The 2016 Olympic Games are gearing up in Rio de Janeiro with the opening ceremonies slated to commence on today! The games attract billions of people, world-wide, to their television screens to observe their favorite events and cheer on their country’s athletes. While many viewers have their favorite sports to look forward to, there are many others who’s sports are excluded. Many of our skaters, here, in the rink are part of the many who feel their sports are left out of their opportunity to go for the gold. We are, of course, talking specifically about roller sports. For many years, the roller sports community has been fighting for a chance to represent their countries in the Olympic Games, but always seems to fall short. While it has not yet been a featured event in the games, the possibility of it being so in the future exists! Here’s why roller sports could potentially become an Olympic event in the future.

1. A candidate much first apply anti-doping measures outside of competition to be eligible for consideration. This must be in accordance with the established and recognized regulations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
2. Next, a sport must be organized into an international federation that can then apply for contention on behalf of the sport.
3. If this criteria is met, the sport must then have a certain number of participants in many countries. The exact specifications are male participants in at least 75 countries on four continents and female participants in at least 40 countries on three continents.
4. Ranked events must be observed.
5. The sport must hold championships on an international level outside of the Olympics.
6. Physicality in the sport is mandatory. The sport must involve a physical means of propulsion, not mechanical.

If all of these criteria are met, the IOC then takes a vote on whether or not to recognize the sport. But recognition doesn’t necessarily mean a sure spot. Roller sports (specifically, inline speed skating) has been recognized by the committee since 2005, but has never fully made it into the games. It takes considerable and persistent lobbying on the part of the sport to help it shine out above the rest of the sports.

So it’s all up to the lobbying and passion of the athletes now! As skaters, you can spread the word as much as you can, and sign any petition you come across on the subject. Here’s to hoping we see our beloved sport in future games!

If you have ever visited Hot Wheels Skate Center in Woodstock, GA on a night when the rink is full of the laughter and excitement of kids, you will notice something quickly. Everyone is having a great time! Roller skating is a great activity for people of all ages, but it’s a perfect activity for children. The things kids do now, can affect them as adults, and regular exercise is great for kids for many reasons. Find out why roller skating is a perfect activity for childhood development!

• Health Benefits – Regular physical activity is important for everyone to participate in, and this is no more true than for children. Activities like roller skating can promote good healthy practices and mitigate the risk of obtaining health issues in the future.
• Social Skills – Roller skating is a great way for your child to see current friends and make new ones! If you have made a recent move, hitting the rink might be a great way for your child to meet other kids in the community.
• Brain Power – Studies have shown that regular exercise is a great way to boost the brain’s cognitive function. From working as a means of decompressing to helping it just operate at a maximum capacity. Regular roller skating could lead to better school performance!

We welcome you and your family to join us in the rink! If you are looking to plan your next trip to Hot Wheels Skate Center check out our hours.

As adults, it gets harder and harder to stay active as the years pass by. With long, tiring days at work and daily responsibilities, it can be hard to motivate yourself to exercise. But even though it’s a daunting task, it is important to an adult’s health to stay active. Staying motivated to make it to the gym week after week can prove to be challenging, that’s why it’s important to find something that works with your schedule and is also enjoyable. There are many fun activities out there that are great to keep someone active, but our favorite is, of course, roller skating! Here at Hot Wheels Skate Center in Woodstock, GA, we promote the fun of skating as well as its health benefits. See why you should consider roller skating to help keep you active!

• Easy to Stick With – It’s important that when you exercise, you find an activity that you can enjoy. Doing an activity you despise to get into shape makes it much easier to slack on.
• Great Workout in Short Time – Just an 30 minute laid back skate session can burn as much as 250 calories.
• Easy on the Joints – Roller skating has the same benefits as jogging and it is much easier on the joints. It’s no secret that getting older comes with its aches and pains, so it is important to find a low-impact activity to stay in shape.
• Affordable – Roller skating won’t break the bank either. A gym membership can sometimes cost an arm and a leg, but visiting the rink will help get you into shape with money to spare.

How can it get much better than lacing up, and hitting the rink? From the smell of the concessions cooking to the hum of wheels on a wooden rink, it’s what we would call our “happy place.” But no matter how great and activity is, if you do it week after week, you might need a little extra something the kick it up a notch now and again. Next time you need a little change in your roller skating routine, throw some games into the mix! Hot Wheels Skate Center in Woodstock, GA is here with some great suggestions.

• Roller Tag – You’re it! Roller tag is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. This game of tag is played on roller skates. Find a nice open space and select one player to be it, if that person tags someone else, then they are it.
• Musical Chairs on Skates – Well, sort of. This version of musical chairs is actually played without chairs, and instead, the chairs are replaced spots marked on the ground where players must stop to remain in the game. A fun way to do this is to have the DJ play music and stop it when players should be finding a spot. Whoever doesn’t have a spot when the music stops it out.
• Prize Places – Gather a couple of notecards and write different areas in the rink on them. Put all the cards in a hat. Have the kids start skating around the rink, and stop the music at a random time. The host will pull out a card, and whoever is closest to that listed location will win a prize!
• Pizza Relay – Did someone say pizza? We’re in! For this game, make two teams, and mark a skating lane for both. Give the first person in each line a stack of empty pizza boxes. The first person begins, and will skate a lap while attempting to balance the pizza boxes. If the boxes are dropped, they have to return to their line and start again! If they make it, they’ll hand it to the second person and so on and so forth until someone is declared a winner.

We can’t wait to see you all in the rink! Be sure to keep us with us on social media for any future events and rink news. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus!

Parents across the globe are always concerned with the safety of their children. And as much as parents would like to be there whenever their child falters or falls, this isn’t often possible. While this is true for many areas of life, it is also true in the roller rink. Roller skating is a great way for any kid to be social, learn some independence and participate in some form of regular physical activity. But even with all of these positives, roller skating doesn’t come without its fair share of tumbles and falls. Ensuring your child is equipped with the proper safety accessories and measures is key. Hot Wheels Skate Center, located in Woodstock, GA, is here with everything you will need to keep your child safe in the rink.

• Helmet – Head injuries are all too common within the world of sports and physical activities. If there was one piece of safety equipment to keep in the inventory, this would be the most important. Be sure the helmet fits snugly on the head and covers a good majority of the front and back of the head.
• Proper Skates – Skates are not a one size and style fits all kind of thing. When purchasing a pair of skates be sure that the skates are comfortable and don’t slip while rolling around. Make sure brakes and wheels are secure before each session.
• Appropriate Clothing – Clothing can serve a few different purposes when hitting the rink. One purpose can be to avoid unnecessary scrapes and bruise. If this is a major concern, wear long sleeves and pants to mitigate little injuries. Another thing to pay attention to is especially relevant to the pants. If pants are worn while roller skating, be sure they are not too long to avoid getting caught in the wheels.
• Pads – Another major source of injury while roller skating comes from elbows, knees and wrists. Elbow pads, knee pads and wrist braces are great pieces of equipment to keep in the rink bag.

For more roller skating tips and news, keep up with us on social media. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.

The school year has reached its end, and summer festivities are already gearing up!  The summer break is a great time to enjoy some time off from the rigors of exams and projects to relax and have fun. This time of year everyone wants to make the most of their time off, but what summer activities are the best to pursue? Thoughts of summer swing towards the pool and enjoying a little sunshine, but for us, there is no better way to spend your time off than at Hot Wheels Skate Center in Woodstock, GA! Find out why a summer spent in the rink is a summer well spent!

• Air Conditioned – It’s getting HOT out there, and as we get deeper into summer the heat is only going to get worse. But here in the rink the temperature is always the same! Come cool off
  with us.
• Great Exercise – With school related sports and activities at an end, it can be easy to fall into unhealthy habits. Roller skating is a great and fun way to stay active in the summer.
• Great for Everyone – Roller skating isn’t great for just one group of people, it’s great for everyone! Bring the whole family or just yourself, roller skating has something to offer all ages.
• Summer Hours – Our summer hours will take effect beginning June 12th. Check out our hours and plan your next visit!

We hope to see you in the rink this summer! If you want to keep up with what we have going on in the rink, check out our social media pages. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.

If you have spent any amount of time in the rink, you’ll know one thing for certain. Everyone has their own way of roller skating. Some like to cruise and take a leisurely glide around the rink, while others enjoy something that looks more like jam skating. Even taking stock of everyone on the rink floor excludes skaters who enjoy skating on the street or elsewhere. Taking all of these different approaches to skating into account, it is important to realize that some skates are better than others depending on what your skating journey might be. But how do you choose? Hot Wheels Skate Center, located in Woodstock, GA, is here to help. Find out which skate best suites you in this week’s post!

Quad Skate

• The quad skate is what many avid rink goers gravitate to.
• Need a little more stability? This is the skate for you! The way the 4 wheels are situated on the skate makes for a wider grip on the ground.
• Is cruising your thing? Quad skate are not built for the speed that an inline skate is. So if jamming around the rink is what your after, then look no further than quad skates.
• If your ankles need a little more support during physical activity, the quad may not offer what you need.

Inline Skate

• If you feel the need for speed, inline skates might be what you need! Inline skate are used in speed competitions because of their more stream-line design.
• If you are the kind of person who needs to feel the sun on your face, inline skates are better suited for outdoor fun. they are great for roller hockey and skating on a bumpier surface.
• Need support for your ankles? Inline skates are made of plastic that comes up higher on your leg than a quad skate does.
• While inline skates are easy to get the hang of if you practice enough, they do tend to be a little less stable than a quad skate. If stability is something you need, inlines might not be for you.

Are you looking to hit the rink sometime soon? Check out our hours and plan your next visit!