El Centro Skate Rink has long been a community hub in Federal Way when it was Pattison’s West. In the past few years the rink has become even more vital as a regional hub for local skaters as both the Auburn skate rink closed in 2020 and Tacoma skate rink closed in March 2024.

Members of the former Auburn Artistic Skating Club are one group that have found a new home at El Centro Skate Rink.

This style of skating is increasing its presence at the rink, which has been more of a hub for competitive speed skating and skate jam sessions over the years rather than the artistic style that is more similar to figure skating.

Although the artistic club started skating there in 2020, a new head coach has been adding fuel to the fire of interest.

“I taught for well over 20 years, until I was in my 40s, and then I went into business for myself, ” said Linda Sewell. “So I didn’t have time to skate and we lived on a ranch, and so we moved here from Texas, and I came here, and these wonderful people welcomed me into their room, and it just sort of came back to me. And I thought ‘I can still do this.’”

Since that moment back in the rink in June of 2023, she hasn’t stayed away. She got her teaching certificate to teach skating classes and even competed nationally at the age of 70.

Together with two other coaches, Sewell hosts the Artistic Groove Class and Groove Skate Social Skate as well as the Artistic Dance Class, Artistic Social Skate, Artistic Skills Class and even Stroller Skating and Skater Tots.

This particular series of Artistic Skating classes launched only last month. “I’m so proud of these people and how welcoming they are,” Sewell said, adding that they’ve added new people since the classes began including one skater who she said “just started in October with me, and he has postponed a vacation so he can keep taking classes!”

Age also doesn’t stop many of the other artistic skaters, many of whom are above retirement age.

Kim McDowell teaches the beginner’s class at the skate rink on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and only began roller skating in her forties, a few decades ago.

She says she loves it because “It’s really good exercise, and it’s fun. The people are great. The music is great. You get to rock out,” McDowell said. “You feel good afterwards, it’s a good workout,” she added.

Another plus: “It’s low impact exercise…unless you fall!” McDowell said.

Rosita Mayo is also an artistic skater who used to be part of the Auburn Artistic Skating Club and said she met her husband at the Federal Way rink 25 years ago.

Mayo is also a ballroom dancer and said she enjoys artistic skating for many of the same reasons, with the added element that “when you’re skating you can express yourself without a partner,” although she added that partner skating is also possible and enjoyable.

“Linda has brought a lot to our little dance club,” she said of Sewell.

Staff member Joules Anderson has worked for the rink since she was 15 and is the third generation to skate there. She said when El Centro took over the rink she decided to “feel it out” to see if she would stay, but says the operation and energy of the rink has maintained what she loves about it.

The only difference – with El Centro in charge she’s seen them “just trying to broaden the community” and said they’re “trying to be more inclusive” and bring “more spirit”. That looks like more adult-oriented skate nights, live DJs and the addition of a Latin night featuring bachata, merengue, cumbia, salsa, tropical and Top 40 hits for guests to skate to.

Anderson is involved in the jam skating scene at El Centro and describes it as a “tight-knit community,” adding that “this community is the best community.” Through skating, she said she gets to travel, picking up new styles, tricks and techniques from other skating communities around the country.

The Federal Way jam skate community is also highly involved in the broader community, with many of the skate crews getting together to volunteer outside of the rink Anderson said.

If the skating rink were to go away, Mayo of the artistic skating club said ”It’s been part of the community for so long, we’re only one little small part of this [place], there’s the speed skating, the jam skating, I think we would lose a whole lot.” She is one of many who say they are grateful that El Centro stepped in to purchase the rink and continue the important community hub.

Artistic Skate Head Coach Linda Sewell at El Centro Skate Rink, 34222 Pacific Hwy. S., Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / Sound Publishing

The Artistic Skate class featured fun costumes on Halloween 2024 at El Centro Skate Rink, 34222 Pacific Hwy. S., Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / Sound Publishing