View Full Version : Comet Skating Club
It was at 5800 NW 36th for decades and is still a skating rink called Roll-A-Way with most of the cool old sign still intact:
http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2888/R147411005001tA.jpg
http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/cometsafeway.jpg
Tritone 02-07-2012, 10:14 PM Our Saturday hangout in junior high (late 60s); glad to see it's still there in some incarnation.
Actually, I think Roll-A-Way has now closed, too. But at least the building and sign are still there.
Comet had a pretty long and successful run; I would guess about 25 years.
Bill Robertson 02-08-2012, 08:52 AM I spent many days there in the late 60s, early 70s. Had a blast skating.
BBatesokc 02-08-2012, 09:10 AM My hangout too in the late 70's and early 80's. We'd run next door to the What-A-Burger or across the street to the 7-11 to get food. Even sneak a puff on a cigarette in the tiny alley between the Comet and the building next door.
BlackmoreRulz 02-09-2012, 06:00 PM Wasn't the skating rink on Linwood just south of NW 10th also called Comet??
MikeOKC 02-09-2012, 06:35 PM Wasn't the skating rink on Linwood just south of NW 10th also called Comet??
That was the Rocket.
http://i.pbase.com/o6/27/79027/1/114195195.TnQrgpm7.OKOklahomaCityRocketSkatingClub .jpg
GaryOKC6 02-09-2012, 09:39 PM The Rocket was on Lynnwood and had a wooden floor. The comet on 36th & MacArthur had the concrete floor. If you had the speed skates with the wide wooden wheels they would really hum on the wooden floor at the Rocket.
metro 02-10-2012, 06:42 AM Actually, I think Roll-A-Way has now closed, too. But at least the building and sign are still there.
Comet had a pretty long and successful run; I would guess about 25 years.
Pretty sure it's still open, not sure the current name though. I drive by it every now and then. Having went to Bethany, our school skate nights were there until they moved it to Yukon due to crime in the general area of the rink. It's definitely a lot rougher neighborhood than it used to be. The apartments behind there sure don't help.
Bigrayok 02-10-2012, 03:13 PM It is called Galaxy now.
Bigray in Ok
UnclePete 02-10-2012, 07:37 PM Even though we went to the Rocket and to the Comet quite often, we generally went to Joyland on SE 29th Street (between Del City and Midwest City) because it was closer to home (Nicoma Park-Choctaw). BTW, does anyone remember an ice skating rink on the East side? I am thinking it was East of Lincoln Blvd.
metro 02-11-2012, 08:54 AM Big ray is right, I drove by last night, it's Galaxy. I took a pic and will post soon.
Skate Galaxy has a website: http://skategalaxyokc.com/.
And it looks like they have done a nice job renovating/updating the place. Here's a photo of the brand new rink floor:
http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/cometnow.jpg
Tritone 02-11-2012, 08:06 PM Looks nice. So it's a swimming pool now? Okay, I jest; sure looks like one.
ChoctawNDNGirl 02-11-2012, 10:10 PM I remember Rocket having those "humps" or mini hills on their wooden floor.. Anyone else remember that ?? ... I was a Comet girl myself..... I remember some kid named Scott Wainscott that was like the floor ref or whatever they were called, that would blow his whistle if you were going too fast, the wrong way or whatever..... And couples skating to Dream Weaver...... hahahah !!!!
rcjunkie 02-12-2012, 05:52 PM I remember Rocket having those "humps" or mini hills on their wooden floor.. Anyone else remember that ?? ... I was a Comet girl myself..... I remember some kid named Scott Wainscott that was like the floor ref or whatever they were called, that would blow his whistle if you were going too fast, the wrong way or whatever..... And couples skating to Dream Weaver...... hahahah !!!!
You must be thinking of some other place, I skated the Rocket at least once a week for 5--6 years and they never had humps or mini hills. The Skate Center on S. Western did, but not the Rocket.
BlackmoreRulz 02-12-2012, 06:20 PM We went skating at some church downtown once, mid to late 60's early 70's, seems like it was on the third floor. Want to say it was near the 10th & Walker area. Anyone have a clue?
Prunepicker 02-12-2012, 06:41 PM We went skating at some church downtown once, mid to late 60's
early 70's, seems like it was on the third floor. Want to say it was near
the 10th & Walker area. Anyone have a clue?
Could it have been the unitarian church on N.W. 13th & N. Walker?
There's a large room upstairs that may have been large enough to
skate in.
Prunepicker 02-12-2012, 06:58 PM I remember Rocket having those "humps" or mini hills on their wooden
floor. Anyone else remember that?
That was Moore's Skate-O-Rama on S. Western. They had a bicycle
shop, too.
FRISKY 02-13-2012, 01:06 AM That was Moore's Skate-O-Rama on S. Western. They had a bicycle
shop, too.They also had an outside skate area on the north end of the building.
In 1970 I bought a custom made 10-speed bicycle ($295) from Moore's Wheel-O-Rama.
FRISKY 02-13-2012, 01:26 AM I remember Rocket having those "humps" or mini hills on their wooden floor.. Anyone else remember that ?? ... I was a Comet girl myself..... I remember some kid named Scott Wainscott that was like the floor ref or whatever they were called, that would blow his whistle if you were going too fast, the wrong way or whatever..... And couples skating to Dream Weaver...... hahahah !!!!I also thought the Rocket had "bumps" at the south end of the skate floor...that were removed at some point.
Remember the Fast skate, Hokey-Pokey and Shoot-the-duck?
rcjunkie 02-13-2012, 04:44 AM We went skating at some church downtown once, mid to late 60's early 70's, seems like it was on the third floor. Want to say it was near the 10th & Walker area. Anyone have a clue?
Olivet Baptist Church. NW 10th just W. of Western.
BBatesokc 02-13-2012, 07:53 AM I also thought the Rocket had "bumps" at the south end of the skate floor...that were removed at some point.
Remember the Fast skate, Hokey-Pokey and Shoot-the-duck?
and an "All Skate" and "Ladies Choice couples skate"
metro 02-13-2012, 10:49 AM Sorry for poor quality, I took at night on my cell phone while in the car. But you can clearly see Galaxy is still open, although not the best area of town anymore. Pretty Ghetto around this area now.
http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae288/snewlon/galaxy.jpg
Love that they are using the vintage sign, which still looks cool.
They've spent a lot of money to update the place and I hope it's successful.
Okcbld 02-13-2012, 05:22 PM Comet was built and has been owned since new by the Lippert family which also owns one of OKC's bigger commercial construction companies, Lippert Brothers Construction. I used to walk their Friday nights back in the early 70's.
metro 02-27-2012, 12:35 PM Article in today's Oklahoman.
http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-skaters-catch-the-rhythm/article/3652661
Very cool!
I'm considering having part of my class reunion (PC '78) there. Maybe just a Saturday afternoon thing for people and their kids and grandkids.
Ah, memories of the 70's and the Comet. This thread just took me back to days of long ago!
Prunepicker 04-06-2012, 08:23 PM Here's something that may be of interest of Comet history buffs.
From February 24, 1962.
http://archive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/1962/02/24/25/Img/Ar0250211.png
Prunepicker 04-06-2012, 08:38 PM Here's an article from October 1, 1965. The last word of the
article is error.
http://archive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/1965/10/01/35/Img/Ar0350000.png
http://archive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/1965/10/01/35/Img/Ar0350001.png
http://archive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/1965/10/01/35/Img/Ar0350002.png
http://archive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/1965/10/01/35/Img/Ar0350002.png
Chickenlisa 04-08-2012, 12:33 AM We had a school skate night at the Galaxy last week and it was great. New paint and carpet, refinished skating surface, and best of all, brand new skates!
RadicalModerate 04-09-2012, 08:26 AM If I'm not mistaken, the tenth word of the article is also error.
(Unless, of course, "egementary" schools existed back in the 60s.)
Tritone 04-09-2012, 08:21 PM Actually, "egementary" schools were early alternative education programs. Good eye.
Willb 09-26-2013, 11:10 AM My sister learned to roller skate there, when she was in girl scouts in the early '70's
soonergeezer 08-07-2014, 03:04 PM Comet was built and has been owned since new by the Lippert family which also owns one of OKC's bigger commercial construction companies, Lippert Brothers Construction. I used to walk their Friday nights back in the early 70's.
Lippert's still own the property, they just lease it to the guy that runs it now.
I went to a birthday party for my niece at what is now Skate Galaxy and found that they have done a nice renovation there.
I had not been in that building for well over 40 years. Nice to see it still be used by new generations.
Even took a few turns on the floor for old time's sake!
http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/skategalaxy081218.jpg
Midtowner 08-13-2018, 02:59 PM I thought they had a church in there or something now??? It looks exactly the same. I think the ceiling may be new.
Uptowner 08-13-2018, 03:15 PM Damn, Pete! You outta date! Go on Sunday nights, it’s adults only. You’ll catch me there at least once a month.
Urbanized 08-13-2018, 04:50 PM ...Even took a few turns on the floor for old time's sake! ...
Did you do the limbo? Or better yet, did you race around skating fancy and backwards with your shirt off, mullet flowing and a Goody comb in your back pocket?
Did you do the limbo? Or better yet, did you race around skating fancy and backwards with your shirt off, mullet flowing and a Goody comb in your back pocket?
No, I just stood there looking awesome in my Keep on Truckin' t-shirt and waited for Ladies Choice.
Urbanized 08-13-2018, 04:59 PM Awwwwwwww yeeaaaaahhhhhh
Here's one for the ladies....
Uptowner 08-14-2018, 04:26 AM They also host roller derby if you get tired of doing the same thing all the time. Calendar is on their website.
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