South Belt Spot: The Skate Ranches: Almeda and Kirkmont

There were two.

The skating rink at 10750 Almeda Genoa was the first.

From the HCAD records, the building at 10750 Almeda Genoa was constructed in 1970

But the business seemed to have started the following year.

Sherrie, back in the day

Sherrie has been indispensable, providing most of the photos used in this post. 

She runs this Facebook group Almeda Kirkmont Skate Ranch.

Her work shirt survives!

 

 

 

Sherrie's son Lewis started early. Here he is at age 3 at Almeda for his birthday.

I remember kids a whole lot older doing the same thing at the wall every time I went skating.

 

In 1977, they opened a second Ranch, this time on the other end of the South Belt, at the end of Hall Rd. on Blackhawk, when there was pretty much nothing behind it for miles and miles. The building still stands today. But very weirdly, the address on the grand opening announcement in the South Belt Leader put the Ranch at 10800 Hall Rd., just a block south of St. Luke's instead of on Blackhawk. History's little mysteries.

The correct address is 10800 Blackhawk, currently home to Aerolift Machine

still my favorite, from Michelle Roeder's little brother's birthday set. All the school shirts!

The building as it stands today:

Sadly, the Almeda building did not survive, although it stayed in business as the Skate Ranch for much, much longer than the Kirkmont Location. 

It's very last skate was July 26, 2015. 

The building was purchased by the car dealership nearby, demolished, and turned into a parking lot.

Sherrie's last find on the demolition grounds.

  

Solicited comments on memories of the rinks this past month on the FB page:

Some 80s skater nostalgia here