ROLLER’s latest community webinar was such a joy. I got to sit down with Christina Stang, co-owner of Skateworld in California, and our very own Maddie Bohlen, Business Development Representative at ROLLER, to chat through how one rink operator turned a nostalgia-filled venue into a digital powerhouse. We covered everything from memberships to marketing to those dreaded fax machine days. Yes, really.
Watch the Skateworld webinar
Watch the full webinar here, or keep scrolling for a recap of the key takeaways from our conversation.
Meet the speakers
Christina Stang, Co-owner, Skateworld San Diego
A lifelong rink rat, Christina’s journey started like many in the industry: hanging out at her local rink every weekend as a kid. By the time she was 12, she was volunteering at the rink. Since then, she’s worked in roller rinks her entire life. In 2012, she began managing Skateworld and later became its owner.
Christina has spent the last decade transforming the business from an analog operation into a thriving, modern venue, all while staying grounded in the community vibe that makes rinks so beloved.
Alyse Sklover, Senior Manager, Events & Partnerships, ROLLER
That’s me! I get to host amazing conversations like this and work with venue operators around the world to spotlight stories of growth, passion, and innovation. Spoiler: this one had all three.
Madeleine Bohlen, Business Development Representative, ROLLER
Maddie works with rinks every day, helping them discover the tools and strategies that best fit their business. She brings firsthand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities operators face right now.
From faxes to friction-free roller skating rink bookings
When Christina took over Skateworld in 2012, the entire booking process was still happening in person or by fax. There was no website, no email marketing, not even a proper logo. Everything was paper-based. Guests had to physically walk in or fax in their party info, and the team would call them back to take deposits over the phone.
“It was word of mouth back in those days, you printed flyers and put them on top of cars, things like that. And so my goal over the last decade is to bring Skateworld into the modern age.”
For Christina, the mission became clear: remove friction for guests. She focused first on what guests needed most, being able to buy tickets and book parties online. Everything else, like memberships and waivers, would come later.
“What we don’t realize we really want as customers is to easily be able to buy whatever it is we’re trying to buy,” she told us. “I just want something easy. I don’t want to mess around with it. I want my questions answered, but I don’t want to work super hard just to book my kid’s thing.”
Memberships: A surprise success story
One of the most interesting parts of our conversation was how Christina approached memberships. It wasn’t part of her original business plan, but she started paying attention to what FECs were doing, especially trampoline parks, and noticed how successful their membership models were. Even though she had some hesitation (hello, gym-membership-trauma), she decided to test it.
“I always felt like memberships were kind of scammy,” she said, referencing the hard-to-cancel gym plans we all dread. “When I joined ROLLER, you guys were just like, ‘Hey, this is pretty easy. You just set it up like this. You can create the parameters in which you want to operate.’”
Today, memberships are one of Skateworld’s biggest revenue drivers. The most affordable option is priced just above the cost of a single visit, which makes it feel like a steal for the guest while ensuring revenue consistency for the venue.
“I think people felt they couldn't afford it,” Christina explained. “But I'm getting $75 from them for a 3-month period, when maybe they would have only come once or twice.”
Skateworld even runs members-only events, like exclusive skate nights. It makes members feel like VIPs and reinforces loyalty. “We’re not trying to oversell it,” she added. “But people love feeling like they’re part of something special.”
Digital waivers: A win for skating rink compliance and marketing
Waivers weren’t part of the Skateworld experience until the business switched to ROLLER. The impact of digital waivers has been massive. Not only do they protect the business (they actually helped win a legal case recently), they’ve also become a key tool for collecting guest data and marketing.
“Attaching waivers to every single transaction is very daunting, especially when you feel like, maybe you don't need it,” Christina said. “ But we actually, just two months ago, received a judgment in our favor because we had a waiver!”
The benefits go far beyond liability. Waivers are also how Skateworld grew their marketing list to over 30,000 active, current contacts. Because the digital waiver process includes a marketing opt-in, they’re collecting guest data passively at every visit. QR codes make it super simple to complete waivers on-site, and for the rare guest without a smartphone, they’ve got iPads ready.
“We've made it part of our ethos. You have got to sign a waiver when you walk in,” Christina said. “It also links a face to the name, as far as the guest count and the guest list. And now that ROLLER emails them in advance and has a direct link, our waiver process has made it much easier to check in birthdays.”
Smarter skating rink marketing
With a growing list of over 30,000 contacts, Christina’s not just hitting “send all” and hoping for the best. She’s using segmentation tools to send the right message to the right guest at the right time. Whether it’s re-engaging someone who hasn’t visited in a year or promoting a new event to recent attendees, she’s dialed in on timing.
“I'm not just mass sending to our entire email list anymore. I'm really figuring out who might want to come back and offering discounts,” she told us.
One standout campaign is “Skating for Schools,” where Skateworld printed 12,000 free skate passes for local students to use over the holidays. The entire print run cost just $300 and resulted in school partnerships, fundraisers, and new guest visits.
How roller skating rinks can learn from past mistakes
Of course, not everything went smoothly. Christina shared some very real lessons from early attempts to digitize operations. Before ROLLER, she tried using other solutions, and even adapted a salon-style booking app to schedule birthday parties.
“I had to book it almost as if it was like a salon chair. Each chair was like a birthday party table, it was very chaotic,” she laughed. Since switching to ROLLER, the improvements have been profound for Skateworld. “This software is set up for birthdays. How we book birthdays has been very life changing, especially with the add ons.”
Read more: Discover How Skateworld Reduced Party Booking Time By 30%
She also shared a hard lesson from opening a second location. Because the POS equipment was inherited and the vendor didn’t flag compatibility issues, the team opened their doors with no working card readers. It was a mess, but a valuable reminder of the importance of strong support and tech partners who can scale with you.
Final thoughts and advice for rink owners
Bringing Skateworld into the digital age came with its challenges, but Christina’s steady, guest-focused approach made it worthwhile.
“I think it’s such low risk with such high reward that it’s a no-brainer now… You’re just making money 24 hours a day and not trying to teach a human, especially a teenager, how to sell this or how to do this. It’s already just there.”
If you’re thinking about growing your venue, modernizing operations, or just freeing up your staff to do more meaningful work, the full webinar is a must-watch.
And to discover how ROLLER can help your rink thrive, book a free demo with our team today.
