Omaha Exploration

If not for getting his hand caught in a corn picker while working on his fathers farm, Frank Cernik may have never become the king of Omaha’s roller skating scene. Born in 1928, Frank was from a long line of farmers going back generations to Moravia. 

Frank began working at a roller skating rink in his hometown of Wahoo in 1942 when he was just 14 years old. It was during that job where he helped customers put on skates that he developed a love of roller skating. In exchange he was allowed to skate for free. 

By 1946 he purchased a portable skating rink that included a wood floor and a tent. As he traveled Eastern Nebraska, he would put the rink up allowing customers to experience the thrill of skating before packing up and moving on to the next town. That came to an end in 1950 when someone carelessly flicked a cigarette onto the tent causing irreparable damage.

Around that same time, Frank suffered an accident that resulted in the amputation of a part of his hand. At that point, the young man who loved farming instead found work at a meat packing plant and selling vacuums before deciding to go all-in on roller skating. With a $20,000 loan from his father, Frank bought Harker’s Roller Rink at 16th and Bell Street in Fremont and renamed it Fremont Roller Rink. Father and son converted a garage behind the building into a one-room residence where Frank lived with his wife and kids.

The rink was a mess when he took it over as “greasers” often showed up and caused trouble and started fights. In the process of turning it into a family friendly facility, he attended school carnivals and allowed kids a chance to spin a wheel to win small prizes and free passes. In return, schools booked skate parties and his business thrived. After that he opened another rink in Wahoo.

By 1960 Frank built a new rink in Fremont called Roller Village at 1800 E Military. While it was the largest in Nebraska at the time, he saw an opportunity in Omaha’s much larger market which had just a single rink operating at the time – Roller Bowl at 3716 Leavenworth. To capitalize on the opportunity, he sold his other rinks and relocated to Omaha in 1967.

He opened his first Skateland location in Omaha at 5103 S 108th St. The cutting edge skate center had a plastic floor designed to muffle the noise. When it opened it was among the largest in the county with the ability to accommodate up to 800 skaters. Finished with a snack bar, the skate center was popular with families as an economical way to spend time together.

1969 Durham Museum photos of kids skating. The skating rink is not identified but given the date, it is either Skateland or Roller Bowl.

At 40 years old, Frank was a bit old school and required his customers to have a clean cut appearance with a sign inside the door that read: “Casual dress is acceptable but no jeans, long haircuts, t-shirts, sweatshirts or bare midriffs allowed. Slacks or skating shirts permitted. All shirttails tucked in. Neatness of dress and person is expected of every skater”. He admitted that his rules kept most college aged customers away but noted that on at least six occasions, teenagers borrowed a pair of scissors and cut their hair in the parking lot so they could enter.

He continued to lean into the family friendly aspect of the business by offering free passes for kids with good grades. He came up with the idea of panda parties which allowed kids the opportunity to win giant stuffed animals – a practice so successful that it caught on at skate centers across the country. That’s not all, parents would often leave their kids at Skateland trusting that Frank and his staff knew how to take care of them. At one point he referred to it as the biggest babysitter in town.

Looking inside the Skateland at 84th and F.

He used that model and opened new locations in Bellevue on Fort Crook Rd in 1970; Near Irvington on Highway 133 and I-680 in 1971; Brooklyn Park and Burnsville, Minnesota in 1972-1973; Tempe and Mesa, Arizona in 1974-1975; and Fargo, North Dakota in 1976. Frank was an ambitious man with an incredible work ethic who set a goal of opening 200 locations.

Skateland remained popular throughout the decade and resulted in Frank opening other locations in Omaha including his favorite at 84th and F in 1981. He opened his final location in Millard at 132nd and B in 1982. His son Scott took an increasing role in the company over time and had a big hand in opening that location. It originally opened as Skateland before becoming Skatedaze after Playdaze was added in 1994. More than just a skating rink, it was an entertainment center that included bumper cars, a kiddie roller coaster, laser tag and a huge snack bar. By this time Frank was believed to be the owner of the largest chain of roller skating rinks in the country.

Skateland was the place to be and to be seen throughout the 1980s. Another important aspect of the business was the concept of “boy meets girl” as they provided ample opportunities for couples to meet and skate the night away – sometimes overnight until 6 AM. While it is impossible to prove, the family claims that their business was responsible for marriages in Omaha than any other.

At the height of his skating empire Frank was considered an innovator in the “new image” roller rinks as modern recreation centers with snack bars, pro shops and game rooms. He served as vice president and treasurer of the national Roller Skating Association and was named Operator of the Year. He was even inducted into the group’s Hall of Fame. While he fell short of his goal, he opened rinks across four different states and even sold the blueprints and plans to other owners.

The popularity of skating diminished as Frank neared retirement. Once popular rinks closed and the buildings were either razed or repurposed. The one location that remains a roller skating rink is Bellevue’s Skate City. The last one to open in Millard was the last one to close in 2019 which marked the end of an era. The family decided to close it after receiving an offer they couldn’t refuse. Frank passed away one year later proud of the legacy he created that provided both kids and families with good, clean fun.

The only indoor rink in Omaha today is at The Hope Center for Kids, however, there seems to be a renewed interest in roller skating and rollerblading. This can be witnessed by going to Heartland of America Park at The Riverfront and watching people on the skate ribbon which turns to an ice skating surface during the winter months.

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