VALarena in North Apollo plan to reopen, but owners want to sell and keep it a roller rink - TribLIVE

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Although the doors are closed, the disco ball still shimmers on the sky-blue cement floor of the VALarena roller rink in North Apollo.

A recent Facebook post by the owners announcing their imminent retirement put the public in a tailspin.

The post reached more than 17,000 people.

Generations of roller rink fans fretted over the possible permanent closure of the small family rink that has been a mainstay in the tiny borough since 1949.

“This is heartbreaking,” Krista Babinsack wrote on the VALarena’s Facebook page. “You have (or had) a Pacman machine in there that’s nearly priceless, that I loved to play. I grew up 3 houses up the street from you, I’m a Held. I can safely say our family is deeply concerned about the future of the skating rink.”

But fear not.

Being small can be a good thing during a pandemic: Without those big-city, big-rink expenses, even a multi-month closure hasn’t dimmed the future of the VALarena, said owners Fred and Debra Knepshield of Kiski Township.

Now, with both Knepshields age 65, they want to retire. But they also want to sell the roller rink to someone who will not only keep it as a rink but keep the famous name, VALarena, which stands for Vandergrift, Apollo and Leechburg arena.

They plan to renovate the single-story building with fresh paint and other much-needed upkeep while the rink remains closed until further notice.

The rink closed in March like other nonessential businesses during the pandemic.

“You can’t have 50 kids in here and expect them to not touch each other and stay 6 feet away,” Knepshield said.

The couple plans to watch how local schools and students do during the school year and will open when they feel it’s safe.

In the meantime, the couple is burnishing their memories and tidying up the hub of their life.

They say the business was flourishing before covid-19 hit. The Knepshields said they had their busiest year in almost 12 years.

“People are back into skating,” Fred Knepshield said of the cyclical nature of the pastime’s popularity.

On a typical weekend, there’s often 1,000 skaters and visitors to the rink. Plus, inline hockey skaters and other groups use the facility during weekdays.

Embracing the nostalgia

There’s no denying the nostalgia.

The Knepshields embrace it and purposefully do not change the character of the intimate rink. The snack bar still serves up the same pizza eaten by three generations of patrons and its signature “suicide” soft drink — a medley of all of their fountain drinks mixed together.

They want people to walk in and say, “The place hasn’t changed.”

Four generations have skated there, and more keep coming. The couple met at the roller rink, and Knepshield’s older brothers met their spouses there as well.

Amy Miller, 40, of Kiski Township has been going to the VALarena all of her life. Her grandparents and parents skated there.

“Our grandparents and mom would put us in walkers with homemade skates that my grandfather made,” she said. “They didn’t have skates then for wee little kids. That was a lot fun.”

Miller’s oldest and youngest sons, Tyler, 16, and Morgan, 11, before the pandemic regularly frequented the rink to play league street hockey as well as attend public skating sessions.

“We will miss Fred and Debra because they have always treated us like family,” Miller said. “We hope the new owners can keep the place going for the community, and we wish the Knepshields the best for their retirement.”

Mary Ann Thomas is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Mary at 724-226-4691, mthomas@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Local | Valley News Dispatch