Plano North | July 2022

A.J. Monjure and Sonya Gowens became the managers and operators of the rink in December.

THUNDERBIRD HAPPENINGS Thunderbird Roller Rink oers a variety of services.

Public skate sessions are $8 with one’s own skates. Quad skate rentals are $2, and rollerblade rentals are $5. Birthday parties start at $110. This includes 30 minutes in a party room, a host, quad skate rentals, a birthday button, a turn in the money blowing machine and more. Skate lessons are from noon-1 p.m. on Saturdays for $15. The price includes a subsequent public skate session. Registration is not required. Adult skate is from 7:30-10 p.m. every third Tuesday of the month. The price is $8, and skaters must be at least 18 years old. Women’s roller derby bouts are held one Saturday a month with tickets costing $10 online or $15 at the door.

BUSINESS FEATURE

Inventory at Thunderbird Roller Rink includes approximately 750 pairs of quad skates and approximately 100 pairs of rollerblades.

PHOTOS BY KAREN CHANEYCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

Thunderbird Roller Rink Plano entertainment venue rolls into half-century mark W hen customers walk through the doors of Thunderbird Roller Rink, established in 1972, many whirl into a wave of nostalgia. BY KAREN CHANEY

the 1970s to current tunes play while multicolored lights and strobes create a festive atmosphere. In addition to continual upkeep of the original wood rink oor, improvements, such as new paint, lighting and a music system, have also been made. Skaters as young as 2 years old can make their way around the rink. Advanced skaters, also known as “jam skaters” gravitate to the center of the rink, so “they can hang out in there and do their tricks,” Monjure said. Nell Sims is the original owner of Thunderbird Roller Rink and remains the owner today. Monjure’s father was the rink’s manager and operator for eight years and provided A.J. and his ancé Sonya Gowens with on-the-job training for the last three years. Gowens has a simple reason for why she believes Thunderbird has been in business for 50 years. “It’s a family environment, and that’s what keeps it going,” she said. “[And] people like to skate.”

Thunderbird Roller Rink 3200 Thunderbird Lane, Plano

“We get a lot of people who come in saying they used to skate here when they were little. Now, they’re bringing their kids [or] grandkids,” Manager and Operator Anthony “A.J.” Monjure said. “The [customers] say it looks the same.” Monjure said those customers take their loved ones on a trip down memory lane pointing out highlights from their youth. They walk by the party room and say, “I had my ninth birthday here,” or, “I used to go in the money machine,” he said. And when they say the carpet looks the same as from 20 years ago, Monjure says, “It is.” Just as in years past, a DJ announces skating activ- ities, such as the limbo, dice games, fast skate and opposite direction skate. Music spanning hits from

972-422-4447 | www.thunderbirdrink.com Hours: Tue.-Thu. 1-4 p.m., Fri. 6-10 p.m., Sat. 1-9 p.m., Sun. 2-5 p.m., Mon. closed

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PLANO NORTH EDITION • JULY 2022