KHQ – Let’s Skate February 2012

Kitware headquarters’ last family event brought us back in time and we found ourselves at Gupitlls Rollerskating Arena in upstate New York. From my understanding, the place has not changed much since it opened back on February 14, 1951. For many of us, this was a time warp back to our teenage or childhood days. Others had never even put on a pair of roller skates before. I played the role of “event coordinator” and bought myself some time to make sure everyone was settled before I was forced to lace up my skates!

Before I knew it, there were 45 of us skating and swaying to the music. Some of us realized quickly that when you fall as an adult it is not that ways to jump back up. Of course the kids had no issue falling and jumping back up, smiling the whole time. We had some showoffs – Brad King. Lisa Avila, Ken Martin, Anthony Hoogs, Katie Sharkey, Juda Becker, and countless kids that skated circles around the rest of us,

The DJ did a great job of keeping us all on the floor with couples or trio only skating. At one point I lost sight of my 7 year old son, only to find him in the middle of about a dozen young girls dancing in the center of the rink. I am happy to report that he only asked me to couples skate with him and not any of his new friends! Even those of us that decided to stay on the sidelines for this event had fun watching everyone’s faces as they skated by.