Super Wheels Skating, originally established in 1977 as Hot Wheels, has made its mark on the South Florida community throughout the years. From being home to many birthday parties to becoming a hotspot for first dates, Super Wheels has provided guests with memorable roller skating experiences. Consistently hosting themed skating nights since its origin, Super Wheels came back to the forefront of locals’ minds with the hosting of their “End of an Era” party that took place on Nov. 25.
The news of the event immediately followed the announcement of the selling of Crystal Plaza Shopping Center — where Super Wheels is located — leaving the community unaware of the business’ future.
For lifelong roller skater Jackie Marrero, Super Wheels has served as a shaping factor throughout her childhood and adult life.
“When I was 14/15 years old, I started going to Hot Wheels and loved it ever since I entered the doors. I would go every single Friday for the double session; it was something that [my friends and I] had to do every single weekend. We couldn’t skip a Friday and we absolutely loved it. The people, the music, everything, and then it was renamed Super Wheels and I still continued to go. And when I turned 17 [and] I was able to [go to] the adult night [sessions]. I would go every single Monday night which was even better because you had all adults going and no kids, so it was awesome,” Marrero said.
In the wake of the roller rink’s uncertain future, the “End of an Era” party took place to unite the roller skating community one last time before the announcement of further details. The late-night event featured a line of skaters out the door, as well as music provided by DJ Laz. With many guests in attendance, Super Wheels’ owner, Thomas Mitchell, revealed that while the company has been bought, the roller skating legacy will continue with the new Miami Roller Rink set to open on Jan. 1, 2024.
This serves as a bittersweet moment for professional skater Cameron Solomon, as he has continued his family tradition of honing his skating skills at Super Wheels.
“… I just fell in love with [roller skating] immediately. It was like an instant hit for me, and I was bad at it, but I really liked it so I wanted to [practice] more,” Solomon said. “So Super Wheels, the name is going out of space … That’s the part that kind of gets me because all of them, all of my tracksuits, my clothes, everything has the Super Wheels brand on it. So it’s more about like, it’s not going to be the same because I’m so used to saying ‘Super Wheels’ and I’m probably gonna make that mistake like for so many years, but it’s still gonna be a rink, and it’s still gonna be there. I’ll still have the opportunity to stay with it.”
Although the South Florida community will have a new skating center to kick off the start of 2024, Super Wheels will remain in the hearts of those who grew up there. The “End of an Era” party acted as a memorable event for skaters to reminisce on the rink and its history. The skating center will stay open until Dec. 30, before the Miami Roller Rink is officially implemented.
“[My favorite part about roller skating at Super Wheels] would be the music– it would definitely be the freestyle music which never dies. To me that was always the best part of roller skating aside from the people that you meet there as well; I actually met the love of my life there at Super Wheels,” Marrero said.
