Chester Skateland roller rink closes after nearly 5 decades as community gathers for final skate

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Hundreds packed Chester Skateland for one final skate night on Tuesday, marking the end of nearly five decades for a roller rink that became a cornerstone of the community.

The rink opened in 1979 and was run by the founding family for 48 years.

"My father ran it. He was the mean man that made everyone follow the rules. My mother was the person that pacified everybody," said Cindy Schrader, a member of the founding family. "My brother and I just got raised up in it."

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For many, Skateland was woven into childhood memories.

"We had endless birthday parties here every year, probably close to a decade if not over a decade," said Jess Lewis, who grew up going to the rink. "It's definitely sad to see it go, but it's been a lot of enjoyable moments over the years."

Shay Six, who recently celebrated a birthday party at Skateland, said she's made many friends at the rink.

"It's just sad because I've been here ever since I was four, and it's upsetting because it's just fun to be here and skate," Six said. "You can skate here, you have a snack bar, and it's just really fun."

For Lex and Richard Appel, the rink holds an even deeper meaning — it's where they got married in 2001.

"We met skating ... after 10 years we decided we would try and skate together. So, we started doing that. Two and a half years later, we decided to get married, and the only place we wanted to get married was on roller skates on this rink," Lex Appel said.

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The couple has kept the tradition alive every year since.

"Every year we go to this spot, where this picture is, where we got married, and we kiss," Lex Appel said.

Nikisha White, who brings her daughter skating at the rink weekly, said it's heartbreaking to see such a community staple go away.

"It's generations. You got babies and you got elders coming in here. You got probably four generations in here right now just skating together," White said. "I came in here one Saturday and I didn't know teenagers in this generation actually skated anymore, I know my generation did, but I didn't know they did."

Isabella Dorcun, a member of the Skateland skate team, said she met her best friend at Skateland and her team has become her family.

"The older people, the young kids, really everyone here, we are our own family ... It's going to suck losing this community," Dorcun said.

Coach Sommer Bognar spent 30 years watching kids grow up on the rink.

"That's the part I'm going to miss the most," Bognar said. "I love coaching. We coach competition, kids, and all that stuff, and I love all that, but I really really love the true beginners. The ones who come in to our public classes, and we get to have so much fun together, and we get really close."

For Schrader, Skateland and the skating community is all she's known. Her family dedicated years to providing a safe place for kids and adults to come have fun.

She said seeing hundreds of people show up, with a line wrapping around the parking lot, was emotional and she was glad to see how much of an impact Skateland has made on so many families.

"I'm not sure I was prepared for this. Tonight I will be able to walk out with a smile. Tomorrow might be a little more difficult when I have to lock the doors for the last time," Schrader said.

While the building is set to become a church, the hundreds who filled the rink on its final night say it will always be Skateland.

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