Keeping The Woodlands rolling since 1983

Though times have changed as society has made its way into the digital age, old school fun still exists, and Mitchell Tate will be waiting to lace up one of his 700 pairs of skates for those who would rather hit the roller rink than Tinseltown or the Apple Store.

As the owner for the last 10 years of SK8 Town in Spring, Tate is at the helm of the family friendly roller skating rink that plays host to more than 30 birthday party celebrations a week and bustles with roller rink fever Friday and Saturday nights.

For Tate and SK8 Town, people and good, clean fun have always been at the heart of the business.

"We just aim to be a place that offers good, affordable family fun and lots of value," he said.

Tate said his business is fighting to stay relevant in an age where roller rinks are vestiges of the Baby Boomer generation's '70s past and mostly appealing today to the pre-teen and "tween" crowd. Recognizing this trend, Tate dabbles in selling skateboards and skateboarding accessories, figuring kids who roller skate may also be interested in skating on a board.

Although Tate said he likes to keep it "old-school a little bit," SK8 Town has adopted an innovative online party booking system and uses social networking, such as Facebook, to advertise for family fun nights and local school PTO fundraising events.

"We wanted to add interest, so that's where the skateboards come in. That was my idea, and we want to make it easy for people to plan parties and look at prices [with the website]," Tate said.

Tate, a former speed skating coach, said he has no special secrets for being a good roller skater or to prevent falling, but he said SK8 Town's special maple hardwood floor, with its polyurethane finish, helps skaters' wheels better grip the surface for a smoother ride.

"It's like a riding a bike. Once you know how to do it, you just know," Tate said. "It's hard to explain."

Tate said though times are different, the business, and fun, of roller skating is not passe.

"We focus on the young ones and work to make it a really good family atmosphere," Tate said. "Back in '77, when disco was big, it was mainly adults [skating]. On Friday nights, you'd get 200 to 300 people in here. Now, my biggest crowd is 13 and under. It was just different back then."

Although not much has changed on the inside, save for playing Justin Bieber instead of the Bee Gees, new neon lights and a cleaner space, the world is a different place now for small businesses like Tate's.

"Back then, there was no such thing as movie theaters with 24 screens, you know?" he said. "People would come to places like roller rinks and bowling alleys. It was kind of a novelty thing back then."

Tate said the growth of places like commercial movie theaters and corporate giants like Main Event have made it hard for businesses like his, but Tate said SK8 Town is not going anywhere.

"There's so many stories to be told in a skating rink," Tate said. "It's cyclical. I've seen a lot of kids I used to watch skate come back with their own children. It's rewarding."

SK8 Town, 846 Rayford Road, Spring, 281-292-2626, www.sk8town.com