It had been a while since I’d worn my sunglasses at night, and I’d been hoping to find a practical application for some leg-warmers, so when Retro Skate Night was suggested as festive location to celebrate a friend’s birthday, I broke out the jelly bracelets and wine coolers and headed to Northstar.

On Tuesday nights, this lovely little rink at the base of the mountain plays host to a high-spirited crew of Tahoe partiers on wheels, all of whom have raided their retro closets. The array of ensembles that particular evening was beautiful, in a purely groovy, thrift store goldmine sense.

My crew had assembled in mostly 80’s wear: off-the-shoulder shirts, leather pants, Members Only jackets and scrunchied side-ponytails. My own sky-high hair, teased into a pouf and fastened into a banana clip, drew compliments from friends; I was reticent to admit that my expertise in fashioning this hairstyle came from having actually worn it in the past (as the wayward bangs of my 7th grade school photo will attest). We looked as totally tubular as you can look in brown and orange rental roller skates.

The DJ was spinning everything from ABBA to Debbie Gibson, and we spun ourselves accordingly. Leggings, knee-high sweat socks and headbands galore wove gleefully in circles. Trains formed — only to break apart as someone in the middle caught a wheel and hit the concrete — and the “Hokey-Pokey” was danced (shocking how difficult that annoying little number becomes on wheels).

The center of the rink played host to those few oddly talented people that could showcase physics-defying, 4-wheeled spins. Sweethearts took their laps together, reminding everyone that there’s nothing more romantic than the thrill of holding hands with a roller-cutie as you both cruise in unison to Journey.

The mood that night was vibrantly gleeful, and not just because of our group’s birthday celebration — or as a result of a few trips to the roll-up bar. Something elementally child-like comes over you when you whiz around a roller rink.

Zig-zagging in and out of throngs of tripping skaters, listening to the thunk of someone’s wheels rolling straight into the wall and grooving to “Living on a Prayer” in the cool night air ... it is a celebration of humans in motion. And all that youthful energy dressed in the absurdity of 70’s/80’s fashion practically guarantees a tremendously entertaining evening, not to mention fantastic photos. Tuesday nights at Northstar are simply… rad.

Retro Skate Night will continue throughout the month of September every Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. on the roller skating rink at the Village at Northstar.
For more information, visit www.NorthstaratTahoe.com.

On Sept. 30 Retro Skate Night will be a fundraiser for the Truckee High Project Graduation where all skate rental proceeds will be donated to Project Graduation for a safe and sober grad night.