A Nostalgic and Romantic Date at Ice Rink

Ice Rink in the 1980s

    You may wonder, was there any ice rink in Taipei in the eighties? The culture of skating dates back to the seventies and eighties, skating was all the rage in Taiwan. In the early times, people made their own roller skates because they didn't have the extra budget to buy a new and fancy pair of skates. Therefore, by bolting plates on their sneakers, installing trucks and wheels, and then here came the brand-new and colorful roller skates. Young people would like to show off who had better or fancier skates. Take Shi-men Ting (西門町) for example, there were at least eight ice rinks in Wan Nian Building (萬年大樓) which had whole three stories all as the ice rinks. Students would wear uniforms and go skating on ice rinks after school, which had been a classic symbol of their youth. In fact, not all of the ice rinks were comprised of real ice. Instead, some of them were cork flooring. The ice rink was like a small "nightclub" to the people at that time, it always played the most trendy electronic dance music with the flashing neon lights, grandiose sound, and light effects, and rainbow-like decor. Everything in the ice rink made people immerse in the joyful atmosphere completely.

    The most interesting part in the ice rink while skating is that around eight or nine people will form a "roller snake" in a line either by holding hands with the one who stands across from you or putting your hands on one's waist who stands in front of you to make a typical "roller snake." The leader (the person who stands in front of the team) of the roller snake will use both hands to pull the one behind him in order to make the whole team move and whirl around the ice rink at a rapid speed. Sometimes the leader will weave in and out of the ice rink, and sometimes he will move and accelerate suddenly so as to make the people in the team scream and have more fun. The louder they scream, the prouder the leader will feel. Another playing method is that some young couples or friends will hold hands with each other in a roller snake. When they (most are the males) turn around and see the one behind them is a male, they will disband automatically. In contrast, if someone behind them is a female, they will hold her hands. The longer the roller snake team is, the more exciting the roller snake game will be. What's more, each roller snake team even has the so-called "team song" which only belongs to its own team. Doesn't it sound interesting? If you happen to be a beginner of skating, you may possess an opportunity of one-on-one teaching with a single coach. If you two both develop a crush on each other, then you may ask for his or her pager (BB Call). Consequently, there may be a possibility that both of you will develop a love and romantic relationship by skating.

The Decline of Ice Rink

    In the eighties, skating on an ice rink was a popular and healthy activity among young people. Nevertheless, with the diversification of entertainment culture, the ice rink had no longer been a major choice for youngsters anymore. In addition to this reason, the continuous teenage troubles like quarrels or fights at the ice rinks were also the hidden factors that speeded up the decline of the ice rinks. As a result, it was gradually regarded as a "bad place" for teenagers by the public.