By Patrice Doucet

Photos by Cameron Theyard

To this day, when I hear Elvis Presley’s “Caught in a Trap,” I’m transported to the rink of my youth on Sunday afternoons, racing with my friends, swerving in and out of skaters, the lights dimming for couples skating under the big disco ball. I couldn’t lace up my skates fast enough. And it’s where I got my first dose of confidence.

Fun Nation is a family-owned and operated roller skating rink that has been a mainstay in Lafayette for decades. Owners Frank and Deborah Torries have provided skating entertainment for families for 46 years that began with House of Wheels on Bertrand Drive, which Frank co-owned with his father-in-law Mitchell Thibodeaux in 1977. After the sale of that rink, Frank went on to build another House of Wheels on Congress Street, which opened in 1982. A rebranding in the 90s brought the name change of The Skate Zone. Then major renovations in 2016 prompted another rename to Fun Nation, to reflect all of the entertainment options in addition to skating.

Lifetime members of the Roller Skating Association, Frank and Deborah are considered leaders in the industry. Between the two of them, they have been named roller rink operator of the year six times. “The contributions they’ve made to the association, sharing their ideas and successes in the business, have helped rink operators all over the country,” notes their daughter Danika who has been general manager for the past 25 years.

With a main focus on providing family entertainment, Fun Nation offers an indoor playground, summer and holiday camps, a venue for children’s (and adults’) birthday parties as well as events for corporations, churches, schools and youth groups. Customers from ages 2 years to 70 skate every day.

The pandemic brought increased attention to roller skating, as people who were stuck at home sought new ways to stay active and entertained. “Once we reopened a lot of people skated to stay fit,” confirms Frank. “Thanks to TikTok views, we’ve had a huge increase in adult skaters; it has grown exponentially. We have a night geared just for adults. On the last Sunday of the month, from 6:30-9:30 p.m., they skate to rink jams from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s,” adds Danika.

For a sport that makes you smile the minute you begin, a cost of $7 to $15, depending on the day of the week and whether you rent skates or bring your own, is a steal.

And Danika points out, “Skating is not only fun, but it’s a good exercise; it’s good for your heart.” Because it’s a low-impact, low-intensity exercise, roller skating burns more calories from fat. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 30 minutes of skating has been shown to burn about 180-210 calories, utilizing not only your legs, but arms, shoulders, abs and back in keeping your balance. It’s a workout beginners don’t realize they’re getting until the next day.

Lafayette resident John Melancon reintroduced himself to skating in 2022 after watching a roller skating video on YouTube. “I skated when I was younger, and I thought it would be a good exercise to start up again,” he recalls. “I tried different days of the week and ended up going on Tuesday evenings and skated for nearly two hours. The first time I was wobbly because I hadn’t skated in a long time, but then I started gliding. I liked that it was fast-moving, especially when there weren’t too many people on the rink, and after a while, I noticed it helped my balance.”

While it seems that roller skating is making a comeback since the pandemic, Frank says it’s never really lost its popularity. “Roller skating has been popular since the 1800s and, like many sports, it’s gone up and down and leveled off. Roller skating tends to do that every seven years,” he maintains. Through it all, Fun Nation has held the title of the only rink in Lafayette for the past 39 years.

The rink has lasted this long by continuing to bring incentives including the return of its inline racing team, LA Speed, that was so popular from the 70s through the 90s. As coach Jenna Guidry builds the club, the team will be training on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, from 6 to 7 p.m., for competition next year.

Fun Nation is also one of only two facilities in Louisiana where the state’s only official USA Roller Sports club, Roller Louisiane, offers roller figure skate classes on Saturday mornings. Head coach and president, Brian Clary, provides bilingual instructions to skaters of all ages and skill levels. A former member of Team USA in roller figure skating pairs, Clary is certified and trained to also represent those who are on a journey from local competitions to Team USA.

One of the great things about roller skating is that regardless of age or skill level, it is undeniably fun! If you want to exercise while hearing great music, feel like a kid again or do something that the whole family will enjoy, try skating into the new year.