El Centro Skate Rink has long been a community hub in Federal Way when it was Pattison’s West. In the past few years the rink has become even more vital as a regional hub for local skaters as both the Auburn skate rink closed in 2020 and Tacoma skate rink in March of this year.<\/p>\n
Members of the former Auburn Artistic Skating Club are one group that have found a new home at El Centro Skate Rink.<\/p>\n
This style of skating is increasing its presence at the rink, which has been more of a hub for competitive speed skating and skate jam sessions over the years rather than the artistic style that is more similar to figure skating.<\/p>\n
Although the artistic club started skating there in 2020, a new head coach has been adding fuel to the fire of interest.<\/p>\n
“I taught for well over 20 years, until I was in my 40s, and then I went into business for myself, ” said Linda Sewell. “So I didn’t have time to skate and we lived on a ranch, and so we moved here from Texas, and I came here, and these wonderful people welcomed me into their room, and it just sort of came back to me. And I thought ‘I can still do this.’”<\/p>\n
Since that moment back in the rink in June of 2023, she hasn’t stayed away. She got her teaching certificate to teach skating classes and even competed nationally at the age of 70.<\/p>\n
Together with two other coaches, Sewell hosts the Artistic Groove Class and Groove Skate Social Skate as well as the Artistic Dance Class, Artistic Social Skate, Artistic Skills Class and even Stroller Skating and Skater Tots.<\/p>\n
This particular series of Artistic Skating classes launched only last month. “I’m so proud of these people and how welcoming they are,” Sewell said, adding that they’ve added new people since the classes began including one skater who she said “just started in October with me, and he has postponed a vacation so he can keep taking classes!”<\/p>\n
Age also doesn’t stop many of the other artistic skaters, many of whom are above retirement age.<\/p>\n
Kim McDowell teaches the beginner’s class at the skate rink on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and only began roller skating in her forties, a few decades ago.<\/p>\n
She says she loves it because “It’s really good exercise, and it’s fun. The people are great. The music is great. You get to rock out,” McDowell said. “You feel good afterwards, it’s a good workout,” she added.<\/p>\n
Another plus: “It’s low impact exercise…unless you fall!” McDowell said.<\/p>\n
Rosita Mayo is also an artistic skater who used to be part of the Auburn Artistic Skating Club and said she met her husband at the Federal Way rink 25 years ago.<\/p>\n
Mayo is also a ballroom dancer and said she enjoys artistic skating for many of the same reasons, with the added element that “when you’re skating you can express yourself without a partner,” although she added that partner skating is also possible and enjoyable.<\/p>\n
“Linda has brought a lot to our little dance club,” she said of Sewell.<\/p>\n