For the uninitiated, jam skating is a freestyle skating that’s one part dance, one part gymnastics, and has been heavily influenced by many other styles that came before it.

Jam Skating History

Rhythm skating has been around as early as WWII. From there, distinctive styles quickly began to emerge. The late 1950s and 1960s saw the rise of the bee-bop style. By the 1970s, “Soul Nights” were being held at skating rinks across the country and with it came the soul skating style. The 1970s also saw the rise of roller disco. All of these styles helped to influence jam skating.

Jam skating (also known as shuffle skating, hexing, rexxing, toe-dancing, spot-skating, trucking, shadow skating, boogie bouncing, and crazy leg) has roots in roller disco, but it is far from traditional roller disco, as the form as been heavily influenced by breakdancing, as well as artistic skating and modern dance. Although jam skating can be traced back to the 1970s, the  form gained extreme prominence in the early 1990s and is still very popular in today. If you’ve spend any time at a skating center, you’ve probably seen a couple talented folks jam skating along to the music.

Jam Skating in Popular Culture

Jam skating has been prominently featured in films such as Roll Bounce (2005) and ATL (2006). But it’s probably better known for its appearance in music videos such as “1, 2 Step” by Ciara and Missy Elliott, “My Shoes” by Murphy Lee, “I Heart You” by Toni Braxton, and of course “Blow” by Beyoncé.

Whether you want to bust a move or just cruise, come skate with us at Skate World Leesburg! Check out our upcoming Leesburg event schedule and hours and make your plans to visit us today.

August is Family Fun Month! This makes it the perfect time to squeeze in a little extra summer fun! Check out these fun family activities in Leesburg.

• Visit Skate World Leesburg! It’s always a great time to visit our Leesburg skate center, but if you’re looking for something extra special, then bring the whole family out on Saturday for All You Can Eat Pizza Night. This fun Leesburg event is held Saturdays from 7-10 pm. Admission is only $7.50 and you get FREE AYCE pizza from 7-9:30 pm.
• Enjoy a family lake day. We have quite a few wonderful lakes in the area to choose from including a trip to Lake Apopka or Lake Harris. If your family enjoys fishing, then we recommend Lake Harris for all its excellent bass fishing spots.
• Host a family movie night! This is a great option for making your own fun at home. Spruce up a family night-in with movie theater candy, snacks, and sodas. A little extra effort can transform another night at home into a night to remember.

Don’t let the fun end with summer! As the school year progresses, don’t forget to make time for family fun. Quality time spent with the whole family is important for kids and parents alike!

Plan a regular skate night for your family to get some exercise and spend some quality time together, and make sure to check out our schedule for fun special events like our All You Can Eat Pizza Night or our weekly Saturday Matinees.

Roller skating tricks are fun to learn and can really spice up your summer at the roller skating rink. Are you ready to impress your friends?! Check out three roller skating tricks that are easy to learn:

Jumping

Jumping on roller skates is one of the coolest tricks you can learn. The first step is to take several powerful glides. When you’re skating at a good speed, bend your knees and keep your feet close together. When you feel comfortable, jump straight up. You don’t need to keep your knees bent when you’re in the air, but when you’re nearing the ground, you’ll need to bend your knees again to stick the landing. Upon landing, continue skating!

Skating Backwards

You’ve mastered your balance and speed, but now you want to learn how to skate backwards. We understand. This trick is extremely impressive! First, you want to start at the wall. (Don’t worry, you won’t have to use the wall for very long if you practice often.) Angle your chest toward the ground and make sure you tighten your core muscles. Use your hands to push off the wall and take small steps backward. The next step is to push off the wall and take strides backwards. Add a little bit of momentum every time you practice this step. After a while, you won’t need the wall!

Spinning

Last but not least, spinning on roller skates is a cool trick that’s simple to learn. If you’re at Skate World Leesburg, head to the middle of the rink to ensure no one will bump into you while racing around the rink. The first step is to take several powerful glides then turn your skates as if you are changing direction. Keep your roller skates turned to start spinning (and keep your momentum going)! To stop, straighten out your feet.

Are you ready to try fun roller skating tricks at Skate World Leesburg? Check out our summer schedule and head to the rink today!

Summer is quickly approaching, and we bet both you and your kids are itching for some summer fun. That’s why our team has prepared summer day skates and summer skate camps that you won’t want to miss! Discover the fun waiting to be had at Skate World Leesburg:

Summer Day Skates

You spoke, we listened. We are bringing back Summer Day Skates in addition to our regular summer schedule! We know kids and adults alike love spending summer at the rink, so we adjusted our hours to meet your needs.  Starting May 29th, Summer Day Skates will run Monday through Friday, 1-5 pm ($5.50 admission) or 3-5 pm ($2.75 admission). If you need to rent skates, the cost is $2 for regular skates and $3 for inline skates – or bring your own!

Summer Skate Camp

Parents, are you searching for a fun summer camp in Leesburg, Florida, for your kids? Bring them to Skate World’s Summer Skate Camp! This camp will begin May 29th and is available for your kids Monday through Friday, 7:30 am – 5:30 pm. We know that kids of all ages want to have fun this summer. So, our camp is available to kids ages 5 to 15! They will enjoy morning snacks, activities, hot lunches, 12 game tokens per day, afternoon skating, afternoon snacks, and a Summer Skate Camp t-shirt! The cost is $95 per week or $24 per day. Please note that there is a $15 registration fee for first-time campers.

Other Happenings at Skate World Leesburg

This summer, the only two days Skate World Leesburg will be closed are Memorial Day (May 28th) and Independence Day (July 4th). Please be safe and enjoy time with your family as we celebrate our servicemen and country. We encourage you to skate at our center every other day for fun and exercise! Additionally, our Saturday times will be changing this summer to 1-6 pm and will only cost $7. Bring your family or book a birthday party at Skate World Leesburg to celebrate the summer!

Did you know that the more quality time kids have with their family, the better their overall quality of life is? When families spend time together, the whole family benefits – relationships are strengthened, social skills are sharpened, and much more. Check out a few family-friendly activities your kids will surely love:

Enjoy a Night Out

Dedicate one night a week for family fun. Several family-friendly activities include playing board games, watching a movie, planting a garden, or making s’mores at a campfire. But, our absolute favorite family-friendly activity is roller skating! This activity can actually help your kids do better in school. With summer right around the corner, roller skating is a great way to keep them motivated and have fun at the same time.

Plan a Vacation

When’s the last time your family enjoyed a vacation together? Vacations often provide memories that will last a lifetime! The cool element of planning a vacation is that you can customize it to fit your needs. You can plan a day-trip vacation to places such as Orlando, Crystal River, or Daytona. Or, you can plan a week-long vacation and enjoy getting away from your day-to-day scenery.

Host a Scavenger Hunt

Kids of all ages enjoy a good scavenger hunt with a pot of gold at the end! (You can substitute the pot of gold with yummy treats or even a couple dollars for an incentive.) Plan a scavenger hunt and divide the family into two teams. Hide clues all over the house and lawn until they find the prize! This will be a fun way to spice up a regular evening.

The team at Skate World hopes your family benefits from these activities (especially roller skating)! Check out our hours, then skate with us today.