Fantasyland is about to be reborn

First kisses and broken arms.

WD40 and spilled glowstick liquid.

They still swirl vibrantly in the memories of McAllen natives in their 20s and 30s. Just out of earshot, dance tunes and MC Hammer jams echo on the soundtrack.

For those of the right age and a certain style, this neon dream was no fantasy - it was Fantasyland.

The skate center on Jackson Road in McAllen, once a mecca for local middle-schoolers and teenagers, closed its doors May 31. For the past several decades, Fantasyland and roller rinks across the country have watched the sun set on their heyday, when they were the very symbol of youth and cool, of America and Americana.

But history, as they say, goes around in circles.

Fantasyland will likely open again in the next month in the old Broadway Hardware building near the intersection of Dove Avenue and 10th Street, said its new owner, Melissa West of McAllen.

West, 58, remembers skating circles at the old Skateland rink near Pecan Boulevard and McColl Road more than two decades ago. She remembers it being a place to spend Friday nights, to meet friends and to hang with the family.

"That's exactly how I remember it, and that's exactly what I want to bring back," West said recently, as she prepared the new location to open. "I want the younger generation to grow up like we did."

That, however, may not be so easy. Will today's slicker, wiser kids really embrace a trend that first belonged to their parents? Or will they see the roller rink as a kitschy relic from a slower, simpler world?

The birthday party

It's her party, and she'll skate if she wants to.

Even with a broken arm.

Aisha Loya, 17, won't forget the day her kid sister turned 8 years old. Maegan, now 14, had taken a hard fall during her party at Fantasyland, injuring her arm. Her older brother drove home, picked up a sling and Maegan continued to skate the rest of the afternoon.

She also had cake and opened her presents.

When the party ended, she admitted to her mother how badly it hurt. The family took Maegen to the emergency room to find out she had a clean break in her arm.

Aisha watched it all from the sidelines. She doesn't skate well, and she didn't care to learn.

 "Even if I wasn't able to skate, or if I was skating really slow, the atmosphere was fun," she said.

The old Fantasyland featured arcade games, music and skating - just like the new one will.

But the real draw was the memories, the times like the Loyas had.

And, of course, budding young love.

The first date

The McAllen 16-year-old locked his keys in the car.

It was the late '70s, and J.D. Mata's sister had let him borrow her yellow Pontiac. Mata, now 43, was taking his date to Skateland.

He remembers her name was Michelle, and he had a huge crush on her. Mata felt nervous as he picked her up, opened the door for her and walked her inside.

"We were walking inside, we were getting ready to pay, and I realized I left the keys in the car," Mata said.

They went inside, and after skating for a while he told her his skates fit wrong. She kept skating, and he headed back for a new pair - only he actually snuck off to a pay phone and called his dad to bring him the spare keys.

For the rest of the night, Mata made excuses to go outside and check for his dad. Finally, he got the keys.

"She was cool," Mata said. "She never knew."

And later in the parking lot, the couple kissed.

The future

Today's generation might grow up never knowing what "couples skate" is, but Melissa West hopes to prevent that.

Mata said almost everyone he knew spent time at Skateland - one of McAllen's only teen entertainment options at the time.

"Skateland - that was the big deal," Mata said. "What else was there?"

Mata now lives in Los Angeles where he works as a filmmaker, but he still remembers many weekends spent at the McAllen skate rink. He said it was a formative experience for him. Bands used to play there, and almost everyone took dates there.

"It was a big social event," he said. "We were freshmen, sophomores and juniors and still going to Skateland."

And that's the crowd West said she hopes to capture again.

The floor is laid in the new location. She's contacted companies about selling skates from the place. Workers must now put the finishing touches on the concession stand and decorations.

When the dust clears, she hopes many people will see a familiar sight.

With disco gone and buried, the only change major change will likely be the music.

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Zack Quaintance covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.