Skateland 118 W. Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO. This was taken in May 1952. Noticed it was actually an Automobile dealership roller rink. Yes, one whole category! Source: Unknown photographer.
Skateland 118 W. Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO. Source: Myron Wood, July 1986. Copyright Pikes Peak Library District, courtesy of Special Collections. Image Number: 002-2669.
Skateland 118 W. Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO. Notice the photo taken in September 2019. It is now Paul Mitchell School. The building is heavily remodeled with fresh White Paint and Steel or aluminum facade canopy up front and back side. You still can see the Segmental Arch roof line in the photo. Bottom represents top view. Source: Google.
Skateland 118 W. Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO. Top view of the former rink. Source: Google.
Pikes Peak Skateland 118 W. Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs, CO
Skateland 118 W. Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO
Skateland 118 W. Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO
This is one of most difficult to explain here. . Just Colorado Ave I found on one of the website with that street, that is all. I got the name from one of the websites I use for adding all dead rinks from. This is guesting address according to the Penkhus Dealerships website explaining history. This was where their first store. Hard to say. The address you can find on Google Map if you want to drive by is at 118 W. Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO
UPDATE: I received a message from someone who used to work at rinks in the area said the top photo was on Colorado Ave where now a Paul Mitchell school is located. They remodeled the front to make it very updated. The bridge appeared higher making it hard to see where the front is now. So now we know the real location of that rink. See map photos above. But why the address was as 444 Pikes Peak? Good question. Here is what he has to say:
The picture is from Skateland on Colorado Blvd, on the east end of the bridge that crosses over the train tracks and Monument Creek. It is looking West. The upper level of the building is now a Paul Mitchell School. I believe after it closed it was an office furniture store for a while. The lower level of the building faces Sierra Madre street on the West, and Antlers Pl on the North and have office/shop spaces.
I’m not sure if there was ever a rink on Pikes Peak. There was a Penkhus car dealership there, but as I recall, that was Bob’s (and later his son’s). Jerry was always busy with the rinks. Jerry had an office in Skate City (on Academy). I worked there in the early 70’s and occasionally would go over to Skateland to help out.
Lee passed away in 1992 and Jerry passed away in 2014.
Charlie Brett
I have no dates. This Pikes Peak Skateland was a sister rink with the Penkhus Family that they moved from Iowa where they ran Ames Skateland (click on name to see their beginnings). They relocated to settle in Colorado Springs and opened Pikes Peak Skateland and the Penkhus Dealership. Today, that family is still running the dealership but at a new location called Motor City Drive where all other competing dealerships are located. Just south of Colorado Avenue when you search on Google Map.
I could not find where this old Skateland was. Colorado Ave is one very long street. East and West. Likely it was West because of the dealership and by looking at an old photograph that shows two peaks in the background. Colorado Ave and Pikes Peak Ave are several different directions but all pointed to the mountains in background. New buildings, growing trees, you cannot pinpoint where. It may have been demolished. Or totally renovated by a new owner. Anyone know where exactly this was? If you do, please do email me at [email protected].
They had unique sign. Originally you see they had too many too much words! The neon sign above with the word or rather partial name, "Skateland" with a roller skate and boot on skates with Mercury wings on it which was very common symbol for many rinks having their skates with wings on. Then you have a painted on sign calling it Pikes Peak Skateland then you have under that full name was an advertising for selling automobiles! Totally contradicted there. Can be confused to many seeing that this place as a roller rink but selling cars! Was the dealership right next door or what? The photo did show it was right there! All brand new cars on the parking lot of the roller rink. They began selling in 1957 according to the dealership website.
The date given by the dealer website 1951 is verified with proof from the Pikes Peak Library Archives information. The photograph was taken in May 1952.
***Please note! This Pikes Peak Skateland is NOT related to the Pikes Peak Skateland of 109 (North or South) Cascade Ave location!
UPDATE! -- 12 February 2022.
I received an email from someone who went to this rink. She also asked me if there was a rink on Las Vegas Boulevard and I could not locate that rink. She does not recall the name. Anyone?
She went to Skateland at age 5 in the 1970s. Here is what she said to me.
I was 5 years old in 1970 that's when I started going to Skateland. And I skated there faithfully until I was about 17. My best friend and I started out there when we were 5 years old and when we were 11 the man that owned it, his name was Stan and I can't remember his last name I'm thinking it was Wilson but I'm not exactly sure but he hired my friend and I on when we were 11 years old to come in on Saturday mornings and help teach the little kids how to skate and he paid us with free passes. --P.S.
Thanks for the name of the owner.
The Interior.
Unknown.
The Exterior.
This is one of most unusual. An automobile dealership roller rink. That is what it was. A car dealership roller rink! Haha. They had new automobiles on the parking lot but the rink was inside. The building had a huge neon sign with a winged skate. The sign was posted upon top of the building although it had its full name on the side plus a slogan for automobile dealership. Yes, a hybrid!
This rink building had one flat wall with Hip-roof platform up front and the appearance on front was entirely different than the parking lot side. Apparently Red Brick only was on front. The appearance was quite more modern for 1950s. Looked more like at least a dozen years ahead of time.
When the dealer relocated to the Motor City region, the wall was remodeled and painted over.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: N/A Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: 1951 Demolished: Likely.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Trusses, Cinderblock and Brick Building.
Roof: Segmental Arch with Flat Mix.
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1951 to N/A
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding photos, both interior and exterior. Opening and closing dates. Exact location?
Sources:
Bob Penkhus Dealerships
The Gazette
Pikes Peak Library District (Archives)
Radio Colorado College,
Email - C.B. (2020)
Email - P.S. (12 February 2022).
Worth to visit:
None.
Date of issue: 2019.
Updated: 2020.
Updated: 12 February 2022.
For office use only: 4.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.
UPDATE: I received a message from someone who used to work at rinks in the area said the top photo was on Colorado Ave where now a Paul Mitchell school is located. They remodeled the front to make it very updated. The bridge appeared higher making it hard to see where the front is now. So now we know the real location of that rink. See map photos above. But why the address was as 444 Pikes Peak? Good question. Here is what he has to say:
The picture is from Skateland on Colorado Blvd, on the east end of the bridge that crosses over the train tracks and Monument Creek. It is looking West. The upper level of the building is now a Paul Mitchell School. I believe after it closed it was an office furniture store for a while. The lower level of the building faces Sierra Madre street on the West, and Antlers Pl on the North and have office/shop spaces.
I’m not sure if there was ever a rink on Pikes Peak. There was a Penkhus car dealership there, but as I recall, that was Bob’s (and later his son’s). Jerry was always busy with the rinks. Jerry had an office in Skate City (on Academy). I worked there in the early 70’s and occasionally would go over to Skateland to help out.
Lee passed away in 1992 and Jerry passed away in 2014.
Charlie Brett
I have no dates. This Pikes Peak Skateland was a sister rink with the Penkhus Family that they moved from Iowa where they ran Ames Skateland (click on name to see their beginnings). They relocated to settle in Colorado Springs and opened Pikes Peak Skateland and the Penkhus Dealership. Today, that family is still running the dealership but at a new location called Motor City Drive where all other competing dealerships are located. Just south of Colorado Avenue when you search on Google Map.
I could not find where this old Skateland was. Colorado Ave is one very long street. East and West. Likely it was West because of the dealership and by looking at an old photograph that shows two peaks in the background. Colorado Ave and Pikes Peak Ave are several different directions but all pointed to the mountains in background. New buildings, growing trees, you cannot pinpoint where. It may have been demolished. Or totally renovated by a new owner. Anyone know where exactly this was? If you do, please do email me at [email protected].
They had unique sign. Originally you see they had too many too much words! The neon sign above with the word or rather partial name, "Skateland" with a roller skate and boot on skates with Mercury wings on it which was very common symbol for many rinks having their skates with wings on. Then you have a painted on sign calling it Pikes Peak Skateland then you have under that full name was an advertising for selling automobiles! Totally contradicted there. Can be confused to many seeing that this place as a roller rink but selling cars! Was the dealership right next door or what? The photo did show it was right there! All brand new cars on the parking lot of the roller rink. They began selling in 1957 according to the dealership website.
The date given by the dealer website 1951 is verified with proof from the Pikes Peak Library Archives information. The photograph was taken in May 1952.
***Please note! This Pikes Peak Skateland is NOT related to the Pikes Peak Skateland of 109 (North or South) Cascade Ave location!
UPDATE! -- 12 February 2022.
I received an email from someone who went to this rink. She also asked me if there was a rink on Las Vegas Boulevard and I could not locate that rink. She does not recall the name. Anyone?
She went to Skateland at age 5 in the 1970s. Here is what she said to me.
I was 5 years old in 1970 that's when I started going to Skateland. And I skated there faithfully until I was about 17. My best friend and I started out there when we were 5 years old and when we were 11 the man that owned it, his name was Stan and I can't remember his last name I'm thinking it was Wilson but I'm not exactly sure but he hired my friend and I on when we were 11 years old to come in on Saturday mornings and help teach the little kids how to skate and he paid us with free passes. --P.S.
Thanks for the name of the owner.
The Interior.
Unknown.
The Exterior.
This is one of most unusual. An automobile dealership roller rink. That is what it was. A car dealership roller rink! Haha. They had new automobiles on the parking lot but the rink was inside. The building had a huge neon sign with a winged skate. The sign was posted upon top of the building although it had its full name on the side plus a slogan for automobile dealership. Yes, a hybrid!
This rink building had one flat wall with Hip-roof platform up front and the appearance on front was entirely different than the parking lot side. Apparently Red Brick only was on front. The appearance was quite more modern for 1950s. Looked more like at least a dozen years ahead of time.
When the dealer relocated to the Motor City region, the wall was remodeled and painted over.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: N/A Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: 1951 Demolished: Likely.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Trusses, Cinderblock and Brick Building.
Roof: Segmental Arch with Flat Mix.
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1951 to N/A
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding photos, both interior and exterior. Opening and closing dates. Exact location?
Sources:
Bob Penkhus Dealerships
The Gazette
Pikes Peak Library District (Archives)
Radio Colorado College,
Email - C.B. (2020)
Email - P.S. (12 February 2022).
Worth to visit:
None.
Date of issue: 2019.
Updated: 2020.
Updated: 12 February 2022.
For office use only: 4.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.