Charles’ 
Slide of the Week: November 18th, 2004
Brewer Roller Rink, Brewer, Maine, 1962
The sweeping spear, sky high rear window and eye-catching tailfin trim on this two-toned space-age spectacular 1959 Chrysler Saratoga, combined with the gentle curve of a barrel vault roofline, twin gooseneck lights craning toward very sober signage and sort-of checkerboard windows, provide a most unexpected backdrop for this impromptu family portrait.
Like bowling alleys and miniature golf courses, skating rinks are not nearly as plentiful in this old world of ours as they once were. The Holiday Roller Rink in Montclair, where I learned to roller skate in third grade is long, long gone.
Southern California’s most stylized rink was a big red barn called Skate Ranch. It was a western themed extravaganza that sat on the north slide of the Santa Ana Freeway in Orange County. I never went there but it always caught my eye as a kid when we sped by at 65mph.
But don’t despair, now that you are in the mood to go skating, the Rollerama in Bakersfield, Rollerdome in Thousand Oaks, Skateland in Whittier, Skate-o-rama in Downey and the Moonlight Rollerway in Glendale are still standing.
For my thirtieth birthday party I rented out the Moonlight. I’ll never forget it. We ate ice cream with wooden spoons, did the Hokey Pokey and sent my friend Fred off to the hospital. He fell and broke his arm.
Here’s to roller rinks and you!
Charles Phoenix
Los Angeles
November 2004
Sets this Slide belongs to:
Roadslide & Transportation
3 Comments on “Brewer Roller Rink, Brewer, Maine, 1962”
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January 22nd, 2006 at 9:33 am
This is a picture of my late aunt Edith Faulkingham, my cousins Bill & Mike Faulkingham. It was probably taken by my late uncle William Faulkingham. They built and owned the Brewer Roller Rink and several others around the state. As a child I rode in that car many times and this photo really brings back memories of my youth.
February 16th, 2006 at 10:18 am
That`s a GREAT story! I love Forwardlook Mopars. I`ll bet you charish those memories,and have a fine car like that to be part of them……Well let`s just say,some of us have all the luck..
June 27th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
That 1959 Saratoga looks great and must have been fun to ride in. Too bad they didn’t put one of those in a above ground Time Capsule! I can’t help but wonder which one of those little kids you were? Dan W.