1941-07-05 — Page 9

Second Section

Hongkong Telegraph

Magazine Features

SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1941.

ROLLER-SKATING

HONGKONG'S NEW SUMMER SPORT

Happy, carefree scenes such as that at right may be encountered any fine afternoon at any of the Colony's skating rinks. Skating is thrilling and pleasant exerciso. Grace of movement ia well shown in the picture of two pretty Chinese girls at the left.

ZEPAIR SERVICE & STULACE

DO YOU WANT to banish Dame Care and tell Ola Man Worry to go to the blazes. Of course, you do. Then why not join the growing army of local enthusiast? who have taken up so eagerly Hongkong's latest sporting fnd-roller-skating?

There's room for everyone at the seven or eight skating rinks now established in the Colony, and even though you haven't roller-skated since childhood, there's no reason why you shouldn't try again. The sport has all the verve that brings back those carefree days of boyhood when you and I chased each other down the village pavement, skimming along on our pedal chariots Tike winged Mercuries speeding un errands for the gods of old Olympus. What glorious fun we had!

Now on the cemented doors of the Colony's skating rinks, the thrills of roller-skating that captivated us body and soul when we were youngsters have been re-created in all

in all their varied novelty, Scurrying over the hard surface of the rink fike dare-devil hockey players at a Canadian ice, carnival, we wind in and out

of the happy plemure-seeking, throng of youth and age, crackerjack skaters and stumbling fyrus. The dull rour

તમને પ of whirring wheels, the bursts of delighted laughter mul the lilting dance tunes from the electric symphonola fed with

ten-cent pieces create il captivating atmosphere.

it

The rollerskating rink is a comparative newromer to China, Introduced some four or five years ago into Shanghai by some go-getting

Yankee protoler. immediately made a hit. The Chinese gave the

sport big hand, and skating rinks sprang up like atushrooms after rain. The cosmopolitan crowd of Chica's

premier seaport took to roller-skating a naturally as Donald

Duck's feathered tribe takes to water, and soon every Shanghai citizen was roller-skating conscious. Carried along on the crest of the wave of sudden popularity, Shangliai Importers with American business connection! reuped fortunes In catering to the unprecedented demand for roller skatos,

In the United States, the "ancestral home" of the

roller skate, the public skating rink has been in vogue for over a quarter of a century. Though rints abound in all the big cities, the popular demand int present seems to be for those of the lee variety ever since comely Sonja Henie made cutting capers on ice skates a major box

lee attraction for Hollywood's movie moguia.

Don't get the impression, however, that feller-skating

is on the decline in the land of the free; on the contary it is taken so seriously there that the large department stores often provide their messenger boys with the. wheeled pedal appendages in order to speed-up inter- departmental effelency. As a result of this pepping up of roller-skating activities in business, the skating In large cities, you can't go rinks are well attended. barging over the pavement with impunity as you may do in small towns, and if you want to roller-skate, you generally have to do in the arena of a capacious rink. This means of course, encouraging the sport so that it has been a hardy perennial,

Notwithstanding the infancy of the roller-skating rink

in Bangkong, it has already proved itself a lusty toddler. The first rink established in the Causeway Bay area a little over year ago was phenomenal success": Seven rinks are now in active operation. In addition, the Chinese Y.M.C.A. at Bridges Street maintains n rink, but this is for the use of members only.

As it is claimed that a beginner can learn to roller- skate in two hours' time, the existing rinks are thronged with enger fans. In some establishments, simple designs on the walls show beginners the correct method of learning to skate, gaining speed and performing stunts.

A visit to any of the local

rinks is an Interesting ex- By T. Paul

perience, as it reveals how enthusiastically the new diversion is greeted by the Hongkong sports loving public.

Gregory

Below:--A young skater goes through hor

tricks.

Further typical rink scones are depicted below. The joy of the sport dispels all gloom, and smiling faces are everywhere

scon,