**Kazna De Roles tries out the new roller-skating rink. Photo: Dan Hutchinson**

A new roller-skating rink has opened in Taupō, complete with disco balls and fog machines.

By Dan Hutchinson

Pierre and Kazna De Roles have moved to Taupō from Tauranga where they also operate a Skatescool roller skating business.

They have been offering roller discos and lessons out of AC Baths since October but now have a permanent rink on Miro St which opened this week.

Public skating sessions run in two-hour blocks, four times a week during the school holidays. They also hold classes and will hire the venue for private events like birthday parties.

"Friday night disco, it'll be a lot darker with a whole lot of lights and fog machine going," Kazna says.

"We do like the older limbo competition and things."

The facility includes skate hire and trainer frames for beginners. Protective padding has been installed around the rink's metal railings for safety.

Kazna started off in ice skating before taking up roller skating and has been doing it since she was a child. Pierre also roller skated in his youth but there was a gap of quite a few years before he took it up again after meeting Kazna.

Four of their seven children also roller-skate competitively, and the family are regulars on the winners’ podium.

Last year was the end of competitive skating for Kazna and Pierre.

"Just focusing on the fun and recreational side now,” Kazna says.

Roller-skating has experienced a resurgence in recent years, particularly during Covid-19 lockdowns when people sought new activities.

The introduction of competitively priced Impala skates has helped attract newcomers to the sport.

"They came out and they were a really good price point and that got a lot of people skating again," Kazna says.

Taupō's expanding footpath network also makes it an ideal place for roller skating Pierre says.

They have had a friendly reception from locals.

"I think people just appreciate having something to do. It's great for the kids; gets them off their tablets," Pierre says.

The activity appeals to multiple generations, and it’s not unusual for people to bring their grandchildren along and then take part themselves.

"Like a two-year-old and an 80-year-old doing it together ... There're often grandparents bringing the kids that they get sent for the holidays," Kazna says.

Special equipment helps beginners learn safely, including skate mates - mobile frames that provide support without requiring users to hold stationary railings.

"Instead of the rail around the wall, it’s much better. Because of course you just hold it and it moves with you. You get the feeling of the balance and everything,” Kazna says.

The disco sessions feature full lighting effects, including black lights that illuminate special graphics around the venue. Fog machines can fill the entire space, creating atmospheric effects when combined with the lighting system.

"When it's dark, the lights make little beams everywhere and the fog. It's very pretty," Kazna says.

The couple still runs their Tauranga rink with coaches based there. They also did some sessions in Tūrangi but will likely focus operations in Taupō now that the facility is established.

Schedules and pricing are available on the business website www.skatescooltaupo.co.nz