Our Skating Center
The rink we have come to own has a rich history. Matt and Pat Durda owned the Roll-Arena on Laketon Avenue and the Galaxy on Airline Road, and later building the Roll-Arena at the Evanston Avenue location, now named Jumpin’ Jupiter Skate Center.
In 1996 their daughter Patsy and her husband John Ellerbroek purchased the rink from Patsy’s parents (Matt & Pat Durda) and made several updates to the facility. When the Ellerbroek’s began searching for a manager in Muskegon, Jeff & I, driven by our love for roller skating, decided to take on the challenge. We moved to the area without knowing anyone, but believed our passion for roller skating could create a positive impact in the community and offer a place where families could have fun together.
In 1998, we purchased the rink and quickly realized that running a small business required much more effort than we had anticipated. Despite the long hours and increased responsibilities, seeing the joy and happiness of kids and families having fun, has made all the effort incredibly rewarding.
Later we named the rink the “Jumpin’ Jupiter Skate Center.” When asked about the name, we explained that “Jumpin” reflects our original dream of offering indoor playground activities, and “Jupiter” came from Jeff’s love for astronomy. Together, it represents both our passion and our vision for a fun and active family-friendly environment.
We look forward to skating with you soon!
Jeff & Erika Wymer
Our Journey
We didn’t invent the wheel, we just made it more fun!
Jeff’s connection to roller skating runs deep. His grandfather was an artistic skater at Roll Haven, and both of his parents grew up skating at their local rink. Jeff’s very first roller rink experience happened on a packed Tuesday night. He confidently skated out onto the floor—until he suddenly found himself stuck in the middle, unsure how to get off while skaters zipped past him! He had to wait for the “trio special” before he could finally make his exit. When he got off the floor, his father joked, “You must really like it—you were out there a long time!”
For Erika, roller skating was also a big part of family life growing up. Her mother spent many of her younger years skating at Rainbow Gardens and often shared fond memories of walking to the rink with her sister and two brothers every weekend. They would spend hours skating, laughing, and enjoying time with friends.
Erika’s father also grew up skating at Rainbow Gardens. Although both of her parents spent many nights skating there, they didn’t actually know each other at the time. Later, they often wondered how many times they may have passed each other on the rink floor, especially since they knew many of the same kids from the neighborhood. Rainbow Gardens eventually burned down, and the location is now home to the skate park near the Ludington beach.
Jeff’s passion for skating continued into his teenage years when he began working in the skate room at Kentwood Arena near Grand Rapids. Over time he worked his way up to floor guard and eventually DJ, working for the Ellerbroek family during high school and on and off for many years.
Meanwhile, Erika began skating regularly at Woodland Skating Center when she was just five years old, often visiting with her family. As she grew older, she began skating at Kentwood Arena as well and even spent time on the speed skating team, skating several sessions each week.
Jeff and Erika eventually met through a mutual friend who also shared their love of roller skating. The roller-skating rink atmosphere had been part of both of their lives for years—through family memories, friendships, and countless nights spent on the rink floor.
Our journey into owning a roller-skating rink started with a simple goal: to create a fun, safe, and welcoming place where kids and families could enjoy active play together.
As parents ourselves, we understood how difficult it can be to find family entertainment and kids activities that are both exciting for children and comfortable for parents—especially when kids are different ages and skill levels. We fell in love with roller skating because it’s active, social, and full of joy. But we also realized it could be much more than just skating.
That vision inspired us to build a place designed for the whole family. Along with open roller-skating sessions, we offer birthday party packages, school and church fundraisers, group events, and family entertainment all under one roof. For new skaters, we provide skate mates and a practice area to help kids build confidence. For even more fun, we also offer arcade games and an off-skates playground area for younger children.
Our mission has always been simple: bring families and communities together in a space where kids can be active, parents can relax, and everyone can make memories that last a lifetime.
Whether you’re planning a kids birthday party, school fundraiser, family outing, or just looking for fun things to do with kids, we’re proud to provide a place where laughter, music, and skating bring people together.
Community & Awards
Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce
Member 2006 – 2026
Supporter of the Year
Love Inc 2001
Innovative Rink Operators of the Year
Roller Skating Association 2010
The Al Kish Attaway Award
Roller Skating Association 2009
Roller Skating Association International
Member since 1998
• Roller skating is equivalent to jogging in terms of health benefits, caloric consumption, reduction of body fat and leg strength development.
• Studies have shown that roller skating provides a complete aerobic workout and involves all 640+ of the body’s muscles, especially the heart.
• The American Heart Association recognizes and recommends roller skating as an aerobic fitness sport.
• Just one hour of moderate roller skating (6mph) burns 330 calories for a 143-pound person, he will take advantage of all the fitness benefits that aerobics can offer. If that same person roller skates vigorously, he or she will burn up to 590 calories in an hour.
• According to a study at the University of Massachusetts, roller skating causes less than 50 percent of the impact shock to joints compared to running.
• If someone roller skates one day, bicycles another, and swims or runs on another, the person will be getting all the fitness benefits that aerobics can offer.
• According to Dr Carl Foster, associate professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, roller skating as a form of exercise is as beneficial as running or cycling. (Information from International Inline Skating Association website).
• During a 30-minute period, on the average, roller skating at a steady, comfortable rate expends 285 calories and produces a heart rate of 148 beats per minutes.
