One of my classmates at Kent School and Redwood, Allen Schramm, was the son of the owner. He used to get out of PE class because he trained very early every morning and became a professional skater and trainer. One time, it was my birthday, and I had the choice of having my party at Raydine's or the Go-Cart Track that was in what is now Larkspur Landing. I chose Radine's. It was really kind of cool to go from a hot summer day into a place that felt like a winter land.
I know it's been years since anyone has posted about this subject. I skated at Raydine's in Corte Madera when I was 9-10-11. My coach was Tony Howard. The years..... 1968, 1969, 1970
How many of ya'll are aware that Radine's was originally on Greenfield Ave. in San Anselmo before it moved into that brand new building in Corte Madera?
Raydine's was one of my most cherished memories growing up. My first trip was when I was 3 and went with my babysitter. From that day on, I decided all I wanted to be was a famous skater like Peggy Fleming (I'm dating myself!). I spent every waking moment at that rink, and begged my parents for lessons, but, unfortunately, they couldn't afford it. Eventually, I managed to scrape up enough money to take some lessons from Tony Howard as well, and started doing patch sessions (figure 8's) in the wee hours of the morning. I never got to competition, but still loved every moment I spent at that rink. It was a sad, sad day when Raydine's closed. It's such a shame that Marin has lost all these facilities (skating rinks) due to the fact that liability insurance is too high. I still often wish we could go back to those times when life was carefree and lawsuits didn't come a dime a dozen.
Who remembers Raydine's in Corte Madera where Gold's Gym is now? I miss that place. What fun times I had there as a kid. I took private ice skating lessons every Sunday morning with my teacher Tony Howard, starting when I was around 10 years old. It was scary, but fun. I earned a badge for each level of difficulty I accomplished. I proudly displayed them on a sweater that I wore with a cute little ice skating skirt and of course, my own bright white ice skates. Too bad I got scared when I started to learn how to jump and spin around (forgot the proper terminology), because I wore glasses and ended up quitting! I've never forgiven myself for that. As the years went by, I spent many a Friday night hanging out there with my friends, showing off a little and having secret dates with my boyfriend. That ended pretty fast when my mom found out I lied about my friends dad bringing me home one night, when it was really my boyfriend. She put me on restriction for a month! I was not allowed to be alone in a car with a 17 year old boy, when I was only 14. Hmmm...I wonder why?
