As summer rolls back into Long Beach, so too will one of the community’s favorite old-fashioned pastimes. After an eight-month hiatus, Pigeon’s Roller Rink will return to 2ND & PCH, transforming the vacant space into a relished mecca for connection and joy.
The homecoming will be ushered in with a grand reopening on Saturday, May 3 at 10 a.m., with a ribbon cutting ceremony, free gifts for the first 100 guests and a full day of four-wheeled fun. Returning with new all-day passes, free lessons and membership parties, the rink is aiming to be more accessible than ever.
“It just feels like home,” said Shayna Meikle, owner of Pigeon’s Roller Skate Shop and Roller Rink. “Me and countless other people spend many hours there, celebrate achievements there, exercise there, get into the zone or whatever it is you need to do, it can all be done at the rink.”
Pigeon’s Roller Rink, an offshoot of the skate shop on Fourth Street, has operated since 2021, sandwiched between various retailers and restaurants at the 2ND & PCH shopping center. Pigeon’s Roller Skate Shop was founded in 2011, but before turning to a life on wheels, Meikle was a middle school science teacher running a roller derby in Long Beach in the evenings.
She would spend her days teaching children, and at night kept hearing testimonials from women, mostly mothers, who said joining roller derby and finding themselves through roller skating was saving their lives.
“As a teacher you’re constantly trying to help the kids … but I hadn’t realized before those testimonials that I can’t help these kids — their parents need help,” Meikle said. “I really saw much greater reach for making positive change in people’s lives through roller derby and roller skating.”
Once the 100-member all ages roller derby group needed a new place to skate, Meikle began scouting locations. When she came across the 2ND & PCH lot, she realized it was big enough to share with more people.
What started off as a three-month lease has become a cherished community fixture and a space of inclusivity for skaters of all levels. Which is why the abrupt hiatus took the community, and Meikle, by surprise when she was told a Pixar Putt mini golf experience would be taking their place in September 2024.
The silver lining: Pigeon’s was once again able to spread its wings to a new pop-up rink in Mission Viejo. Meikle had long wanted to expand their presence across Southern California, but didn’t want the Long Beach location to suffer.
Her hesitancy is warranted, as roller skating rinks have suffered from financial challenges in the last few decades. Many beloved rinks have been forced to close in recent years, including Los Angeles’ beloved World on Wheels and San Jose’s Aloha Roller Rink.
It’s a balancing act, Meikle explained, as the retail sales from Pigeon’s Roller Skate Shop helps keep the roller rink running and vice versa.They also operate at both locations on a month-to-month lease, which she said “isn’t great for business, or building community,” but allows them to afford the space.
“When someone shops at Pigeon’s on Fourth, it really does go straight to keeping the roller rink open,” Meikle said. “With roller rinks you don’t really make money, you make enough to reinvest in your business, which you have to constantly do, which I love doing. I also just have a lot of motivation knowing that no one else is going to do it”
To cover the price of closing the Long Beach rink and opening the Mission Viejo rink, they put in a “crazy sale” at the shop during the holidays. Months later, the money made from the Mission Viejo rink allowed them to reopen the Long Beach location.
“We originally thought we’d be open here for six months, but they want us to stay,” Meikle said of the Mission Viejo location.
With Pigeon’s Roller Rink now running at two locations for the first time in its history, its Long Beach homecoming is aiming to be more accessible and community-focused than ever. Pigeon’s will be offering $15 all-day passes, a rarity in the roller rink business, as rinks stand to make more money by selling timed sessions. Customers will be welcome to skate, leave for a bite to eat and return at their leisure.
Monthly passes will be $45 and allow residents access to both rinks seven days a week, all day, as well as free skate rentals and members-only events such as potlucks, skate clinics, parties, discounted concessions and soon, discounts at the nearby eateries.
Special events will ramp up in the next few months, and will be posted on @Pigeonsrollerrink on Instagram as well as their website.
Pigeon’s Roller Rink grand reopening will take place at 2ND & PCH (6440 E. Pacific Coast Highway) at 10 a.m. The first 25 guests will receive free entry, and the first 100 guests will receive a free gift.
The rink will be open Mondays through Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursdays through Satrudays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Going forward, Thursdays after 7 p.m. will be adult skating nights, for ages 18 and older only.
