Published: October 14, 2005 02:04 pm            

Rolling on: Seniors head to rink for fun, fellowship

JOHNSTOWN — Shirley Wilson made a decision recently that few 70-year-old women face.

Should she buy a new motorcycle or invest in a new pair of roller skates?

The Jackson Township widow opted for the skates.

“I don’t smoke or drink, and my only vice is roller skating,” Wilson said prior to going to an Indiana County rink for an evening of music, fellowship and fun.

“When I’m on the floor, I’m 15 years old again. I would skate eight nights a week if I could.”

Wilson, who laments that there are no roller- skating rinks in the Johnstown or Ebensburg areas, is one of about 20 area senior citizens who are lacing up their skates two or three times a week.

At a time when others in their age group worry about osteoporosis or arthritis, these seniors defy the threats of advancing years with every spin around the hardboards.

A popular destination for the group is Moon Glow II, a small rink located along Business Route 220 in Bedford.

“I see many communities catering to the youngsters by building them skateboard parks, but what about us older skaters?” Wilson asked.

She returned to skating after a 30-year hiatus.

“My husband died five years ago, and friends encouraged me to start again,” she said.

“I found a skating partner, Bob Hostler of Tyrone. He’s 62, and we just love dance skating to fast music.”

Another senior who resumed skating after losing a spouse is Charlie Mastervich, 74, of Vogel Street in Cover Hill.

His wife, Jackie, passed away in 2004, and he struggled to keep active socially after her death.

Skating turned out to be the remedy.

“After Jackie died, I found myself sitting around staring at four walls,” he said. “I realized I had to get out and do something.”

He approached a member of his church, Lois Goller, who he remembered was quite a good roller skater in her youth, and flippantly asked if she would like to go skating.

“I thought she would think I was crazy, but I was the one who got a shock,” Mastervich said.

“She told me that if I could find a place to roller skate, she would go.”

Mastervich discovered that no skating rinks existed in the Johnstown area and was referred to Bedford by the Greater Johnstown-Cambria County Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s great physically, but skating has helped me in an emotional sense,” he said. “With many of us about the same age, we all have things in common, and we have lived through similar times and events.”

When Mastervich laced up the skates again, he was a little intimidated.

“I was rusty, and we did a lot of rail-hugging that first time out,” he said with a laugh. “It had been nearly 55 years since I was on skates.

“We still don’t do any fancy moves, but we are free-skating and having a ball.”

Jane Black, 51, of Bedford, a roller-skating instructor for 30 years, said something magical happens when people fasten a set of wheels to their feet.

“Many woman aren’t afraid to show their legs,” Black said. “They don their short skating skirts and team up with men dressed in casual shirts and slacks.”

Black advised older people who are contemplating taking up the sport to consult their physician.

There is no age limit when it comes to roller skating. Skaters as old as 85 glide to the music.

“Skaters love organ music,” Black said. “Most of us dedicated skaters even listen to organ music while riding in our cars.”

In Bedford, skaters move to a variety of beats ranging from rumba and samba to waltz and fox-trot.

“I have been told you can burn up to 600 calories with a lively workout on skates,” Black said.

Most everyone owns their own skates. While no one would divulge what they paid for their roller skates, some said quality skates can cost between $800 and several thousand dollars.

Adolph “Slim” Semich, 85, of Parkhill said every time he goes to his doctor, the physician wants to know if he is still skating.

“When I tell him I am, he just says, ‘Keep it up,’” Semich said.

Many people think that seniors would have a fear of falling, but most accept the consequences.

“If I had a nickel for every time I fell, I would be a millionaire,” said Semich, who has been roller skating for 67 years. “But I never had a broken bone.”

His days of skating backward and dancing on wheels are over.

“There was a time back in the 1970s when the floor was so crowded you could hardly move,” he said. “If you get 20 people out on the floor nowadays, it’s a good night.”

Wilson said falling is part of the sport. She and Hostler took a spill while trying to learn a new dance.

“I ended up hitting my head and getting a concussion,” she said. “The older you get, the harder the floor gets.”

Hostler chipped a tooth and loosened four others.

“It cost him $1,000 to get his tooth fixed,” she said. “That was an expensive skate.”

All of the skaters agreed that socializing is an important aspect of the evening.

“If some folks miss a week of skating, it throws off their entire schedule,” Black said “It’s an addictive hobby, and skating is their fix.”

Many seniors face health issues but skate at their own pace and enjoy the exercise.

Before taking up skating, Mastervich said he was having severe back pain from arthritis.

“I have learned if you don’t use it, you will lose it,” he said. “My back is good, and I have lost weight. Skating has improved my overall health.”

        

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