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Red Wing Rollerway, 2632 Decker Blvd: April 2008 (for sale), Sep 2008 (closed)   92 comments

Posted at 6:20 pm in closing

Red Wing Rollerway is on Decker Blvd adjoining and behind Zorba's and the old "Aloha/Los Alazanes" restaurant. I'll admit that I've never been inside. In fact, I haven't put on a pair of skates since about 1979, which wasn't too long after I finally figured out how they worked. We used to skate on the road at home, and I could figure out how to roll down the hill, but the actual "make progress on level ground" part of skating took me another decade to figure out. Timing-wise, I just missed the "skate-key" era on one side, and the roller-blade era on the other. (We seem to be into the "Wheelie" era now..)

You have to love the Red Wing sign. Yes, it could use a little maintanence, especially on the North side, but it really speaks to a vanished design aesthetic that I really like. If someone did one like that now, it would be self-conscious and "retro".

For now, it appears that the place is still open for business while it is for sale. While I was taking these pictures, I saw a pickup deliver some sort of arcade game or pinball machine, and several people were in and out the front doors. I hope that if someone does buy it, they keep it open. It's not like Decker needs another strip mall..

UPDATE 2 October 2008:

Well, it's official, Red Wing Rollerway is gone. I noticed the Sold sign last week and interior demolition is already underway.

I stopped by today, and the folks working on gutting the place were kind enough to let me go in (the first time I'd been inside) and take some pictures. They did not know what the building was going to be used for, but didn't think it would be torn down. It was kind of surreal seeing those two disco-balls sitting down on the floor like that. If you keep watch on the dumpsters you could probably latch on to one. I think somebody alread scored the skates pictured..

UPDATE 31 March 2009:

Well, the Redwing building is open again as KNC Trading one of those companies you see but that you're never sure exactly just what it is that they do. They've preserved about as much of the Redwing sign as we could reasonably expect (probably because since they don't do retail business, a spiffy new sign to lure customers is a useless expense).

UPDATE 13 July 2009: If you enjoyed this blog post, you may be interested that some of the images are available from the Columbia Closings web store.

UPDATE 10 August 2022: Adding map icon.

Written by ted on April 7th, 2008

Tagged with , , , ,

92 Responses to 'Red Wing Rollerway, 2632 Decker Blvd: April 2008 (for sale), Sep 2008 (closed)'

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  1. My poor Decker continues to suffer. I was never a big roller skater but I remember going to this place a ton when I was young. I was surprised that it made it so long though.

    Will

    8 Apr 08 at 2:09 pm

  2. We had one of these in Aiken where I grew up. To show what an 80's child I am, I remember playing ms. Pacman and watching my first rubiks cube being solved at said rink.
    I would never buy that rink, but I agree with you about the sign. I have been eyeballing it for years as a really useless yet kitschy Garage ornament. Too bad I don't have a 40 foot garage.

    Joe Verant

    9 Apr 08 at 8:51 am

  3. There was another rink that we went
    to up on the road where RNE High is
    .. now THAT was the place to skate
    from 1979-84 .. I can't remember
    the stupid name .. help me readers!

    FISH

    9 Apr 08 at 11:14 pm

  4. I was never a big Pacman/Ms Pacman fan. I was more into Space Invaders, Gorf, Joust, Bezerk, Phoenix and especially Galaga

    It will be interesting to see who, if anyone buys the place. I can't see them keeping it running (though that would be nice) since if business was so great, why sell anyway? But I also can't see anyone buying a site for retail development on Decker now either, as it seems to be jinxed.

    Never saw the one in Aiken while I lived there, google thinks there's one still in Augusta however.

    I can't recall the skate rink near RNE at all. There was one on the Dutch Square/Harbison side of town at one time I think.

    ted

    10 Apr 08 at 12:33 pm

  5. The name of the rink near RNE was Foxcroft.

    Julie

    11 Apr 08 at 1:57 pm

  6. Going really far back, when I was a kid, there were two skating rinks we used to go to - The Palmetto, which was behind the Zesto on Forest Dr. (the bldg. where the liquor store is now), and the Carolina which was on Ft. Jackson Blvd., beside the drive-in movie (which closed, then the Family Mart was built, which changed to the Kroger, which is now closed, too) Told you I was old!

    Oldie

    14 Apr 08 at 2:48 pm

  7. Interesting! I don't remember any of that stuff. The drive-in especially surprises me.

    ted

    14 Apr 08 at 5:42 pm

  8. Skate Nights! This place was "it" when I was in elementary school. We would have skate nights every month at this place and it was the place to be seen. I went to Lonnie Bee Nelson in the Northeast and that was the only skating rink near us. Someone opened a new rink closer to the northeast and the school phased Red Wing out.
    One of the bad things about Red Wing was the cement skating surface. Most rinks now have a wooden surface, which is a little more forgiving. The cement would just kill you if you fell. Your tailbone didn't have a chance.
    It is sad to see all of the businesses closing on Decker. When they built the Wal-Mart on Forest Drive it was all over for Decker. There was no way they could compete with a main outlet for Fort Jackson right there in front of all those stores.

    Matt

    17 Apr 08 at 12:20 pm

  9. I always thought it was kind of interesting that Fort Jackson built the new PX within walking distance of Wal-Mart!

    I don't think we had Skate Nights anywhere at Satchel Ford, at least not that I can recall. (Of course since I never really figured out how to skate until I was about 17, I may just not have been interested)

    ted

    17 Apr 08 at 12:25 pm

  10. Thanks, Jules for the refresher
    .. I think you're right Foxcroft ..
    wonder where the name came
    from ???

    Fish

    30 Apr 08 at 10:07 pm

  11. The drive-in on Ft. Jax Blvd was The Starlite. I spent many weekend nights there.

    gary

    4 May 08 at 6:47 pm

  12. Hmm. By the time I was driving all the Cola drive-ins seemed to have closed or gone X-rated. Maybe I'll finally make it out to the Moneta Drive-In someday.

    ted

    4 May 08 at 9:30 pm

  13. The roller rink you might have been thinking in the Dutch Square/Harbison area was a Red Wing on St. Andrews Road, kind of an outparcel to Widewater Square. I think it then became an Opening Break, then a Country/Western bar, around the time of the Line Dance craze, or the other way around. There was also a Carolina Skate Land in Irmo.

    Long live the Suicide Drink!!!

    Jonathan

    3 Jun 08 at 4:02 pm

  14. That sounds plausible..

    ted

    3 Jun 08 at 7:11 pm

  15. The skating rink in Irmo, that used to be near the Union Methodist.... Which one was that? I remember that rink very vividly, seeing as how I moved away from Columbia in 1982.

    In the back of the building, there was a separate roller derby rink. And it was there, in 1981, I discovered video games. I played my first video game ever (Pac-Man) there. The video games were close to the snack bar, and they also had a Centipede machine, but I was cracked out on Pac-Man.

    Mike

    7 Jun 08 at 12:10 am

  16. I discovered video games on a class trip to Disney World probably around 1975 (Space Mountain wasn't finished, and they still had tickets (the good rides were an 'E' ticket)). The hotel we stayed at on the way down had "pong" in the game room, and the Disney hotel that the monorail went through had a version of Space Wars

    Don't know anything about the Irmo rink unfortunately.

    ted

    7 Jun 08 at 2:33 am

  17. I can't even tell you how many birthday parties I attended at Red Wing in the '80s...I know I had at least two of my own there! I was so bad at the Limbo and wasn't that great at skating backwards either. I liked those big mushroom-like seats covered in carpet - so easy to flop down on when you fly off the rink!
    Jonathan, I was first introduced to the "suicide" drink at Red Wing! For everyone else, this drink is created when you mix every option at the soda fountain together...in one cup.
    I also remember seeing cotton candy being made here for the first time in my life.

    ColaRai

    26 Jun 08 at 8:33 pm

  18. Redwing is also home to the RICHLAND COUNTY REGULATORS Roller Derby Team. And we love it!

    Jean Gravy

    27 Jun 08 at 12:13 pm

  19. I remember drinking the suicides and also playing afterburner in the arcade.

    Mr Bill

    27 Jun 08 at 12:41 pm

  20. i pray redwing does not close. there's not much in the area for childern and families. i started going to redwing when my daughter was 2yr, she is 22 now!!. the people are like exteneded family!! i pray the family will reconsider and invest to improve the rink. it could expand it's services and bring some life to decker blvd. if it is sold i pray the new owner will see the potential it has and build upon it!!

    mama p

    30 Jun 08 at 7:42 am

  21. The Red Wing Rollerway was a chain owned by an A*hole out of Augusta GA named Cecil Barnes he built a number of them. 2 in Columbia, 2 in Augusta, 1 in Batesburg, North Augusta and Charleston. I worked for him as a "roving" disc jockey and trained new Djs. The Augusta location on Washington Rd is still open. The rink in St Andrews was so big that it even had an Apt inside the rink for the manager to live in. Fun place to Work - Getting paid was another story.

    Kc

    30 Jun 08 at 8:05 am

  22. Carolina Skateland in Irmo (near United Methodist) is now wedding dress store. They might sell tuxedos too, but ive been married 13 years so i dont pay the place all that much attention.

    That place was open until just the last 3 or 4 years i think. We had one of our kids birthday parties there, probably 5 or 6 years ago.

    Jeff

    20 Aug 08 at 2:48 pm

  23. gary and Oldie - thanks for bringing up the Starlite and the Carolina Skating Rink.

    Went to the Starlite for many family movies in my dad's eight-year-old '55 Ford, my sister and I in the back seat in our pajamas. That way we could fall asleep and he would just carry us to bed when we got home.

    The Carolina Skating Rink had a wood(!) floor, and they played the greatest brand new music -- the Beatles!

    FirstDennis

    21 Aug 08 at 9:14 am

  24. I remeber the Drive-in at Ft. Jackson Blvd along with the Beltline Drive-in and the one that was across the other side of the road from the State Fair Grounds, but that was the very early 60's and I dont remember it too well. But with the Skating Rinks, the one I remember best was the Carolina Skating Rink across the street from the original Kmart that opened back in 1963 (yes I'm that old and older). The Carolina Skating Rink was a fun place to have B-day parties and things as a kid, but looking at the place it sat where that Mexican Restaraunt sits now, it makes you wonder just how small it really was. I think the owner closed it down in the very early 70's due to things were changing racially and he refused to let certain people in there. So he closed it, and it was torn down soon there after, and the building that's there now was built. In fact on this side of town (Ft.Jackson/Garners Ferry) the original Burger King was here, the first McDonalds, Hardees, Kmart and A&W Rootbeer Drive-in. How many remember those? There also used to be a skate board park on Decker near or past Decker Mall, but I dont remember the name or exactly where it was. In fact, how many remember when the Two-Notch aread was called Dentsville? and also who remembers the Yogi Bear Honey Fried Chicken building that was there during the 60's? It sat there for years after it had closed until about the time they started to build Columbia Mall. Wish I remembered more than I do, but I'm only 50. I'm also a 60's child and grew up when things were more simple and you didnt have all this computer stuff.

    Del

    16 Oct 08 at 3:46 pm

  25. I believe the McDonalds still at Garners Ferry near Rosewood is still the original Columbia franchise of the chain, though the original building (which was closer to the road, and had walk-up windows if I recall correctly) has been torn down.

    We have talked some about Yogi Bear's here.

    ted

    16 Oct 08 at 11:30 pm

  26. Yo, Del - welcome to Remember the...? Club.

    I sense the same rush of feeling I felt when I discovered this site.

    I believe Columbia's first Burger King was near the intersection of Two Notch and Beltline -- where's the one you mentioned?

    Dennis

    17 Oct 08 at 9:22 am

  27. It's sad to see that Red Wing is gone. I remember going skating there every Saturday afternoon as a kid. I also remember I would get so excited when my school had a skate night there. Does anyone remember the races that they use to have there and shoot the duck? I also remember they would always do the hokey pokey in the middle of the rink.

    Stacy

    22 Oct 08 at 1:26 pm

  28. I loved Red Wing. I use to go there as a kid in the late 80's and early 90's. Birthday parties, skate nights...What memories. I was there all the time in the summer, at least twice a week. I loved the races and the hokey pokey. And they were always nice about playing whatever song you requested.

    Those photos almost brought a tear to my eye.... I miss that old shagg carpet, the "naughty bench" and the different colour walls.... awww
    :0(

    vincent

    5 Nov 08 at 3:18 pm

  29. I remember skating here when I was in Elementary School. I went to Satchel Ford and we HAD skate nights and Just-Say-No Skate Nights.

    I went to RR about two years ago and it was a lot of fun and brought back a LOT of old memories for me. Though, it didn't seem as big to me as an adult.. ;-) I remember when I was a kid, I thought that place was absolutely enormous!

    I really am going to miss it... :-(

    Angel

    13 Nov 08 at 1:22 pm

  30. OMG....
    I hate they have closed. I was hoping to take my daughter there some, she is now 5 and readya to learn to skate!! I use to skate there all the time when I was in grade/middle school in the late 70's early 80's. Before that the place to go was Foxcroft...for some reason FC always seemed like the cooler place...hated when it closed too.

    kelly

    4 Dec 08 at 4:05 pm

  31. wow...reading this blog brings back so many memories. I bet I know some of you that posted on here. I am 41 and grew up right near the VA Hosp and remember many of the places some you have mentioned on here...so many memories.....

    kelly

    4 Dec 08 at 4:08 pm

  32. Welcome!

    Feel free to look around -- there's an alphabetical list of posts here

    ted

    4 Dec 08 at 4:51 pm

  33. Kelly, Do you remember the COSMIC WAVE skateboard park on Garners Ferry? There was also a skate park on decker called Mach 1.

    jeff g.

    4 Dec 08 at 7:50 pm

  34. We will alwayz miss this skating ring we use to always go here this use to be our spot. and we llove diz place when u aint have no place to go you go to the skating ring in have so much fun..!!!!!!!!!!

    P.S. We love you /Redwing Roller

    Javon/Khadijah

    10 Dec 08 at 2:25 pm

  35. hey jeff g....

    yes i remember the Cosmic Wave skate board park. Funny i have not thought of that place either. Do you remember the "Zoom Floom" water side near Columbia Mall???

    kelly

    11 Dec 08 at 2:58 pm

  36. Man I can't tell you how many nights I spent at this place. Redwing was the place to be on Saturday. I mean house parties, skate night, and even on Thursedays when they had reduced prices. All of that is going to be missed. I just can't believe it. It's like it was there one moment and now it's gone. Do you know how many of us kids are dissapointed because of the decision they made to sell it. The skating rink was like home away from home. You went there just to clear your mind and have a good time. Oh well I guess it's back to chillin at the movies on Saturday nights. I hope they plan to build a new one, cause it would make things a lot better for us kids if we had somewhere to relieve stress.

    Princess

    24 Dec 08 at 11:53 am

  37. Im a young head here. I miss this rink so much man. I never knew Columbia had that many skating rinks. It was just a placce where u meet up with your friends and hang out and meet new friends. This place started going down hill after John died. He was a manager who worked the 7-11 shift. After that they changed the hours from 10-4 to 5-9. They use to be 10-6 and 7-11. My friends and I loved that skating rink. It was the only thing we had other than Frankies and Chuck E Chesse for the little kids. We would be at that skating rink every satudrday for both sessions. And just about everyday during the summer. We were known as the "Regulars". We even started a skate group. I wish they would just see how much we loved that rink and will consider re-opening it. If I had enough money I would buy it. lol.

    T-Man

    3 Jan 09 at 10:29 am

  38. It is such a shame to see places like this close down. I live in Martinez, Ga.(just outside Augusta) and I was a regular at the Red Wing here every Friday and Saturday night in the mid 70s(both sessions) and the occasional All-night skate. I have a lot of memories from that place and would hate to see it close down. It is still open for now, but who knows how much longer it will be. Looks to be the last Red Wing standing(could be due to the fact that the owner lives here). Any other regulars out there from that time period?

    Mike A.

    24 Jan 09 at 3:18 pm

  39. Ahh, the Red Wing. when I was in the 6th grade ('83), it was the best spot to go meet girls. Ultimately though, probably a vestige of the disco era who's time has passed. Sad. Just another nail in Decker's coffin.

    Chris

    30 Jan 09 at 7:03 am

  40. red wing wuz a normal hang out 4 me nd mi friendz
    aftaskool cuz we wnt to dent-nd styll do till August 2009
    itz sad dat it had 2 go cuz dat wuz da best place eva
    alwayz crowded but full of great pplz
    had manny mi olda friendz who worked there nd sonics so i wuz set wlkin home 4rm skoolz
    imma miss dat place
    nd Skateland itz kewl but da musik iz blurry at red wing u could hear every lil thing, every single word

    Dajia K.

    11 Feb 09 at 6:34 pm

  41. Welcome Dajia -- you're never too young for nostalgia!

    ted

    11 Feb 09 at 7:44 pm

  42. this is the post that directed me to the site - oh the memories. forest lake park in the summer used to go here at least once a week it seemed

    were the skates still that awful brown with orange wheels right before it closed? hahaha.

    remember the table-top Journey/Pac-Man video game there, too? pure awesomeness.

    steve

    11 Mar 09 at 2:31 pm

  43. Cosmic wave was owned by a family out of sumter; I beleive it opened early in 1977 (April?) closed almost 1 year later. Skated there reguarly. Think it was ground up by 1980. Was a used car lot for a long time.

    At the time I would've thought of Mach 1 as "later" more advanced design with a lot of near vert. Opened later, late 77? Remember donnieray pulling the first helecopter's I'd seen. We were layin down george orton airials / "rentry" which was cutting edge at the time, lipslides in the big bowl,etc. Can't tell you when it closed.

    tom

    13 Mar 09 at 1:08 pm

  44. After Cosmic Wave closed we would sneak our bikes in there....awesome.

    Terry Edwards

    13 Mar 09 at 8:43 pm

  45. Hey, my name is wesley, but everyone called me Jason back at the Red Wing Rollerway in Augusta, GA. This was back in the 80's. WOW, that was a long time ago, and here I am now in Tampa, FL. I knew Cecil Barnes and everyone else there. My parents were pretty good friends of Cecil. I was around and about 5 or 6 yrs. old when I started going skating there. I liked that skating Rink, sure do miss it. Well, guess I'll talk to you all later. bye for now.

    Jason Wright

    Wesley Wright

    15 May 09 at 2:12 pm

  46. The Taco Bell a few doors down has yet to update their logo. The one in Andalusia, AL, where I used to live has yet to update theirs as well

    James Greek

    21 Jun 09 at 12:28 am

  47. Wow the Rollerway has looked much better since I last worked there with Jim and Toni, their sons, Randy, Billy Harper and everyone else...Every night during the summer the place was jumping. I Feel that was one of the essential parts that gave me the best memories looking back. The biggest chore was vacuuming the carpets, straightening out the round benchs, and picking up skates, some nights more than others the skates were piled high in the skate "dressing room". Most of all working there gave me a chance to meet a lot of interesting people that just loved one thing, to skate and escape the daily grind or just escape period. Last time that I put on a pair of skates was at the Redwing Rollerway in North Augusta when I was on leave for the Army in 1980. Funny ending to that story with Cecil Barnes first wife and second wife. But the fond memories will last a lifetime. Those who knew me then please write.

    Robert
    biochem7063@msn.com

    Robert Goddard

    2 Sep 09 at 5:14 pm

  48. sad to see it go. i had tons of memories there. i was there every weekend 17 to 24.

    johnathan and i were pretty tight, hell we both had the same birthday, just 10 yrs apart. just about every family gathering he had i was there, until we had a big argument and i never apologized.

    my ex called me and told me jonathan was sick and then again later that he had died. i didn't go to his furneral. we all were close, like family.

    i used to work there too, i was the guy that took over john's place at the front door and scanned for weapons. he took over managing with his bro in law tony (i think someone told me tony's wife died too) after swag (his other bro in law) left. so pretty much fri-sun nights family was running the place.

    Danny

    5 May 10 at 9:11 pm

  49. I am the last manager at Redwing on decker I've been there since 2005. Thanks to all that have commited on the rink we all will miss it. To answer some ? we did not close because we were doing bad on profit or because we didn't have any customers infact we closed because when mr. cecil died he left the rink to his son the owner of the redwing in GA, but their was a court fight with his wife and they had to sell all mr. cecil's places and split the money his son could only afford to keep one of us so he kept that one and let us go that put 18 loyal employees out of work some who had been there for over 18yrs. If you remember the rink from back in the day then look at the pictures that I let ted take and you will see all the changes that were made to upgrade the rink 'we decided to keep the sign because everyone knew it'. Well I hope this answered a lot of your ? and we all miss the rink I have started a site on FACEBOOK there are pictures and you can leave post we hope you stop by. Thanks for the good times and bad ;-)

    Nique

    5 Nov 10 at 10:19 pm

  50. Critic,

    All comments are welcome if they play nice. In this case I felt yours needed deleting.

    ted

    7 Nov 10 at 2:14 pm

  51. Wooow yea i remember that rink...i didnt skate so well but didnt mind going there. Thanx for the story Nique. It be loads of ppl when i went too..although the place ned a huge makeover, the interior is soooo old and it was kewl to see ppl who cud skate show off and stuff. The food was ok

    Aliina J.

    4 Feb 11 at 4:08 pm

  52. FoxCroft was the place to skate as it was there before Red Wing was. When Red Wing opened, it was like, you were either a FoxCroft skater or a Red Wing skater. You couldn't be both. I always remained true to FoxCroft nand their wonderful pizza. The blisters on my feet would basicaly cover the entire sole of my foot, but it was worth it. Where else would I have heard MJ's "Off the Wall", and Lionel Ritchie led Commadores. Can I get a "Backwards skaters or couples only" shout out?

    palmettopanic

    24 May 11 at 3:48 pm

  53. @PP -- Foxcroft.

    ted

    24 May 11 at 4:05 pm

  54. There is a redwing still in Augusta Ga. My friends and I go all the time we love that place!! That is like the only thing we do in Augusta. We have an AMAZING roller derby team The Soul City Sirens they are awesome!!!

    Heaven

    2 Jun 11 at 7:45 pm

  55. is it still open

    eegirlll

    29 Dec 11 at 12:26 pm

  56. That would be 'no' ;-)

    ted

    29 Dec 11 at 1:40 pm

  57. I think the first BK Lounge was at Two Notch/Beltline, then the one over in Cayce/West Columbia area opened soon there after. Is there anyone on here older than me (53) that remembers an out-door but covered Skating Rink that sat in the area that the ex-Food Lion store was? It would have been across the street from that Lumber Yard that used to be there before they built Kmart.

    Del

    29 Dec 11 at 4:12 pm

  58. I am not sure if the BK Lounge in Cayce Del is referencing is still standing or not but I know that the 2902 Two Notch Rd. BK did come back as a Brandi, Inc. BK ≈2004 (as I recall, it reopened after the others). Loopnet shows that it's a 2,872 square foot Bldg that was built in 1965.

    Andrew

    29 Dec 11 at 4:54 pm

  59. I found this website while searching for any information on The old "Mach1" skateboard park there on Decker Blvd. I don't know what is there now ( I think a storage unit place) I live in Oregon now and haven't been back to Colatown in some time. I wonder if anyone reading this post remembers the skate ramp that was constructed in the parking lot of the church that was on the corner of Rockbridge road and Trenholm rd, There was a huge pine tree and this humongous ramp ( made from stolen wood). I remember the Blalocks boys, Renee Boggs& a guy named Jamie she dated. He drove this van we thought was so cool. There were a bunch of other people that would skate there but it has been such a long time that I don't remember names or faces. This had to be around 1974,75 or 76'. Anyone who remembers those days please post.

    Glowacki

    20 Jan 12 at 1:17 am

  60. That's Forest Lake Presbyterian Church, and I do remember the ramp (though I was not a skate-boarder). I recall wondering who had put it up -- it was obviously not a church project, but they were pretty Laissez-faire about it staying. Nowdays something like that would cause an insurance conniption and would be gone in hours.

    ted

    20 Jan 12 at 1:37 am

  61. From what I can recall of the ramp at the church, it was constructed by a bunch of old die-hard skaters ( I think Jack Blalock was one of them). We were members of Rockbridge country club and would often go there in the afternoon to watch the skaters then go down to the RBCC"s pool to go swimming.

    I lived in Columbia for a long time. I moved away in 1999 and headed out west to Portland, Oregon where i reside now. I worked in a lot of restaurants too --Julies place, Annabelles in Columbia mall, Pizza hut delivery at decker, TGI Fridays at Richland Mall, D's wings, Ib's in Irmo, and my favorite of all Beulahs bar and grille in the vista, This was by far the best place I have ever worked and certainly one of the funnest places to work too. Columbia sure has changed over all of these years.

    Glowacki

    20 Jan 12 at 2:01 am

  62. The last time I was in Colatown was a few years ago. We went to the vista and man how that has changed too. The old railroad tracks behind beaulahs and Longhorns are gone, the elevated railline that ran was a landmark for so long is gone, the steel mill in that same area is gone. So many places. I even remember the Hi Hat that has been mentioned in so many posts.

    I always would say to my friends " I can't wait till Columbia gets bigger" and then when it did I just wanted it to be like it was when I was a kid.

    Glowacki

    20 Jan 12 at 2:06 am

  63. Click the link at the top of the page (or here) that says Alphabetical Closings, and you will see a number of the places you mention.

    ted

    20 Jan 12 at 2:46 am

  64. Ted , If you don't mind my asking but what is your last name?

    I am Jeff Glowacki. I am the youngest af a family of 5. We lived on Gill Creek road not far away from Ft. Jackson and Trenholm plaza. My mother was a registered nurse. She first worked at Providence (until they closed the L&D dept) and then at Baptist medical center. My mother has the distinct priviledge of being able to meet folks in Columbia who gave birth to their children at Baptist. Before my mother retired she would often meet the children of those children giving birth at the BMCC.

    Glowacki

    20 Jan 12 at 2:56 am

  65. I still remember when across from Dent middle school there used to be a lake with a swimming platform. The lake was later drained and filled in but all of the dump trucks that were used to fill the lake were left parked (abandoned really) at the site. There is a shopping center where that is now. I also remember taking our bicycles behind trenholm plaza ( on Ft Jackson property) to a place we called the "mud pits" . It was a series of dirt roads caddy corner to the Army reserve center there on Forest drive. There were ponds, a swamp and just super cool places to ride your bike through huge mud pits and various trails that surrounded the place. I still recall thinking about how much trouble we would get into if a tank or army vehicle would catch us.

    I spent many a day with my pellet rifle wondering around on that Ft. Jackson property especially by the old Boyd and Arbor pond. This was at the Percival rd entrance to the base (long since closed)

    Glowacki

    20 Jan 12 at 3:03 am

  66. Well, I've never explicitly mentioned my last name on the site for various search related reasons, but it's not a state secret. If you click the "Buy My Book" link, the images there make it clear enough.

    ted

    20 Jan 12 at 3:15 am

  67. All I remembered about redwing were the yellow walls. Sure enough they were yellow to the end. I'm 30 now, but its been about 20 or 21 years since I had been skating there. I do have fond childhood memories of birthday parties there.
    I wish it was still open because I want to skate again.

    Where exactly was the Foxceoft skating rink located? It must have been way before my time, because I lived on Foxcroft rd from 90 to 93 and the area looks pretty much the same. Except for those little houses they built between RNE and Windsor Lake Blvd.

    Amanda

    2 Mar 12 at 9:55 pm

  68. See Foxcroft here. It was on Kneece Road.

    ted

    3 Mar 12 at 1:07 am

  69. A large skateramp pre-park openings (i.e. pre '77) in columbia would be a surprise. to my memory the ramps in those days were simple 4x8s leaned against something. Two 4x8s actually nailed to something was big. I do recall a very big, well constructed 1/2 pipe, must have been three or four 4x8s wide off trenhom road in the early-mid 80s. Was in someone's back yard. I skated it once (on a fiberglass Jay Adams Z-flex that i still have!) but that was a bit after my time. Mach 1 did have a nice quater-pipe in the back.

    tom

    31 Oct 13 at 7:53 am

  70. A large skateramp pre-park openings (i.e. pre '77) in columbia would be a surprise. to my memory the ramps in those days were simple 4x8s leaned against something. Two 4x8s actually nailed to something was big. I do recall a very big, well constructed 1/2 pipe, must have been three or four 4x8s wide off trenhom road in the early-mid 80s. Was in someone's back yard. I skated it once (on a fiberglass Jay Adams Z-flex that i still have!) but that was a bit after my time. Mach 1 did have a nice quater-pipe in the back.

    tom

    31 Oct 13 at 7:53 am

  71. A large skateramp pre-park openings (i.e. pre '77) in columbia would be a surprise. to my memory the ramps in those days were simple 4x8s leaned against something. Two 4x8s actually nailed to something was big. I do recall a very big, well constructed 1/2 pipe, must have been three or four 4x8s wide off trenhom road in the early-mid 80s. Was in someone's back yard. I skated it once (on a fiberglass Jay Adams Z-flex that i still have!) but that was a bit after my time. Mach 1 did have a nice quater-pipe in the back.

    tom

    31 Oct 13 at 7:53 am

  72. A large skateramp pre-park openings (i.e. pre '77) in columbia would be a surprise. to my memory the ramps in those days were simple 4x8s leaned against something. Two 4x8s actually nailed to something was big. I do recall a very big, well constructed 1/2 pipe, must have been three or four 4x8s wide off trenhom road in the early-mid 80s. Was in someone's back yard. I skated it once (on a fiberglass Jay Adams Z-flex that i still have!) but that was a bit after my time. Mach 1 did have a nice quater-pipe in the back.

    tom

    31 Oct 13 at 7:53 am

  73. You can say that again!

    badger

    31 Oct 13 at 9:59 am

  74. Is that an echo I hear?

    Beth

    31 Oct 13 at 10:02 am

  75. Speaking of buildings...what in the WORLD is that Titanic sized building in front of the Coliseum? I didn't think there was enough room for anything in that little spot of real estate.
    Did they block that underground tunnel walkway when building this new building? and what is it anyhow?

    CayceKid

    31 Oct 13 at 5:51 pm

  76. CayceKid, the building under construction adjacent to the Carolina Colsieum that I think you are asking about between said Colsieum and the Koger Center is to be the new home of the Darla Moore School of business. I find it maddening that they took out another parking lot to build it since parking is a royal PITA at the Univetsity of South Carolina.

    I graduated from the original USC in August 2012 and construction started on said building before I graduated and can tell you that the walkway under Assembly Street is still there and open to walking.

    Andrew

    31 Oct 13 at 6:18 pm

  77. Andrew, wait until they take out those Coliseum parking lots to build the new dorms. You are losing at LEAST two lots (probably four).

    I don't know if they blocked the tunnel during construction or not.

    tonkatoy

    1 Nov 13 at 6:32 am

  78. I'm surprised USC hasn't built dorms all the way down the road from behind the Coliseum down to the RR tracks. USC is trying to take over that entire side of town. I guess money talks though..and it did to the Gibbs family for them to sell that property of theirs to tear down the old building that had sat there forever. That entire side of town though is a PAIN IN THE ASS to get though with all the little USC kiddies and the regular traffic. And you have to watch out for them in that area, because their all on their little cell phones chattering away like "Chatty Cathies".

    CayceKid

    1 Nov 13 at 9:00 am

  79. I remember both the Cosmic Wave and Mach 1. I had a Bahne board with Gullwings and maybe Kryptonics. Expensive but horrible combination, lol.

    J. W.

    28 Feb 14 at 7:59 pm

  80. The skateparks of the Columbia area, were MACH 1 on Decker blvd. and COSMIC WAVE on HWY 378 Garnersferry Road.
    Mach 1 was the best one , with a long snake-run, a big bowl and a Free-style area for beginners. It had a pro-shop and arcade area. The Crew back then was Donnie Ray, Hemphill Pride III, Ronnie and Stevie Cook, Henry Hester, Kevin Areheart, Tim Troutman, Bo Gabriell, many other great skaters. It opened the summer of 1976. The fun all Ended Fall of 1979 due to three Law suites for hospital bills.
    In 1980 it was condemed, so everyone round the N.e. area
    was hanging out there at night. Many people partying in the bowl,that didn't skate, it became a Richland County Sheriff Dept. bust every weekend night. Finnally they mowed it over
    with bull-dozers. I went with my girlfriend and got a piece of concreate from the big bowl. I still have it. MACH 1 was next to the TACO CID. The location is now a self-storage building.
    Cosmic wave skatepark was much earlier I think 1974 to 1978. It was too far from the city! It was across from the new ZAXBY'S on GARDNERSFERRY RD. Back then it was woods and farm land on both sides of the highway. So far out my Dad hated taking us out there! After it closed , it remained longer than Mach 1. People skated there for years amonst the wreakage of the arcade. It had a great concrete half-pipe that we added a wooden ramp extension. Lots of great photos there! One Sunday afternoon , I even met Jimmy Buffett out there, his future wife went to A.C.FLORA H.S. he would skate and play guitar all day out there. Good old days. They bull-dozed it about 1985. About this time we were riding ramps and half-pipes all over Columbia. The biggest ramp in Columbia in the 80's was by my house, at RICKY POOL'S house on S.TRENHOLM by CAROLINA CHILDRENS HOME. You colud ride by and see everyone skating, it was that tall! thirteen feet high, with one foot of vertical.

    K.AREHEART

    1 Oct 14 at 2:20 pm

  81. If Nique , Danny or any others from (Betty or Johnathan day) insiders /regulars form employee's or from our old skate club please email or fb me candyland23.mb@gmail or fb Melanie Brown (Greenway) thanks

    WorldClassSK8R

    20 Apr 16 at 1:13 am

  82. I used to skate here back in elementary school. That was back in the early 1990's. Used to go to a private Christian school that would do school skate night (probably during the "Christian Skate Night" event at Red Wing). They would play various songs, but I specifically remember them playing DC Talk's cover to "Jesus is Just Alright" from their "Free At Last" album. I remember playing TMNT the arcade game here (the first one). Memories of hanging out with my elementary buddies in the food court. Also remember going to several birthday parties here as well. Good times. The 90's were a different time. Better times. Before the social media.

    Josh

    7 Jun 19 at 1:15 pm

  83. Never did learn to skate. I almost always ended up at the arcade machines during skate trips as a kid.

    ted

    8 Jun 19 at 9:43 pm

  84. @ted -- Could you please pick a different handle if you are going to stick around (which you are welcome to do!) Maybe add an initial or something..

    ted

    8 Jun 19 at 11:21 pm

  85. Sorry about that, @ted. Didn't see that you were using the handle before I posted my comment. I'm surprised that WordPress doesn't prevent that from happening. :-)

    reddy_teddy

    9 Jun 19 at 12:53 pm

  86. Wow, what a fanastic website! I found this site because of the building was up for sale again on Loopnet (June 2019) and I was looking for the name of the rink, and hopefully photos and all. Then found this! What a great website! Hi, my name is Mark and I am from Syracuse, NY. Never been to Redwing rink however, I am owner of Dead-Rinks website (see my link) and I am adding this rink. OK to add your photos to my site and page? I would appreciate it! It is an e-museum for former rinks. Kind of like what Dead Malls have for former shopping malls. Really fantastic site you have! Please let me know! Thank you! You would also be credited for (source and photos courtesy).

    Mark Falso

    27 Jun 19 at 12:53 pm

  87. I am interested in purchasing this property and bring back the old skating rink. Anyone with information on the owners please contact me through my email, elijahbattle22@gmail.com

    Thank you!

    Elijah

    10 Dec 19 at 4:40 pm

  88. Was fun skating on friday night for school skate night here. I always had fun and never seem to get bored, but sad to see this place gone. My first skate night was in 2006 as a young child and the music always kept the atmosphere energized.

    Aurelia

    3 Jan 21 at 11:08 pm

  89. My church is interested in Leasing the previous Skating Rink at 2632 Decker Blvd.
    I cannot reach anyone. Does anyone know who to contact?

    Jacquelyn Glover

    23 Dec 21 at 4:52 pm

  90. Apparently these people are no longer listing the property, but perhaps they could tell you who is now.

    ted

    23 Dec 21 at 5:22 pm

  91. Could you update this site? With Red Wing back in full swing I would like to know more about when it reopened and who owns the business

    Mason

    24 Nov 23 at 4:36 pm

  92. @Mason -- Red Wing, at least this one, is not back in business. It's some sort of Church now.

    ted

    11 Dec 23 at 10:58 pm

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