Skates: The Gift That Keeps Giving

Searching for the ever-elusive perfect Christmas gift? Something that’s useful, fun, and thoughtful all in one? Sounds like you could use some roller-skates!

Roller-Skates: The Gift That Keeps Giving

girl with christmas presentsRoller-skates are one of those rare gifts that make kids and their parents happy. Kids have a blast zipping around Extreme Skate Zone, learning new tricks, and pushing their speed to new personal records. And parents love activities that 1) don’t involve a screen, and 2) encourage physical fitness. Skating is a fun solo sport, but it’s also great for family fun days, birthday parties, and weekend fun with friends. And as long as you take care of your skates, they’ll last for years!

Holiday Skate Buying Guide

So how do you make sure to buy the right skate for your child? Follow this skate shopping guide:

  • Do some research. Buying skates may seem as simple as choosing between quad and inline. But we sell skates made for speed, maneuverability, tricks, and artistic skating. If your child loves zipping around the rink, he’ll want inline skates for speed. If your daughter is a derby girl, she’ll want roller-derby quad skates.
  • Pick a color. That’s half the fun! You can also customize wheels and laces with fun colors, prints, and even sparkles.
  • Plan ahead. To guarantee you get just what you want, we special order all of our skates. Make sure they’ll arrive in time for Christmas with a little planning.

At Extreme Skate Zone, we know skates. Let us help you find the perfect pair! Visit our skating center in Hattiesburg, MS.

Up Your Skating Game

If you’re a regular skater, you may feel stuck in a rut. Skating is fun, but once you master your wheels, that’s it. Right?

We don’t think so! We’re not called Extreme Skate Zone for nothing. Whether you want to join a speedskating team, learn new skating tricks, or you’re just hoping to impress your friends with better balance, you can improve your skating skills with these tricks.

How to Improve Your Roller-Skating Skills

  • yoga - balanceBalance. You can make it around the rink, but when you go to stop, change direction, or conquer a new trick, things get a little tricky. What to do? Balance exercises! Stand near a wall. Press one hand against the wall and lift your left skate to your ankle. Keep practicing to raise the skate higher. When you feel confident, let go of the wall and practice balancing on each skate. After a few weeks, you’ll feel more in control of your skates than ever before.
  • Speed. How do you become a faster skater? Exercise outside of the rink is a great way to boost your top speed. Don’t want the commitment of a workout? Warm up before you skate, get a lower center of gravity, and let go of the fear of falling. With a few speed drills during the week, you’ll quickly see a change in your top skating speed.
  • Maneuverability. Skating games are a great way to improve your skills. You’ll have to move quickly and precisely if you want to win! Mastering a new trick can also improve your maneuverability on skates. Ask one of our skate guards to show you their favorite roller-skating trick.

What’s the best way to become a better skater? Practice! Come skate with us during the week (plus all day on Saturdays!) and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your skating improves. For more information on roller-skating in Hattiesburg, call Extreme Skate Zone.

Want the Rink All to Yourself?

Shouldn’t your celebration be just that–your celebration? That’s what private parties are for! Whether you’re accommodating a big group, planning a fundraiser, throwing a holiday party, or you just like your privacy, Extreme Skate Zone is here to make your private party experience the best that it can be.

Your Fun, Your Way

When you book a private skating event, you get the whole rink to yourself! We recommend you fill it with family and friends, but hey, you do you. Here’s what we’ll do for you and your private skating party:

  • happy familySchedule time with our Party Specialist to make your event everything you dream it will be
  • Talk to you about food packages (our most popular one includes unlimited pizza and fountain drinks for every guest)
  • Prep the rink before you arrive to guarantee smooth rolling
  • Help you with any setup when you get here (party decorations, storing trophies and awards, etc)
  • Hang around during your party to make sure everything goes smoothly and every need is met
  • Clean up after your party leaves (yep, you can leave those dirty plates to us!)

A private party at Extreme Skate Zone includes:

  • 2 hour rental of our facilities ($6 per child, $300 minimum – that’s skating for 50 kids)
  • 3 hours of rink time for just $150 extra
  • Skate rentals at no extra cost
  • Staff on standby to make your event a success

So how can you decide between a private skating party and a regular ol’ birthday party? Ask yourself these questions:

  • Will I have more than 20 kids?
  • Am I celebrating a major event (sports team victory, office holiday party, family reunion, school success)?
  • Will just the kids skate, or will parents, siblings, and mentors join in on the fun?
  • Do I want full control of races, special skates, competitions, and games?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, call Extreme Skate Zone and talk to our Party Specialist about booking your private party today.

Comfortable Skates in No Time Flat

Skating is a great social activity, fitness routine, and fun way to play. If you’re a frequent skater, you’ve probably invested in your own pair of roller-skates. But the first time you put them on, you may find they’re less comfortable than expected. What’s the problem? You need to break in your skates!

How to Break In Roller-Skates

  1. Leather conditioner. If parts of the leather boot are too stiff for comfort, purchase some leather conditioner to soften your skates. Using a soft cloth, rub the conditioner into the uncomfortable part of your boot. Bend the leather back and forth to make the boot less stiff. You may need to repeat this process several times to fully soften the leather.
  2. hair dryerHeat molding. Want to skip the breaking in process? Try heat molding! Many pro skate shops have heat molding ovens specifically for shaping new skates. You can also try heat molding at home–just stay far away from your oven. Instead, grab a hairdryer and heat the skate boot evenly, being careful not to over-heat the leather (it could crack, or worse, burn your skin). Once the skate is warm all over, put your socked foot in the boot, lace it tight, and skate around for a few minutes. It should only take about 5 minutes for the skate to cool off–fitted perfectly to the curve of your foot!
  3. Lacing tricks. Lacing tricks are a great way to break in skates without hurting your foot with an overly stiff boot. How does it work? Lace your skates, skipping the top two holes, and tie the laces loosely at the top. Skate 4-6 hours. At your next skating session, skip only the top hole and skate another 4-6 hours. After that, lace your skates all the way. This process helps you break in your skates without breaking down the ankle support in the process.
  4. Frequent wear. There’s no substitute for good, old fashioned skating. The more you wear your skates, the better they’ll mold to the shape of your foot. You’ll find your skates growing more comfortable, pliant, and even more responsive to maneuvers as you break them in. If they’re still stiff when you lace them up, start with a shorter skating session. Gradually increase the time you skate in them until your roller-skates are as comfortable as an old pair of sneakers (but much more fun!).

Ready to break in your skates? Visit Extreme Skate Zone for public skating sessions, holiday events, and skating parties in Hattiesburg.

3 Steps to Finding the Ideal Skates

What does the holiday season mean for kids in Hattiesburg? Nonstop fun at their favorite skating center! We have a full schedule of weekly sessions, special events, and field trips to keep you out active and having fun. But there’s one thing that could make life even better: a new pair of roller-skates.

3 Steps to Buying the Right Roller-Skates

  1. Get serious about fun. If you only skate on Labor Day and Thanksgiving, new skates aren’t a good investment. But if great music, good friends, and new skating tricks sound right up your alley, a new set of wheels will take your skating game to a whole new level.
  2. inline skatesChoose your style. Do you love the retro style of classic quad skates? You’ll also love their stability, whether you’re cruising circles or trying your hand (er, foot) at jam skating. Are you a speed fiend? Inline skates can reach some serious speeds, in addition to having great maneuverability for skating tricks. Not sure what you like? Swing by our skate rental center and test drive inline and quad skates during our weekly skating sessions.
  3. Talk to the pros. After all, we do this every day. We know all about trucks and bearings, wheel hardness (and how it changes your speed), and which type of boot is right for your style of skating. We also have an in with the latest and greatest in the world of roller-skates. Looking for light-up wheels, neon laces, or a custom-printed skate boot? You’ve come to the right place.

Ready to roll? Take your new skates for a test ride with weekly skating at Extreme Skate Zone in Hattiesburg.

Why We Love Skating in the Fall

Fall is the perfect season to take your children roller-skating. It’s a great way to keep kids active in any season, but here are four reasons why kids love back-to-school skating.

  1. girl roller-skatingBoosts Their Confidence: There is nothing like completing a challenge to make your child feel confident. Learning how to skate may be tricky at first, but that sense of accomplishment is sure to boost their self-esteem.
  2. Keeps Them Active: Children love to stay active and move around, which is why they are always running, jumping and climbing. Children can release the energy they build up during school hours by roller skating. You may find that older children and teenagers are skating as a way to exercise and burn calories.
  3. Make New Friends: Are you planning to treat your child to an afternoon at the skate rink or park? Skating is a fun way for them to improve their socialization skills and make friends with common ground. Kids at the roller skating rink are likely to encourage one another and even skate together. Your child may ask you to take them to the skate rink weekly so they can spend time with their new friends.
  4. Skating Is Fun: It’s fun to glide around the rink with friends, listening to the music and enjoying the colorful lights.

Roller skating during the fall is a wonderful pastime for children of all ages. Skating encourages kids to stay active, try something new, and create lifelong friendships with other children who love summer skating.

Have questions about seasonal skating in Hattiesburg? Call Extreme Skate Zone.

Girl Roller-Skating

Who Knew? Fun Facts about Roller-Skating

Nothing beats the feeling of zipping around the skating floor, feeling the air in your hair and the rush in your veins. At Extreme Skate Zone, we’re serious about roller-skating. We have seasonal skating, special holiday events, and extreme birthday parties like you’ve never experienced before. We go all out to make sure you and your friends have the best time ever. But how much do you actually know about roller-skating?

Fun Facts about Roller-Skating

  1. Practice matters. According to the history books, roller-skates first entered the scene in a stage play in 1743 (yep, roller-skates are older than America!). But the first recorded inventor of roller-skates was John Joseph Merlin, who tried to impress his friends with his new wheeled shoes at a party . . . and promptly crashed into a mirror. Ouch! He should’ve taken a few turns around the ballroom before skating in front of a crowd.
  2. roller-skating carhopsIt did a stint in food service. Roller-skates and burger skates go together like rama lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong. In the 1950’s and early 60’s, roller-skating carhops were the ultimate meals on wheels. You’d place your order, pay for your food, and your very own skating server would bring your burger, milkshake, and fries right to your car window. And skating carhops still exist today. In fact, Sonic hosts an annual Skate Off for servers to show off their skills (and win big money).
  3. Everybody loves skating. From classic movie stars like Charlie Chaplin to big names like Cher and Prince, celebs have always loved skating. In fact, Beyoncé hosted her 21st birthday party at a roller-skating rink in her hometown of Houston. She grew up roller-skating, and even payed tribute to the sport on her 2013 video album.
  4. Including the Amish! The Amish may eschew cars, motorcycles, and even bikes, but roller-skates are A-okay. Amish youth did toe the line when the inline skating craze hit the scene in the 1990’s. A third of the Amish congregations had no problem with the inline way of life, but many elders thought that the faster speeds kids could reach on inlines caused a dangerous thrill that could undermine their way of life.

Ready to hit the rink? Visit Extreme Skate Zone for weekly thrills. Want to celebrate your love of skating (and maybe your birthday)? Call our Hattiesburg skating center for more information on skating birthday parties and how to rent the rink.

Carhops

Teen Party Themes for Your Next Skating Party

What’s the only thing better than a roller-skating birthday party? A themed roller-skating birthday party. Your teens may be too old for princesses and pirates, but that doesn’t mean they won’t love a costume party. Take your Extreme Skate Zone party to the next level with a birthday party theme for the ages.

Birthday Party Themes for Teens

  • treasure troll doll90’s Throwback. 90’s reboots are everywhere, and teens are just as swept up by the 90’s throwback craze as Nickelodeon seems to be. Relive the glory days of inline skating with a 90’s roller-skating party that’s All That. And don’t forget to tell the guests to come in costume! Scrunchies, high-waisted shorts, and glow accessories are officially in again.
  • Superhero Skate. You’re never too old for superheroes. Let your teens unleash their inner caped crusaders with a celebration that’s all about fighting crime. Go DC, Marvel, or let the kids decide!
  • Zombie Madness. Zombie or zombie slayer? With the ripped clothes, muddy hair, and teenage mumbling, it can be hard to tell. If they go for brains instead of the large extra cheese pizza, we recommend you stay away.
  • Skating stars. From Charlie Chaplin to Miss Piggy, Cher to Beyoncé, a lot of celebrities have shown off their skating skills. Plan a retro skating party celebrating all the A-list stars who have strutted their stuff on the skating floor.

This one’s going on Facebook! (And Instagram and Snapchat . . .) Book a teen skating party at Extreme Skate Zone in Hattiesburg, MS.

90’s Party

It’s My Party (I Can Skate if I Want to)

Are you looking for that birthday party that will have your child’s face lighting up? The one she’ll talk about excitedly until it finally arrives? The one he’ll compare all his other birthdays to? Look no further! An Extreme Skate Zone birthday party gives kids nonstop fun!

Extreme Pizza Party

extreme pizza birthday partyOur classic party package offers kids an unforgettable party experience. Celebrate with up to 12 guests, with FREE admission for the birthday kid. Additional guests can be added for just $9. Enjoy 90 minutes in the private party room with a dedicated party host for setup and cleanup. the Extreme Pizza Party also includes:

  • A round at the Money Machine for the birthday kid
  • A FREE Extreme Skate Zone t-shirt for the guest of honor
  • 2 X-Large 16” cheese pizzas
  • 2 pitchers of soda
  • Plates, napkins, cups, and utensils

Big One Birthday Bash

Are you ready for the Big One? Take your skating party to the next level with our ultimate birthday party experience. In addition to all the fun of our Extreme Pizza Party, Big One parties include:

  • 1 extra pizza and pitcher of soda
  • 8 additional party guests!
  • Returning skate passes for each child (a $150 value!)
  • A present for the birthday kid: GTX-500 speed skates!

Private Parties

Why put a limit on how much fun you can have? Book a private skating party and invite the whole class, the whole neighborhood, or the whole extended family! A private skating party includes full run of the rink for 2 hours (book an extra hour and make it 3!), a minimum of 50 kids and skate rentals, unlimited pizza, and soda deals for the guests.

Ready to party? Book online or call the Extreme Skate Zone Party Specialist to plan the ultimate kids skating party in Hattiesburg!

5 Reasons Camp Kids Love Skating

There’s nothing quite like summer camp. Kids love it, parents love it, and it’s not hard to see how camps and community organizations impact kids’ health and development. That’s why Extreme Skate Zone loves partnering with summer camps, daycare centers, and kids programs like Scouts. Why should you book summer skate days at Extreme Skate Zone?

5 Reasons to Book Summer Camp Skate Days

  1. summer camp groupIt’s fun. Whether they’re at school or sleep away camp, kids love field trips. And what better adventure than Extreme Skate Zone? We have skating, snacks, and arcade games for your more competitive campers.
  2. It keeps kids active. When it’s hot outside, kids tend to trudge through their favorite physical activities. Instead of listening to kids moan as they hike, climb, and play sports in the hot sun, take a morning to relax indoors. Roller-skating is great physical fitness, working muscles in the legs, glutes, abs, and even arms. Not to mention it’s great cardio! Trust us, you and the kids will be happier exercising with A/C than they would be in the sweltering summer heat.
  3. It’s safe. Make parents happy campers (and prevent a call from your insurance company) with a risk-free adventure like indoor roller-skating. For added care, teach kids basic safe skating techniques to control their speed, stop when they need to, and respect other skaters.
  4. It encourages making friends. The kids that play together, stay together. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your campers team up with the kids who skate at their speed. Want to encourage teamwork and fair play? Play team skating games like relay races to promote hard work and reliance on others.
  5. It’s convenient. Extreme Skate Zone makes it easy for camp directors and care providers to book group skating events. Ask us about summer skating group rates or rent the rink for an entire morning of fun.

Call Extreme Skate Zone in Hattiesburg to book your summer camp skating sessions.