“All skate, all skate!” When Elynor Gould’s voice me over the public addrs system at Gay Blas Roller Rk, the skaters on the floor – sometim numberg the hundreds – knew that the upl’ skate, backwards skate, Hokey Pokey or other specialty spotlight was over. “All skate” was the announcement that everyone, no matter
Contents:
- VTAGE ST. PETE: WHEN GAY BLAS WAS THE CENTER OF THE SKATG UNIVERSE
- COMMUNY VOIC: AT GAY BLAS, ‘ WAS A MORE NOCENT TIME’
VTAGE ST. PETE: WHEN GAY BLAS WAS THE CENTER OF THE SKATG UNIVERSE
When Elynor Gould’s voice me over the public addrs system at Gay Blas Roller Rk, the skaters on the floor – sometim numberg the hundreds – knew that the upl’ skate, backwards skate, Hokey Pokey or other specialty spotlight was over. Gay Blas, photographed 1964. Gay Blas was one of St.
Pete – the Boulevard, the Pastime, the Pellas, the Zk and Southland among them – but none had the stayg power of Gay Blas, which opened 1950 and was still packg ‘em when was sold to make way for a medil arts buildg 1985. Pete rk had been named honor of the famo Gay Blas Rollerdrome, at 52nd Street and Broadway New York. Gay Blas Newsletter (Roll Call), reprted om Skatg News, October 1954.
COMMUNY VOIC: AT GAY BLAS, ‘ WAS A MORE NOCENT TIME’
It was all part of the Gay Blas charm, acrdg to Cala Mosley, 68.
Her fay ught the Gay Blas bug 1954. Tammy took dance lsons at Gay Blas – but her father’s legend loomed large. She was at Gay Blas after school most days, and on the weekends.
On the Facebook group page People Who Have Fond Memori of Gay Blas Roller Rk, certa them are recurrent: My hband and I met there, I spent every weekend there, I learned to skate there, I peted the Southeastern Regnals there, I broke my arm there, I always went after school, I won a pair of skat Mr. A half hour before Gay Blas opens, the parkg lot is almost empty, but already teens hang over the entrance rail, or s on the roofs of rs, yellg greetgs when someone new arriv.