<p>Joe Sims: All right. Again, guys, welcome to the Halloween party. Please make yourself at home. We have hot snacks, cold drinks in the snack bar. Please [inaudible 00:00:14].<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Over 150 years ago, the first roller skating ring came to be. We're at the Aurora Skate Center. It's adult night, and did I mention, it's costume night?<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Joe and dinosaur, where are we at, man?<br /><br />Joe Sims: We are at the Aurora Skate Center.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Aurora Skate Center, and what's happening? I mean, this is crazy tonight.<br /><br />Joe Sims: Halloween party for the adult night.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: When this first started, I mean, were you coming here as a kid? Or what brought you to this specific location?<br /><br />Joe Sims: Location. It was my children. Yeah, we did a birthday party for my daughter when she was seven, and it evolved from there.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Okay.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: When COVID hit, how did that affect your business?<br /><br />Joe Sims: That was scary. It's still scary. We're still trying to climb out of it and yeah, no, we were shut down for a solid year, almost a year and a half, with everything off and on, limited restrictions. Yeah, it was scary.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: And you guys are trying to pick things up now. Like you've got the adult night going on. There's a speed school that we saw.<br /><br />Joe Sims: A speed skating club. Yeah, we've got it.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: So, you've got a lot of different things happening in here?<br /><br />Joe Sims: Yeah. We've got a speed skating club, an artistic club, figures, and we've also got derby, roller derby.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Oh, really?<br /><br />Joe Sims: Yeah. Lady's derby.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Throwing elbows and all sorts of things?<br /><br />Joe Sims: Yes, they do.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Can I get in there if I put a wig on or...?<br /><br />Joe Sims: You might be surprised.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: They're going to take me out.<br /><br />Joe Sims: They might take you out.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Why do you think people should come to the Skate Center?<br /><br />Joe Sims: This is the original social networking. It's about face to face, having fun meeting people, friends. Monday night, Wednesday night, Friday night, are a lot of regulars, actually all of our evening sessions. A lot of regulars. It's just something to do that's healthy, clean fun. It's a good time.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: I love it. Joe and dinosaur, what's the dinosaur's name.<br /><br />Joe Sims: This is Delta.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Delta. Aurora Skate Center. Aurora! See what I did with that? Aurora? Good? All right.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: You haven't skated in six months?<br /><br />Speaker 4: I started six months ago after 31 years of not skating.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Really? And why come back six months from there? I mean, after 31 years, you decided to come back.<br /><br />Speaker 4: I just wanted to get back to skating.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Do you love it?<br /><br />Speaker 4: Yes, I love it.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: And have you been here before?<br /><br />Speaker 4: No, actually, I just started coming here a couple months ago with my new boyfriend.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Okay.<br /><br />Speaker 4: I actually met my husband, who passed away two years ago, at a roller rink.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Awe.<br /><br />Speaker 4: And two months into our relationship, he proposed, and we were married 31 years.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Wow. Wow. So, roller rinks are kind of nostalgic to you? They just bring back all sorts of good feelings?<br /><br />Speaker 4: Yes. Very much so.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: Yes?<br /><br />Speaker 4: Yeah. It's good for the heart.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: It's good for the heart?<br /><br />Speaker 4: Good exercise. Good exercise.<br /><br />Joey Thurman: I think that's a great ending to that interview. It's good for the heart.</p>