10 great places to let good times roll on skates

— -- In an age of X-Games and elaborate theme parks, roller-skating rinks may seem somewhat antiquated. Not so. With high-tech lighting and sound systems, live DJs, theme events and vibrant new skating styles, today's rinks are not your traditional roller domes. To celebrate National Roller Skating Month, Budd Eversman of the Roller Skating Association International shares his list of favorite venues with Tim Smight for USA TODAY.

Skatetown USA West Chester, Ohio

This facility outside Cincinnati is really two rinks in one. "Skatetown has a large hardwood rink for regular skaters and a dedicated roller-hockey rink complete with locker rooms, benches, penalty boxes and a scorekeeper's box," Eversman says. Roller-hockey enthusiasts can join leagues of varying age groups, and "open hockey" is offered every Friday night (the roller hockey version of pick-up hoops). 513-874-9855; skatetownusa.us

Interskate 91 North Hadley, Mass.

Located on the second floor of a large shopping mall, this popular New England rink boasts an unusual skating floor. "Most roller-skating rinks are oval in shape, like a racetrack," Eversman says. "But the floor here is hourglass-shaped, so skaters make right and left turns coming around each end." 413-586-2737; interskate91.com

United Skates of America Tampa

This popular skating center is known as one of the top "jam skating" venues in the country. "Jam skating — today's version of roller disco — combines elements of skating, dancing and gymnastic moves set to music," Eversman says. The rink also offers workshops for elementary and middle-school students, where instructors use roller skating to illustrate math and science concepts. 813-876-5826; unitedskates.com/tampa

SparklesHiram, Ga.

"Located just northwest of Atlanta, this newly remodeled skating center includes a multilevel indoor playground, a live DJ spinning tunes, a full-service café and wireless Internet throughout," Eversman says. Wednesday night skating classes include dinner, and on Friday nights, skaters can fuel up at an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. 770-943-4446; sparklesrollerrinks.com