Loopnet. Photo of rear left side of building. Highway is to the left. I said left side of building because you would face front of the building where the sign is, that constitute as left side. Front is on other side.
Skate East 2220 E Ovid Ave, Des Moines, IA
Skate East was part of a chain that included Skate North and Skate South as well as Skate West and other rinks in the Des Moines area. This rink was in a Gabled roof building that had Steel sheet walls with possible Light Grey color walls.
Update: (22 December 2021)
To my surprise, this was a Muse family owned along with 3 other rinks. I listed 4 but they also owned Skateland with the famed historic sign of a giant skate and name which is still standing today although it is not Skateland anymore.
Now back to normal here--
I do not have information on opening nor closing but close I can guess is this according to Loopnet July 6, 2007 and sold in around March 15, 2009. It was empty for a while before that year that was sold to a paintball game company. They use the rink floor now as paintball area. They have some kind of flooring now. It is not standard Maple floor. It looks like some kind of plyboard on the floor with bunch of inflated barriers for the rink. They kept the carpet on the floor and high-wire spool seating as well. It is all netted.
I have no photos of interior when it was a rink. It was long ago they closed so this is why I may cannot get anything. Likely closed in 2007 for sure.
Check out the Google Map tour walking in and look around. It is all set up for a paintball business now. Yeah, this means the paint will ruin the floor. Sad. Hey, a new floor would be even nice once again!
UPDATE! (Tuesday, 29 June 2021).
Someone send me an update through Facebook about this rink and the three others. Here is what was happening toward the end --
The parents [operators] of the company died and it was left like the other 3 [rinks]. [In the] estate, 3 of the 4 [rinks] were purchased by [their] kids and Skate East they did want to purchase but they had no one to run it. I will miss this place so much.
UPDATE! -- (Wednesday 22 December 2021).
Now I have more confirmation here today with more accurate information. It was the Muse Family that owned this rink and the others including Skate West, Skate North, and Skate South. And Skateland (Summer) in Memphis, TN. Skate West was recently closed (website down, Facebook post most recent was in 2020 as today is December 2021.) They originally owned Ames Skateland that was destroyed by Tornado in 1968. After that, rest is history that they owned other rinks. The family continue to operate the rinks.
The Interior.
The interior has possibility of Maple floor before some kind of flooring now for the paintball game place. It has posts. And the popular high-wire spool seating. It even featured the neon bright colored carpet that was also popular.
Not much for me to say but the snack bar area, they had a large area with iron-cast rails around it to separate the main pathway.
Oh watch out for Jason Voorhees (of Friday the 13th movie series) as you go in on Google Map! Hey Nick! Watch out for that character! Sorry no Mike Myers here, Nick! (Nick is a friend of mine who is a Mike Myers mask maker). Just joking.
They changed a lot in there tailored for the paint ball because of tables set up. The place does feel like it is under construction where the paintball area is because of the net. When I first saw the pictures, I thought it was under construction area because of the net covers the rink. This does mean if the paint ball entertainment center closes, it could well become a rink again, one can bring high hopes!
It appeared to be good looking rink with this appearance at the time.
The Exterior.
It is a large L-shaped Free Span Steel Structure Steel Walled warehouse like building. Originally for the rink, I can see the original exposed in one of the pictures that it has vertical narrow windows at the front admission area but it is all walled over because of the steel sheet covered the building.
It shows that this place was rather large by the look of it inside and the appearance on outside. It sits by the interchange section of this highway near there in the industrial area with an architecture office next door in a building very similar to the former rink with the same bricks and narrow windows. You can check Google map by adding the address then go left (or west) of the map.
Original color were White. But the bricks they had original way back was both White and Light Chocolate Bricks that you still can see at the admissions hallway of the former rink. Again, see photo.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Likely Maple. Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: 21,360 SF Built: 1979 Demolished: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse Building.
Roof: Gable
Acres: 2.778 AC.
Operated: Likely 1979 to 2007.
Reason for Closure: N/A (perhaps declining attendees. A fan in June 2021 said it was declining attendees and another reason I could not get on here although I know the reasons).
Wanted: Information regarding old photos of the rink! Both interior and exterior. Dates of open and closed.
Sources: Loopnet
Google Map (has tour if you click forward from that outdoor spot),
Sports Illustrated - the Muse Brothers.
Inline Planet - Skate v. bicycle race pictured. Three keys to speed skating.
Axios - Rink history in Des Moines, the Muse Family.
Skatelanddn - About the Muse Family and rinks they owned and still owns.
Atom Wheels - The Forgotten Brother.
Power Stick - Interview with a Muse skater. (of course this is a company but they interviewed him. I believed Power Stick is a sponsor. Maybe.)
Updated: 08 January 2021. Updated: 29 June 2021. Updated: 22 December 2021.
For Office Only: 2.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
Update: (22 December 2021)
To my surprise, this was a Muse family owned along with 3 other rinks. I listed 4 but they also owned Skateland with the famed historic sign of a giant skate and name which is still standing today although it is not Skateland anymore.
Now back to normal here--
I do not have information on opening nor closing but close I can guess is this according to Loopnet July 6, 2007 and sold in around March 15, 2009. It was empty for a while before that year that was sold to a paintball game company. They use the rink floor now as paintball area. They have some kind of flooring now. It is not standard Maple floor. It looks like some kind of plyboard on the floor with bunch of inflated barriers for the rink. They kept the carpet on the floor and high-wire spool seating as well. It is all netted.
I have no photos of interior when it was a rink. It was long ago they closed so this is why I may cannot get anything. Likely closed in 2007 for sure.
Check out the Google Map tour walking in and look around. It is all set up for a paintball business now. Yeah, this means the paint will ruin the floor. Sad. Hey, a new floor would be even nice once again!
UPDATE! (Tuesday, 29 June 2021).
Someone send me an update through Facebook about this rink and the three others. Here is what was happening toward the end --
The parents [operators] of the company died and it was left like the other 3 [rinks]. [In the] estate, 3 of the 4 [rinks] were purchased by [their] kids and Skate East they did want to purchase but they had no one to run it. I will miss this place so much.
UPDATE! -- (Wednesday 22 December 2021).
Now I have more confirmation here today with more accurate information. It was the Muse Family that owned this rink and the others including Skate West, Skate North, and Skate South. And Skateland (Summer) in Memphis, TN. Skate West was recently closed (website down, Facebook post most recent was in 2020 as today is December 2021.) They originally owned Ames Skateland that was destroyed by Tornado in 1968. After that, rest is history that they owned other rinks. The family continue to operate the rinks.
The Interior.
The interior has possibility of Maple floor before some kind of flooring now for the paintball game place. It has posts. And the popular high-wire spool seating. It even featured the neon bright colored carpet that was also popular.
Not much for me to say but the snack bar area, they had a large area with iron-cast rails around it to separate the main pathway.
Oh watch out for Jason Voorhees (of Friday the 13th movie series) as you go in on Google Map! Hey Nick! Watch out for that character! Sorry no Mike Myers here, Nick! (Nick is a friend of mine who is a Mike Myers mask maker). Just joking.
They changed a lot in there tailored for the paint ball because of tables set up. The place does feel like it is under construction where the paintball area is because of the net. When I first saw the pictures, I thought it was under construction area because of the net covers the rink. This does mean if the paint ball entertainment center closes, it could well become a rink again, one can bring high hopes!
It appeared to be good looking rink with this appearance at the time.
The Exterior.
It is a large L-shaped Free Span Steel Structure Steel Walled warehouse like building. Originally for the rink, I can see the original exposed in one of the pictures that it has vertical narrow windows at the front admission area but it is all walled over because of the steel sheet covered the building.
It shows that this place was rather large by the look of it inside and the appearance on outside. It sits by the interchange section of this highway near there in the industrial area with an architecture office next door in a building very similar to the former rink with the same bricks and narrow windows. You can check Google map by adding the address then go left (or west) of the map.
Original color were White. But the bricks they had original way back was both White and Light Chocolate Bricks that you still can see at the admissions hallway of the former rink. Again, see photo.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Likely Maple. Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: 21,360 SF Built: 1979 Demolished: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse Building.
Roof: Gable
Acres: 2.778 AC.
Operated: Likely 1979 to 2007.
Reason for Closure: N/A (perhaps declining attendees. A fan in June 2021 said it was declining attendees and another reason I could not get on here although I know the reasons).
Wanted: Information regarding old photos of the rink! Both interior and exterior. Dates of open and closed.
Sources: Loopnet
Google Map (has tour if you click forward from that outdoor spot),
Sports Illustrated - the Muse Brothers.
Inline Planet - Skate v. bicycle race pictured. Three keys to speed skating.
Axios - Rink history in Des Moines, the Muse Family.
Skatelanddn - About the Muse Family and rinks they owned and still owns.
Atom Wheels - The Forgotten Brother.
Power Stick - Interview with a Muse skater. (of course this is a company but they interviewed him. I believed Power Stick is a sponsor. Maybe.)
Updated: 08 January 2021. Updated: 29 June 2021. Updated: 22 December 2021.
For Office Only: 2.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.