Photo courtesy of Lisa Fugleberg. it was taken from I believe it was a Google image search however, I tried to find that originally and I could not find it! Strange!
Blown up photo by Mark Falso, courtesy of Lisa Fugleberg. This Skate Country, while it appeared that way as evidence showed (see photos of demolished building), this was a copycat of the original Skate Country of Tucson, AZ. Wendell Lockhard was one of the silent partners of original Skate Country in Tucson, AZ was a building contractor did built all official Skate Country in that design but he also used the same design and name for the copy cats including this Rochester location. This is why the Skate Country in Rochester, MN was actually called, Skate Country Rochester because of the registered name belonged to Skate Country, Inc. of Tucson, AZ/Robert Snellstrom.
Courtesy of John R. Razza. It became a bingo hall. First as Circus World Bingo then Flamingo Bingo. Noted the style and theme changed from early 1970s English Tudor look to 1980s Forest Green and White look. Building demolished in 2014. The alternation for the Bingo hall still showed the shape of the building as Skate Country-Wendell Lockhard blueprints.
Photos courtesy of Frank Kmett. Demolished in 2014.
Google Map. All gone. Now what left is a field of grass growing well where the rink used to be compared to the parking lot which remains in fairly good condition. Billboard is only thing left of the property. I wonder didn't they make any money from it?
Skate Country Rochester, 2828 Frontage Rd. E., Rochester, MN (NOT Affiliated with Skate Country, Inc.)
Skate Country was a known rink in Rochester, Minnesota. It sported a unique style at the time with exterior appearance of a English Tudor home style with dark wood vertical and diagonal with white back ground. Likely White stucco on the walls. It also sported a Hut roof extension with wood shingles. This design was a copycat of the original Skate Country of Tucson, AZ that this Skate Country was not affiliated with. It was a design and had blueprint by Wendell Lockhard, a contractor and then silent partner of Skate Country corporation, the Skate Country Inc. of Tucson, AZ.
It had a huge Fire Red sign with Yellow post and frame with the name Skate Country on it. it was designed to attract skaters to come in with that redness to that English Tudor theme building with Flat roof. A Skate Country Inc. look but a copycat.
Someone said on Facebook the location in the photo was also exactly copy at the Burnsville, MN Skate Country. I could not find any information regarding that rink, unfortunately. After discovery there is another Skate Country out in Tuscan, Arizona and expanded into nine company owned franchise in four states. All of the original design had that same 1970s English Tudor look even in Tuscan, AZ. The original location is still operational but the others were sold off according to its website. The design for both Minnesota location were not affiliated with the original and registered TM name Skate Country, Inc. It was a copycat in Rochester, MN and Burnsville, MN.
I will update to add other locations to this Skate Country, both copycats and official Skate Country, Inc.'s company owned franchises.
Someone on Facebook (not to me) said it became All American Skate at Skate Country.
Internally, the rink was likely wood according to grainy 80s photographs. I am not sure.
After it was closed, it became Circus World Bingo then Flamingo Bingo then it was sold for 950,000 Dollars only to have it demolished. For what?! It sits nothing. Sounds familiar. A rink closed and sold for high price and then demolish it and it just sits there do nothing. Same with this one.
From what it sounded like according to Facebook fan page for Skate Country, the owner/manager of the rink. I would not name him. Well, they said he was a creepy and ruined the reputation of the rink therefore it was in decline because of him and therefore closed and sold to someone else. They said he was creepy and may have done some bad things. Reputation can ruin you for life and business as well.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Likely wood. Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span block Building. A Wendell Lockhard design.
Roof: Flat
Acres: N/A
Operated: N/A
Reason for Closure: N/A. Likely because of the manager was creepy and ruined reputation.
Wanted: Information regarding photos of interior, dates of open and closure, did it become All-American Skates? Why closed? And why Bingo closed?
Sources: Facebook, Skate Country website, Bob Snellstrom (original and official Skate Country owner of the Skate Country, Inc.)--lengthy email about Skate Country, Inc.
© 2019 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
Skate Country was a known rink in Rochester, Minnesota. It sported a unique style at the time with exterior appearance of a English Tudor home style with dark wood vertical and diagonal with white back ground. Likely White stucco on the walls. It also sported a Hut roof extension with wood shingles. This design was a copycat of the original Skate Country of Tucson, AZ that this Skate Country was not affiliated with. It was a design and had blueprint by Wendell Lockhard, a contractor and then silent partner of Skate Country corporation, the Skate Country Inc. of Tucson, AZ.
It had a huge Fire Red sign with Yellow post and frame with the name Skate Country on it. it was designed to attract skaters to come in with that redness to that English Tudor theme building with Flat roof. A Skate Country Inc. look but a copycat.
Someone said on Facebook the location in the photo was also exactly copy at the Burnsville, MN Skate Country. I could not find any information regarding that rink, unfortunately. After discovery there is another Skate Country out in Tuscan, Arizona and expanded into nine company owned franchise in four states. All of the original design had that same 1970s English Tudor look even in Tuscan, AZ. The original location is still operational but the others were sold off according to its website. The design for both Minnesota location were not affiliated with the original and registered TM name Skate Country, Inc. It was a copycat in Rochester, MN and Burnsville, MN.
I will update to add other locations to this Skate Country, both copycats and official Skate Country, Inc.'s company owned franchises.
Someone on Facebook (not to me) said it became All American Skate at Skate Country.
Internally, the rink was likely wood according to grainy 80s photographs. I am not sure.
After it was closed, it became Circus World Bingo then Flamingo Bingo then it was sold for 950,000 Dollars only to have it demolished. For what?! It sits nothing. Sounds familiar. A rink closed and sold for high price and then demolish it and it just sits there do nothing. Same with this one.
From what it sounded like according to Facebook fan page for Skate Country, the owner/manager of the rink. I would not name him. Well, they said he was a creepy and ruined the reputation of the rink therefore it was in decline because of him and therefore closed and sold to someone else. They said he was creepy and may have done some bad things. Reputation can ruin you for life and business as well.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Likely wood. Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span block Building. A Wendell Lockhard design.
Roof: Flat
Acres: N/A
Operated: N/A
Reason for Closure: N/A. Likely because of the manager was creepy and ruined reputation.
Wanted: Information regarding photos of interior, dates of open and closure, did it become All-American Skates? Why closed? And why Bingo closed?
Sources: Facebook, Skate Country website, Bob Snellstrom (original and official Skate Country owner of the Skate Country, Inc.)--lengthy email about Skate Country, Inc.
© 2019 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.