August 8, 2009
SWEET SKATE DESIGN 101!!
How sweet it is!
Rollerskating is always on our minds, nomatter what we're doing. Taking a break from skating, these ladies decided to design a skate. They said forget simply drawing the design on the back of an envelope or on a paper napkin, and decided to go for the 3D approach and use what they had on hand (or in mouth), namely donuts from Dunkin' Donuts and coffee stuff from Starbucks. These Sweet Skate Designers (Cyndi, Trudi, and Dorothy seen in the photo below) will now hand over their design to Indigo Dragon Cutting Edge Design Group for prototyping and testing of the Sweet Skate Design.
Here are the Sweet Skate Designers, Cyndi, Trudi, and Dorothy, discussing their design strategy, while eating some of the skate parts. Here's the design process, starting with choosing the correct axles (coffee stirrers from Starbucks), plate (vanilla-iced long john), front wheels (chocolate cake-donuts), and back wheels (strawberry sprinkled glazed donuts), and ending with testing the alignment. Not shown is the test on how well the design held up on edges.
August 1, 2009
REFLECTIONS!!
Here's Evan "reflecting" on the newly repaired floor. Last Saturday was the first official skate for Club Aire after the July hiatus for rink maintenance, so everyone got a chance to try out the floor. Comments included "much improved", "vast improvement", "now you can gliiiide on it", "thank you!!", "wow!". Thank you to all the Club Aire members who volunteered their time to successfully repair yet another rink floor! All skaters that visit Mainstreet USA, thank you!
July 27, 2009
SHADE-Y LADIES!!
Ready for the sun and the fun!!
No, they are not selling shades on the street corner. Cyndi and Trudi are ready for rollerskating fun in the sun in the Streamwood Parade last Saturday to promote rollerskating. During the parade, Cyndi and Trudi handed out these cute sunglasses ("shades") to kids along the parade route. (There were a lot of kids!!) With their hot pink, decorated Car Wash towels, their own rhinestone sunglasses, Trudi's black sequined hat, and Cyndi's hot pink/black boa, these ladies are part of the crazy, fun-loving Club Aire team that shares the fun of rollerskating to kids and adults alike. Below is a photo of their outfits in entirety. Yes, they skated in the parade. But notice the absolutely necessary protective gear, which actually blends in quite nicely with their outfits, eh? For more photos of this parade, check the
News and Fun page.
July 20, 2009
FUNDRAISER FUN!!
You can't disguise the fun!!
Fun, fun, fun at the fundraiser last Saturday for Children's Memorial Hospital hosted by Sam's Club at Streamwood (IL)!! The focus was kids. Club Aire did its part for this good cause by showing kids (and their parents!) how much fun rollerskating can be, and what you can do on skates. You can hula hoop, shoot baskets, work a yo-yo, and dance, to name only a few. The bottom line was fun, for a good cause! Words can not describe the fun nor the beneficial impact of this event on kids. So, check out photos on the News and Fun page. Skate for the fun of it!
July 13, 2009
THE MASKED MEN!!
The Masked Men Do It Again!!
Can you recognize the members of this Masked Men gang? These Masked Men are from Club Aire (CA) and Mainstreet USA (MS); Clockwise from upper left are Gary (CA), Bob (CA), Hank (MS), Evan (CA), Steve (MS), and Glenn (CA). These six Masked Men were the main crew who sweated and worked their muscles until they were numb, while chipping, sanding, and sealing their way around the rink floor at Mainstreet USA. Over a period of 1 week, these Masked Men transformed the rink floor. In their all volunteer effort, Club Aire members again have dedicated themselves to improving another rink floor, bringing it as close as possible to smooth perfection. In its ultimate goal to promote rollerskating, Club Aire has always helped rinks improve their environment for skaters, so that skaters have the ultimate fun experience at the rink.
Here are the weapons and ammo that these men used to bring you a super smooth skating floor! Roll on, everybody!
Skate for the fun of it!
July 5, 2009
WSA (PART 4)!!
Update from Indigo Dragon Productions!!
Got this report from our roving, rolling reporter, Gary. "It almost slipped my mind, and I'm sorry it's taken a bit to report. Indigo Dragon has been very busy with summer video filming, but there was at least one marching unit at the Elk Grove Village Hometown parade. Of course it was the "We Skate Anywhere" international marching unit. Unfortunately we don't have video of this event, but hope the pictures will suffice."
(NOTE: A snorkel will now be part of the skate tool kit that Gary always carries for emergencies.)
Skate for the fun of it!
BYE, BYE, BILL!!
Westward, Ho!!
Here are some of Bill's skating friends at Club Aire saying goodbye to Bill. Yes, our Bill is moving west. All the way to California, where he lived for 30 years, before coming to Chicago. He is a free-wheeling, free spirit skater, always ready with a smile and helping hand. His graceful skating and his willingness to try just about anything on skates (including making his own skates from a pair of work boots!) will be remembered by all of his friends here at Club Aire. WE WILL MISS YOU, BILL! But, after you get Club Aire West rolling, all of your friends in Chicago might do what someone here called a "skate crawl' to see you. (A "skate crawl" is where you travel to some distant location, and skate at rinks along the way.) Check out the rinks for us ahead of time, Bill!
Skate for the fun of it!
June 14, 2009
WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE!!
Parade Flooded Out!!
Maybe this should be called "Flood of the Week". Here is the evidence clearly showing why the Elk Grove Village Hometown Parade last Saturday (June 20) was cancelled. (Credit goes to Gary, member of Indigo Dragon Video News Corps, for braving the elements to obtain this revealing evidence.) This photo is Elk Grove Blvd., the main street in the parade route. Although we do have the WSA (We Skate Anywhere) campaign, police officials would not sanction it under these circumstances.
But the good news is that we have another parade coming up! The Streamwood Parade on July 25. We are SO ready!!
Skate for the fun of it!
June 14, 2009
QUADSVILLE!!
Parade time!!
Here are Gary and Bob showing their Quadlines for parades. These skates seem to be the best of both worlds. They have the wheel configuration of "regular" quad skates, but the wheels of inline skates. This combo is great for parades, because the wheel configuration makes the skate stable and the wheels make it easier to go over junk that you find in the streets, such as rocks, cracks, gum, candy, sucker sticks. WARNING: Tripping alert!! As you can see in the photos, the wheels are not directly underneath the boot, but stick out to the side because the axles are wider than the boot. So you have to be very careful not to catch your wheels together. Practice, practice, practice! Quadlines will be seen this Saturday night when Club Aire (Chicago) skates with Mainstreet USA Skate Center in the Elk Grove Village Parade (June 20).
Skate for the fun of it!
June 7, 2009
CAR WASH??
Wax on, wax off!
Here are a few of the Club Aire members practicing their routine to popular rink song, Car Wash (by Rose Royce?). Linda choreographed the preliminary version of the routine, but each member has now added their own twist. Let's see, Trudi added the Bumper Wash and Cyndi added the Back Wash. What about the Club Pretzel Wash?? All of this fun is in preparation for parades this summer. Each person will have their own mini towel to demonstrate their carwashing skill. Look for all the fun when Club Aire (Chicago) skates with Mainstreet USA Skate Center in the Elk Grove Village Parade (June 20) and the Streamwood Parade (July 25). Club Aire (Twin Cities) will be also be skating in parades, expos, and shows this summer and fall.
Skate for the fun of it!
May 31, 2009
BALANCING ACT??
Eggs?
Here are Bill and a young lady skater laughing as they finish (with flair, of course!) the first part of the Club Aire Obstacle Course. In this first part, skaters use this modern version of the "egg-in-a-spoon" game to practice their skill at balancing and smooth skating. They have to skate 2 short laps while balancing a small ball on their "spoon", without dropping the ball. :-)
Skate for the fun of it!
May 24, 2009
UFOs??
What are those two green and blue UFOs?? Actually they are part of a parachute game that Evan (one of the Club Aire instructors) is playing with one of our young lady skaters. In this game, the UFOs are little bean bags that you flip in the air and catch again by manipulating the mini-parachute by the handles. The goal of the particular game that these two are playing here is to try and keep your own UFO in the parachute while trying to flip the other person's UFO out. If your own UFO gets flipped out, the other person gets a point.
In this game, our young skater was definitely the pro! In the photos below, note all the contortions that Evan is twisting his body into trying to keep his UFO on the parachute. Despite this effort and a lot of sweat and concentration, he lost this game. He's asked for a rematch, but only after taking more lessons from the pro.
Club Aire always uses games to help children learn to skate faster. These games work!! The children are so busy having fun playing the game that they don't realize that they are learning balance, stopping, starting, manuvering, etc. They love it!! (Who actually has more fun, the children or the adults? Hmmmmm. It's a toss up.)
Skate for the fun of it!
May 17, 2009
STOP IN THE NAME OF SKATING!!
During practicing the all-important skill of stopping on skates, kids ruled! They were the traffic controllers during a game of Red Light, Green Light. Using a Stop/Slow sign, they told the adults when to go and when to stop. Kids telling adults what to do! (Is this revenge time for the kids??) Below is a photo of only some of the adults in the game. Club Aire is always all about fun on rollerskates.
Skate for the fun of it!
May 10, 2009
"CLUB PRETZEL!!
Pretzel with a twist!
Club Aire is all about fun on rollerskates. But when this is shared with others, either in pairs, trios, or more, then the fun is doubled, tripled, and more!! Club Pretzel is a name coined by Alison when we were first trying to skate side-by-side in a line and were twisting our arms all up trying to figure out the handhold. Thanks to Gary, we finally got the handhold down. Club Pretzel is now any group of skaters sharing the fun by skating together, whether it's the CA Shuffle, Cupid Shuffle, Reb Train, DS Shuffle, City Blues, or Kissing Waltz. Club Aire is always about sharing the fun of skating!!
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
May 3, 2009
"THREE-RING CIRCUS!"
Roller hooping?
Again, always ready for fun on rollerskates, Linda, Trudi, and Temeko were trying their hand (er...feet) at roller hooping. What a way to double the fun!! Actually, non-skating "hooping" is now a fitness craze. Check out the organization for hooping. Trudi (lady in the middle ring) held the record at 4 times around!! Temeko got tips from a pro (see left photo below), while Bill demonstrated how he is always jumping through hoops (see right photo below). Everyone had so much fun, Linda is now probably choregraphing a roller hooping routine for our upcoming parades! It will be a big hit with both children and adults!
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
April 26, 2009
"FIND THE TWO THAT ARE THE SAME!"
This is a trick question. No two are the same! These cookies were made by the multi-talented Cyndi for a birthday she hosted at Mainstreet USA Skate Center (Streamwood, IL). Lots of work went into these cookies. (These were SO SCRUMPTIOUS!) Cyndi tried to buy a few of these cookie cutters responsible for these goodies, but she could only find the one (see the photo below). So she is now the proud owner of the official Club Aire Rollerskate Cookie Cutter. In Cyndi's own words:
"The cookie cutter eBay seller wrote me back and unfortunately that was the nly one she had. I told her that was ok because now I'm the Keeper of the Roller Skate Cookie Cutter, which now gives me a valid and true position in Club Aire. Oh the empowerment! I shall carry the torch with pride. I shall not forget all the little people."
So, if you want to make some cookies, you need to submit an official request to Cyndi, The Cookie Cutter Keeper. Want the recipe? Click here.
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
April 19, 2009
"SOS??"
No, this is not a desperate SOS signal flag for help. Linda, Trudi, and Rebecca volunteered to test out this parachute as a possible game for the kids. Maybe it was a good thing that they did this during the Adults Only Practice Hour, before the kids got there. When they first grabbed hold of the handles (this one had 12 handles on it), there was a lot of "So now what do we do with this thing??" But after they got the hang of it, they really didn't want to let go. So maybe the adults need to get a parachute of their own. As always, Club Aire members are always seeking new ways to have fun on rollerskates.
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
April 12, 2009
"PEDASPEED!"
Better or worse?
Are these 1870 pedaspeed "skates" better or worse than "common parlor skates", as they say in the article? You be the judge. Maybe Rick (our resident unicyclist) or Trudi (our resident novice unicyclist) can help by giving us their opinion on this, eh? (Note: This photo (with accompanying article) was found on an obscure page on the Internet, but no info was given about the source of the article. (Did not find it on the National Museum of Roller Skating website. If anyone has any info this article or its source, please let us know.)
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
April 5, 2009
"WILDFIRE!!"
Click the photo below for a larger panaramic view.
At about 2:30 pm on Monday, April 6, Evan stuck his nose outside and declared, "Smells like smoke!" Unbeknownst to us, at 2:00 pm a grass fire started 4 miles north of us (officials believe it was arson), and was being fueled by 30 mph winds from the north, heading straight for us. With little time to react, there was no official evacuation notice given until about 15 minutes before the fire arrived near our home. By that time we had already decided to leave, and with our important things packed in our cars and trailer (that is, our rollerskates and our cat), we left our home for what we knew might be the last time.
We parked in a shopping mall about 6 miles away, and with coffee in hand, watched the columns of smoke billow out of our neighborhood. Although there are no official estimates of how large an area burned, our estimates put it at several thousand acres (about 5 square miles). When we returned home a few hours ago we found that the fire approached from the north to within 100 ft. of our home, and from the south to within 200 ft. of our home. The gallant firefighters had done their job and saved ours and about a dozen other homes from the wildfire, which continues to burn to the south as I write this at 11 pm. Even on our own property, fires continue to burn in charred areas, which are not deemed a threat because of the lack of fuel in the charred areas. However, all of us in the neighbor hood are still packed up, and will be awake and vigilant all night. Evan is out right now with our neighbors watching a 300 foot line of flames just behind us.
Needless to say, we are feeling very relieved and grateful to be in our house tonight. We will also have to buy a bit more corn for the deer, who have now lost much of their current stands of grass.
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
March 28, 2009
"HAPPY FEET!"
Happy feet, happy hearts!
Instead of head shots, we thought we'd look at the business...er, fun end of skating. Namely, the skates themselves. Lots of skates. Lots of personality. Lots of styles. Lots of self expression. But all have the same goal....FUN!! This is just a sample of the skates and skaters of Club Aire. Stay tuned for sequels.
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
March 21, 2009
"LESS IS MORE?!"
One-Wheeled Skate??
Rick decided that it might be easier to start with one wheel, and then work his way up to 8 wheels. Is Bob-the-8-wheeler trying to race Rick-the-uni-wheeler? Who do you think won? It was toe to toe stop for a while, but Bob managed to pull out just ahead.
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"THE LINE-UP!"
No, these are NOT mini-criminals.
Just the opposite. These kids are going places. Here they are learning how to turn. But before that, their instructor, Mr. Goofball himself (aka Gary), put them through a mini-boot camp. First, it was skating backwards. Then skating backwards in and out a line of cones. Then skating backwards on one skate in and out a line of cones. Then it was Red Light, Green Light (backwards of course!). They were having so much fun, they kept asking Gary for more, and more, and more.
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
Feb. 28, 2009
"DOUBLE DECKER, DOUBLE DARE!!"
DOUBLE-EDGED DARE??
Club Aire instructors will do anything (almost) to help skaters better understand the art, skill, and fun of rollerskating! Who was the instigator of this particular stunt?? Gary, of course. (Guy on the left in the photo below.) Using Evan as the proverbial guinea pig, Gary used this skateboard to help explain edges, trucks, leans, and turns, trying to give people a visual on such crucial concepts. Everyone is waiting for the sequel to this stunt!! Will Evan become Evil Knievel on Wheels?
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
Feb. 22, 2009
"WE SKATE ANYWHERE BLOOPERS!!"
WSA Behind-the-Scenes Secrets Revealed!! MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE SOUND UP ON THIS VIDEO!! This is REALLY what happened during the latest production of WSA ("We Skate Anywhere") by Gary (aka Mr. Goofball) and Indigo Dragon Productions. You need to watch this video a couple of times to catch all the little bloopers, sounds, grunts, bobbles, almost-splits, etc. Watch for the Yeti Amanda. Gary, always an honest person, shows us that everyone that rollerskates has their ups and downs. Hey, Gary, we didn't see a spin! Is that for next year??
Just in case you missed it and need it for comparison, here's the official "edited" version.
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"DUELING COFFINS!!"
Who's gonna win? This trick is not for stiffs. Evan (guy in black) challenged Rebecca to a coffin duel! But, actually, it was no contest at all. Rebecca has a black belt in Coffin Making. You can't see it here in this picture, but she actually eventually puts her nose on the floor, and goes around in a circle. Evan gladly forfeited the contest, and then asked for tips on how to get lower, without falling over. (Want to see the outtakes?? Click here.) The above photo is the forward coffin, and the photo below shows Rebecca and her latest protege starting to go into the back coffin.
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"SKATER'S EXPRESS!!"
Lots of wheels and axles in this train! No, this is NOT a train wreck! No, no one is falling here! Our latest Club Aire member, Rebecca (the one in the front with her leg up), persuaded some of her fellow skaters to try their hand (ah...foot...no, skate) at forming this train. Always willing try to something different for fun, Club Aire members sure didn't need much convincing. There were more "cars" to this train than shown above. Below shows the entire 7-horsepower, 56-wheeler train (Rebecca, Trudi, Evan, Bill, Linda, Gary, Alison in red as the caboose) and a 4-horsepower, 32-wheeler train (Rebecca, Evan, Trudi, and Bill). The major question, however, is who's the engineer?? More fun is coming down the line! Join us!
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"MS. KITTY'S DREAM SKATES!!"
A Cat Lover Right Down to Her Toes! Cat lovers will understand these skates. (Yes, that's also Snoopy, along for the ride.) Ms. Kitty (Nancy R.) absolutely adores cats. She even makes her own clothes, with cats on them of course. She just had a rollerskating birthday party last week. The theme? Cats, cats, and more cats. Even a kitty cake. Want to see it? Click here. Oh, she also has the real thing. This compassionate lady and her patient husband have over 10 cats that they have rescued. She's always looking for homes for these kitties. They all live happily together along with a mini-Toucan and other assorted animals in their menagerie.
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"TOP SECRET WEAPON EXPOSED!!"
Gary's Secret Weapon Revealed! After last week's video of Gary's latest WSA (We Skate Anywhere) escapade, rumors were flying that it was faked! Was it "photoshopped"? Did Gary really skate while snowblowing?? After exhaustive detective work, Investigative Skater Trudi discovered Gary's secret weapon, wheel chains, thus proving that the snowblowing skating was real. Gary was left speechless when Trudi presented her evidence. What's next, Gary, studded wheels?? No one knows what will come out of Gary's brain and imagination next. But we can put our trust in Trudi to be watching his every step...ah, every roll.
Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"WE SKATE ANYWHERE (WSA)-Part 3!!"
Always expect the unexpected from Gary (aka Mr. Goofball)! (Indigo Dragon presents "We Skate Anywhere"
Do not try this at home.) Snow, sleet, rain, fog. Nothing stops Gary from skating! Nothing. This is the third part in the series We Skate Anywhere (WSA). The first was skating on top of a houseboat. The second was on railroad tracks. (Again, do not try any of these!) When you need a lift or a laugh or escape from reality, just play this video again, and you'll see that you are not the only crazy addicted skater in the world. The support group for CAS (crazy addicted skaters) meets every Saturday morning at 8:30am at Mainstreet USA Rollerskating Center. Join us for this 1-step, 2-foot, 8-wheel program. Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"GLORIOUS GLUTES!!"
Never underestimate the power of your glutes!
What are these Club Aire members doing now?? They are strengthening their glutes (rear-end muscles). Evan had a mini-lesson about how stronger glutes will help improve your skating (e.g., stroking & turns). According to both his doctor and personal trainer, stronger glutes will better support the knees. So everybody here is doing the "Glute Squeeze" exercise. This is a "BEFORE" photo. (Even Steve, the manager of Mainstreet USA joined in!) In a few months, we'll have an "AFTER" photo, after everyone has been doing glutes, abs, back, and core exercises to help their skating and to minimize injury.
One exercise that both Evan and Linda do for the glutes and back is called the Plank. It has really helped them! They've been very surprised how quickly they felt improvement in their core, glutes, abs and back muscles. HINT #1: They squeeze their glutes (!!) when doing the Plank. HINT #2: When they first started, they did the "Half Plank", where they did it on their knees, and then worked up to doing the Plank on their toes. Click here for a better explanation on this quick exercise. Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"FREE FOR ALL!!"
You can't put a price on fun!
Rollin' fun was had by all last Saturday during the FREE 2-hr Skate Lesson at Mainstreet USA. In this collaboration between Club Aire and Mainstreet USA, 6 experienced instructors were on hand to teach children, adults, and families some of the skills needed to have fun rollerskating. Club Aire members were also on the floor to lend a helping hand to their fellow skaters, offer advice based on their own experience, and demonstrate the fun of skating. Almost 100 people registered for this lesson! The mission was to show people how much fun it is to learn how to rollerskate at Mainstreet USA. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! Skate for the fun of it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"FANCY FEET!!"
Club Aire Skaters Show Their Skate Style!
Do you recognize these fancy feet on wheels? Gary is on the right, and Hillary is on the left. Both are creative and individualistic, right down to their toes. Gary, a Free Spirit skater, shows his always unique ideas with purple bells and Firefly lights (Rudolph??). Hillary, an R and B skater, shows old school style with shearling tongue down, multi-colored laces, and multi-colored pom-poms. Like Gary and Hillary, don't settle for the ordinary! Create your own unique style!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!"
Club Aire Celebrates the Holidays on Wheels!
Club Aire wishes everyone a Happy Holiday season! This photo is the "dash" version, and so a few people are missing in the photo. A dash photo is the brilliant idea of Gary's (who else, eh?), where the camera was set at a 10-second delay. Everyone lined up behind the camera, and when Gary said "G0", everyone dashed to the wall at Mainstreet USA Roller Rink, trying to get into position before the timer went off.
Below is a posed photo, where you can find the missing people who were out of view of the camera when the above photo was shot (or were they too slow??).
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"ORIGINAL DREAM SKATES!!"
Modern Skates Appreciation Day!!!
If you lived in the early 1880s, this is what you'd be skating with probably. This is a photo of the Petitbled skate (from the National Museum of Roller Skating website. Although John Merlin is credited with inventing the roller skate in the 1760s in London, England, Monsieur Petitblad "was the first to patent a roller skate, doing so in 1819, while in Paris, France. The Petitbled skate was an in-line skate with a wood sole, leather straps and three wheels made of wood, metal, or ivory. These skates only went forward, even turning corners was a major feat!" (From the National Museum of Roller Skating). James L. Plimpton patented a four-wheeled rollerskate capable of turning, and thus he is often considered the "Father of Modern Roller Skating". Think about this when you're filling out your Dream Skates form for your friends.
Skating in a Winter Wonderland!!!
Mainstreet USA has redecorated their rink again with ballon art. This time they transformed the rink into a festive Winter Wonderland. This creation was achieved by using almost 3000 balloons and took about 25 hours to create. The balloon artist is Tommy, who decorates Mainstreet every season. There are 3 huge balloon drops hanging from the ceiling, all ready for the New Year's Eve parties. The New Year's Eve Party for Families is on Wednesday, December 31, 6pm - 9pm. It's only $8, and includes skate rental (regular skates), pizza & pop dinner, balloon drop, and party favors! The New Years Eve All Night Skate
(reservations required) is on Wednesday 9pm December 31st - Thursday 7am January 1st. The $25 admission includes pizza & pop dinner, breakfast, regular roller skate rental, balloon drop, and party favors!
Can't get enough skating? Skate both sessions!
Skate from 6pm to 7am for only $33.00!
Balloons by Tommy (847-361-6884)
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"BACK TO SKATING!!"
Skating is fun, both coming & going!!
Trudi puts her back into skating. This shirt is her own handiwork. Her love of skating makes her want to advertise it wherever and whenever. This multi-talented woman is not only a seamstress and artist, she is a skilled skater, who has her own unique style of stopping, who can do a wicked backward strut, and who can match quick quips and comebacks with the best of them. She and her blacksmithy husband, Jim, along with all the other members, are why Club Aire is never boring! Join the fun!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"CLUB HAIRE ROCKS!!"
Club Haire Stylists say, "Share the fun!!"
Thanks to the photo-editing wizardry of the Jolly Green Giant (far right in photo above), the promo shots for Club Haire are now in. (Photo below shows you Club Haire in their more natural environment, before the Wizard did his magic.) As always, Club Aire (including Club Haire) members are always up to the challenge of creating new ways to show others the fun of rollerskating. Disco Diva (aka Linda), Big Blue (aka Evan), Bouffant Barbie (aka Nancy), Mohawk Man (Pat), and Jolly Green Giant (aka Gary) invite all skaters to share the fun!! As we said on Halloween, choose your style (or color), and make an appointment with your favorite stylist today. Any of them will be more than happy to help you with your haire or your skating, or both!! (Scissors, haire dye, and skates extra.) Appointments for haire available only on Oct. 31. Appointments for skating available anytime.
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"CRUISIN' THE RINK!!"
Rockin' Rollers cruise around the rink!
The Rockin' Rollers are practicing a Club Pretzel routine. Partners Gary and Alison are joined by Bob in this simple, yet fun line routine. Wanna be cool like them? First, join Club Aire on Saturdays and learn the routines. Then, get a shirt (from "Bowlingshirt.com").
Seeing red. Looking cool as always in their red/black bowling shirts, here's a front view of Bob (left), Alison (middle) and Gary (right).
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"ROCKIN' ROLLERS!!"
Club Aire Rocks & Rolls in the 50s!
These applicants for rollerskating carhops are all members of Club Aire Rockin' Rollers. Their 50s style were clearly on display last Saturday. Yes, they are wearing bowling shirts, drinking Coke (in glass bottles!!), wearing shades, and pink chiffon scarves. Yes, there are still drive-in restaurants that use rollerskating carhops. The Rockin' Rollers will continue to practice their skating techniques for their job interviews in the spring. We'll keep you posted on more 50s carhopping practices. (They'll skate for food.)
Here's Bob (Cruisin'), Dorothy (Fabulous Fifties), Trudi (Fabulous Fifties), Gary (Cruisin'), and Linda (Betty Boop).
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"DISCO DIVA JOINS CLUB HAIRE!!"
Make a haire appointment today! Disco Diva (aka Linda) is the most recent haire stylist to join Club Haire. Choose your style (or color), and make an appointment with your favorite stylist today (see photo below for the entire staff). Any of them will be more than happy to help you with your haire or your skating. Your choice. So, just ask either Big Blue, Bouffant Barbie, Mohawk Man, Jolly Green Giant, and/or Disco Diva. (Scissors, haire dye, and skates extra.) Appointments for haire available only on Oct. 31. Appointments for skating available anytime.
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"KISSING SPREAD EAGLES!!"
His & Hers Twisted Knees! Trudi & Jim show how much they share everything together...including their flexibility (and their pain??). These Inverse Spread Eagles are not for the weak-kneed. Like Jim said, now all they have to do is to skate doing this. Next shared experience for Jim & Trudi? The whirlpool.
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"OUCH!!"
Donft try this at home! This is painful just to even look at!! Eric just wonft quit when it comes to variation of the spread eagle. He tries it all. Note that he is not simply just standing like this; Eric is actually skating in this position!! Ouch, ouch, ouch. Eric, whatfs next, guy?
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"Is it in the Genes??"
Like Father, Like Son Here's Eric, the son of Gary (a Club Aire instructor) doing his spread eagle. He can pump himself around the rink in this position until it makes the rest of us super dizzy. This move requires flexibility and strength, especially when it's done on an outside arc like this (back towards the center of the rink)!!
Father & son!! Both Gary (right photo) and Eric (left) do the spread eagle as easy as the proverbial pie. Flexibility, strength, perserverance, and the passion for skating must be genetic, eh? If you want tips on how to do this move, just ask either Eric or Gary. They are always willing to gently help anybody, anytime.
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"Fuzzy Instructors!"
Fuzzy, wuzzy? "Fuzzy" has so many meanings here. Fuzzy photo, fuzzy instruction, fuzzy brains, fuzzy hair?? You decide. Rather than this "artsy" (i.e., out of focus) photo with all the lights and balloons at Mainstreet USA, if you'd like to see the photo that looks like a criminal line-up, click here.
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"Ode to Gail!"
Here's to you, Gail!! Always an inspiration, Gail, who broke her wrist while skating without wristguards, pleaded with us to tell her story (See Sept. 7, below). In her story, Gail recommends/advises/begs/warns everyone to wear wristguards when they skate!! As you can see by the above photo, Club Aire members take wristguards seriously. (Besides, wristguards double as percussion instruments. Next week, Linda will give lessons on this. ) We are all thankful to Gail for her honesty and take her warning to heart. But, thanks to our wristguards, we do not quite feel her pain. :-)
Can you guess who these wristguards are attached to? Click here for the faces (or hair).
WEAR PROTECTIVE GEAR!!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"Just for Kicks!"
Need a kick or two?? Here's Gary & Alison kicking it up, having fun to "Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash. This is a move that they do in their skating routine. This is not a super serious routine meant for competition, but instead is a super fun routine that can be skated to almost any song and skated by almost anyone. Like all Club Aire members, all they want is to share their passion of rollerskating!! And show people just how much fun skating can be, even with simple moves!! Share the passion of rollerskating!!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"Undecided!"
Quads or inlines?? Hmmmm. That is the question. Glenn seems to be doing a side-by-side comparison.He rose to a challenge from another Club Aire member, Bob, to try both types at the same time. Glenn said that actually it wasn't too difficult, but "he would not try skating backwards". Glenn is always exploring new skates, and is always trying something different. He also has a pair that he built himself (photo not shown). He and Gary have the same spirit--ready to push the envelope in skates, ready to explore new ways to roll, and ready to gently share their skating experiences and wisdom with others. Maybe they should call themselves the G Squad.
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"Pom-Pom Power!"
"Skate for the fun of it!" These skates (and feet, of course) belong to Club Aire instructors. They take their skating seriously, but having fun is the bottom line!! Can you match the color with the instructor? HINT: 2 ladies (Linda & Nancy) and 2 guys (Evan & Gary; Pat was not present for the photo). Yes, the guys are wearing pom-poms. No, this is not part of their normal attire as instructors. But, each instructor has their own signature color to accent the official black attire for instructors. Because kids love it when adults make fools of themselves. Club Aire instructors do a lot of crazy things (such as wearing pom-poms) to show kids (and adults, of course) that skating is super fun!!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
"Rollin' Romance!"
Here are Trudi and Jim, showing that love on wheels never dies! When they skate together, their love, admiration, and respect for each other are easy for everyone to see. Luv it!
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
PHOTO OF THE WEEK (Aug. 17, 2008)!
"The End"
What are they doing?? Practicing for ballet tryouts? Doing warm-up exercises? Practicing for Club Prezel (see photo below)? Practicing for the next Leap Frog game? Limbering up? Doing the spread eagle? Ya gotta ask Dave (left) or Bob (right). Oh, by the way, Bob thought up the caption, "The End".
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
PHOTO OF THE WEEK (Aug. 10, 2008)!
Paper Guys & Dolls
Someone on this team said "We look like paper dolls!". Hence the name, "Paper Guys & Dolls". This group is part of Club Pretzel, which are Club Aire members that do routines together, be it in pairs or a bigger group. (Yes. they can pump themselves around the rink!) As always, the goal is to have fun!! From the left is Evan, Trudi, Alison, and Gary. You should see their square spread eagle, with Bob joining in the fun. (Got to see this live at the rink!)
CLUB AIRE ROCKS!!
PHOTO OF THE WEEK (Aug. 3, 2008)!
Bob's Perfect Timing
During a recent "photo-shoot", Bob showed everyone his perfect timing! Luv it!! Bob was just skating around at his normal pace, and just happened to be at the right place and the right time. Again demonstrating his prefect timing! This is NOT a fake photo. But, does anyone know why the ceiling lights are in front of Bob? If there are any photo experts out there, please let us know, eh? Thanks go to Trudi as the photographer who grabbed this amazing shot!!
"THE LINE-UP!"
For more history, check out the 
Balloons by Tommy (847-361-6884)
