Our Journey to Golden Glide
Our Story
Facing the threats of another rent increase or forced relocation, Atlanta Roller Derby started looking for a home of our own in late 2024. The plan was straightforward: buy land and build something from scratch. Then, in July 2025 our focus shifted. The property housing Golden Glide Skating Rink came up for sale on LoopNet, with suggested uses that included dead storage and a data center. Suddenly, our mission got bigger.
Roller rinks are closing across the country, and in many cases it's not because they're failing. Many are still profitable, well loved, and full of regulars who've been coming for decades. The people who built these rinks, and often their children after them, are reaching retirement. In many cases, the business owner does not own the building or property. Developers have no interest in running a skating rink.
They don’t care about the community or who is going to miss it.
Everyone has watched a beloved local spot close and wondered afterward why nobody stepped in. ARD was in a position to be that someone. We were founded in rinks like this one, and we know firsthand what they mean to the people who show up week after week, and what's lost when they're gone. Losing Golden Glide to a developer would have been a real and permanent loss, for skaters, for families, and for a community that needs investment — not dead storage or data centers.
Where We Stand
Golden Glide Skating Rink is now operated by a nonprofit-governed, professionally managed subsidiary of Atlanta Roller Derby, a 501(c)(3). Rooted in the "for the skater, by the skater" ethos of flat track derby, we believe all disciplines, no matter the wheels or style, deserve a space to roll. Under our stewardship, Golden Glide’s doors will stay open for more years of birthday parties, community skate nights, and jam sessions. The rink’s business hours and operations will remain the same. And with the combined resources, passion, and experience of two Atlanta skating institutions will become better than ever.
Support Atlanta Roller Derby’s mission to become a home for our vibrant local skating community.
How to Help
Donations are made to Atlanta Roller Derby, a 501(c)(3) organization, and are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Funds raised through our Save Our Skates campaign will be directed to securing our permanent home for the league and preserving Golden Glide, and may be deployed through our wholly owned subsidiary to finalize the property acquisition.
Featured photos by Anthony Jenkins @ajivphotography of our first games at Golden Glide on August 22, 2026