I learned recently that the Valley Drive In had closed unceremoniously last fall to make way for another retail and residential development; the continued gentrification of the Kent Valley. This is the same process that claimed Longacres oh, so long ago to make way for a Boeing training center that is now relocating to Miami.
The icons of my youth continue to evaporate. In Edmonds, Robin Hood Lanes closed in May to make way for a Walgreens, as if we need more of those. The same thing happened to the Hilands Bowl in Renton; it becoming a grocery outlet.
Though progress can erase the structures that shaped my childhood, they can’t erase the memories.
It wasn’t always progress that claimed these vestiges of youth either. Dag’s succumbed to the monochromatic burgers of McDonalds and Burger King. The Renton and Roxy theaters were pushed aside by the arrival of movie megaplexes.
Few probably remember Rollerland in Renton. It was an amazing place to go as a kid. It must be, for I can still see a few of its grand skating rinks in my head, even though I was barely four or five. It’s easy to know my age, for the rink burned down in a mysterious fire in July 1963.
No matter. Kids back then were just as happy to slap a pair of sidewalk skates to their sneakers and tear down the road. We could rarely ever find the key, using a pair of my father’s ever-present pliers instead to adjust their length and width, the four boys getting so much use out of two pairs of street skates that the leather straps continually wore out and broke.
It wasn’t until high school that I once again discovered rollerskating. By now, Tiffany’s was the place to go, at least if you went to Hazen High. Oh sure, there was Skate King, but Tiffany’s was proud to advertise that they played rock not disco like that “other chain in town.”
Tiffany’s was a chain too, a small one admittedly. There were only three of them, one in Spokane, one in Kent and one in Puyallup. We went to the Kent Tiffany’s often, 18 times to be exact in my junior and senior year. I know this for an odd reason. I have an unblemished skating record as I have never fallen down. Yes, I kept count. And even though the years have slipped by I can still remember this number.
My favorite trips to Tiffany’s were our band social events. Everyone in band would go to Tiffany’s. Inevitably, the session went from All Skate to Couples Only and the music would change from an uptempo classic rock song of the day (well, they weren’t classic yet, they were just songs) to a slow ballad by Chicago.
The majority of us would take a seat on one of the many benches that lined the rim of the rink. We were the uncoupled and weren’t allowed out on the rink for the duration of the song.
Instead, we the unmated would grab a slice of pizza and make fun of the couples out on the rink, knowing that deep down we desperately wanted to be one of them.
This routine eventually became the norm. We’d all have a grand time skating in an All Skate, we’d gleefully though awkwardly try to turn around when it came time to Reverse, I would always find it necessary to use the restroom during the Hokey Pokey and eventually, we all sat out Couples Only.
Well almost. One time I summoned up the courage to ask Cheryl Haglund to skate with me during Couples Only. We were good friends, buds if you will. She was more than happy to go skating with me.
We headed out on the rink. We finally got to take a spin on a rink that was pretty empty, not having to dodge the little children or work our way around someone who had fallen just moments before. The lights were low, the music slow and we were enjoying a little quality time as friends.
Well, she thought we were friends. It didn’t take long for the announcer to spot us on the rink. He politely reminded everyone that you had to hold hands during Couples Only. I looked over at Cheryl, she looked at me. I took her hand and we continued to make our way around the rink.
And then, she noticed that something was awry. My palm was sweating profusely. It was clammy enough to make chowder. She asked me if I was feeling O.K. and I made some poorly thought out excuse about it being hot in here, that I should have worn a lighter t-shirt.
Like they really make those. What Cheryl didn’t know is that I had the biggest crush on her. While I could play it cool, doing the “friends” thing, I desperately wanted to be much more than friends. She had the most amazing dimples and I simply melted whenever she smiled at me.
The clam-hand was betraying me as we made our way around the rink. If only she had been a bit more worldly, something we all became as we grew older, she would have been on to me. She would have known the meaning of the clam-hand.
Thankfully, she didn’t. She just assumed I was indeed hot and needed that extra light t-shirt. The song eventually came to an end and we parted hands. For the rest of the night, I skated around that rink. But I don’t remember the wheels ever touching the ground.
For that brief moment, that simple touch, I realized just how much I really liked her. And even though we never dated and eventually lost touch, I can still remember that moment when we were a couple, however briefly, skating around the rink at Tiffany’s in Kent. The rink may be long gone, but the memories linger on.
In the Emerald City, wondering if I should go skating again,
– Robb