User:Kevinaitch/Flipper's

Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace, dubbed “Studio 54 on wheels” during its Los Angeles heyday from 1979–81, is a seasonal outdoor roller skating rink in New York City’s Rockefeller Center. Additional locations are in the works, including a Flipper's in West London that is expected open later in 2022.

The new incarnation of Flipper’s launched in midtown Manhattan on April 15, 2022. Opening night highlights included performances by will.i.am and Usher, fortifying the roller disco’s old-school reputation as a “mecca of uninhibited fun” for skaters of all ages and backgrounds.

The Original Flipper's (1979–81)
Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace was founded in 1979 by Ian “Flipper” Ross in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. Housed in a golden-domed art deco building on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and La Cienega, the site of a former bowling alley, Flipper’s soon became what Vogue magazine called “the West Coast’s hottest nightspot.”

The family-owned roller rink attracted an eclectic mix of skaters, from local drag queens and punk rockers to celebrities and exhibitionists who took advantage of Flipper’s lax dress code. Prince wore “stockings, pumps [and] silky little bikini underwear” when he performed there on March 31, 1981 during his Dirty Mind Tour. Other celebrities who rolled into Flipper’s over the years included the Go-Go’s, who performed regularly on a mid-rink stage, Elton John, Sting, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Margaux Hemingway, Robin Williams, Cher, Jane Fonda and Chic’s Nile Rodgers, who often skated to the rink from his nearby home to DJ.

Their exploits are chronicled in Liberty Ross’ 2021 book “Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace 1979-81,” a visual history of the freewheeling hotspot “that burned a hole in the social history of Los Angeles.” “Flipper’s was amazing,” said Cher, who once skated in a skintight red catsuit with white boots. “You could go there and lose your mind in skating. Be free to get out of your own head.”

The original Flipper’s closed after Halloween night in 1981. “Flipper’s was not designed to crash and burn, but to explode like a rocket that goes up,” said founder Ian “Flipper” Ross. “It’s definitely better to burn out than fade away.”

Flipper's New York Revival (2022)
Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace launched its first new location on April 15, 2022, at The Rink at Rockefeller Center, the sunken plaza in midtown Manhattan that has been the home of Rockefeller Center’s iconic ice skating rink and Christmas tree since the 1930s. The first roller rink to operate in Rockefeller Center since 1940, Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace is headed by co-founder and creative director Liberty Ross, the daughter of Flipper’s original founder, Ian “Flipper” Ross, Kevin Wall, an entrepreneur and global event producer and Jimmy Iovine, an American entrepreneur, record executive. Wall founded Category41 with Sharon Kopp, which partnered with Liberty Ross and Jimmy Iovine to reintroduce Flipper's.

Flipper’s brand ambassador is singer/songwriter Usher, an avid roller skater who headlined the opening night festivities with will.i.am, performing his 2002 Top 10 hit “U Don’t Have to Call.” Other guests included Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Patti Smith, Jon Batiste and Gayle King.

The Flipper’s revival coincides with renewed interest in the sport. “Roller skating has enjoyed a boom since the pandemic,” Vogue noted, adding that demand for skates at one point was so high that there was a worldwide shortage. “The freedom and energy that comes from skating has proven infectious—even if you’re just watching TikTok videos of skaters doing their thing.”

Pop-Up Shop
Flipper’s first retail store—and the only one in New York City—is Flipper's Shop at the Rock.The pop-up shop on Fifth Avenue sells the brand’s “iconic roller wear and gear,” including heavyweight fleece sweatshirts, sport mesh hockey jerseys and Flipper’s original ankle-high royal blue suede skates with red laces and wheels. Food and drink options are also available in the plaza, along with a viewing deck.

Charity
This year, Flipper’s is donating $1 from every skate rental to the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation, whose mission is to promote mental health awareness and education.

NYC Season Schedule
Flipper’s Rockefeller Center location opened on April 15, 2022 and will close for the season on October 31.

Future Sites
A second Flipper’s is expected to open later in 2022 in West London. Additional locations are reportedly in the works.