Rolling skating for fun, good health at Florham Park rink

FLORHAM PARK – — Claudia and Joe Dungan are technically senior citizens, but you’d never know it by watching them roller skate.

Every weekend, the couple dons wheels and spends six hours or more twirling and gliding to the pulsing beat on the beechwood floor at Florham Park Roller Skating Rink on Ridgedale Avenue.

Together with skaters of all ages and abilities, the couple, from the Lake Hopatcong section of Jefferson Township, seems to have found the fountain of youth in a form of exercise many think has gone the way of the poodle skirt and saddle shoes.

“A body is like a lake,’’ said Claudia Dungan, 67, who began skating a little more than 20 years ago, when injuries forced her and her husband to give up running. “If the lake doesn’t move, it gets stagnant. When you move, you get the oxygen into the organs, and you’re ready for anything.’’

Yes, roller skating is alive and well in Morris County, and as more than 200 skaters proved on a recent Saturday in the Florham Park rink, it’s a form of exercise that keeps both young and old moving and smiling.

“Life, without challenges, is flat,’’ Claudia Dungan says. “And we’re going to skate as long as we can. You feel like you’re flying.’’

As most know, the surgeon general recommends regular physical activity for adults of all ages to reduce the risk of such chronic diseases as heart disease, stroke, some cancers, type 2 diabetes and depression. And in children and adolescents, physical activity has been found to improve bone health, cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness and body composition, according to the surgeon general’s website, www.surgeongeneral.gov.

SEE ALSO: Jackson Skating Rink

“Being physically active is one of the most important steps that people of all ages and abilities can take to improve their health,’’ according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Increasing people’s physical activity level will significantly reduce their risk of chronic disease and premature death and support positive mental health and healthy aging.’’

SEE ALSO: Seniors embracing fitness classes created just for them http://dailyre.co/1Tt11hb 

For the Dungans, roller skating is the perfect way to fill the health bill. It requires little in the way of equipment, and is done in a climate-controlled environment. The two also enjoy yoga. “It’s wonderful when you get those endorphins going and you relax, finally,’’ Claudia Dungan says. “We both have a lot of high energy.’’

The sport is great for them socially, as well, and the two can be found guiding and assisting skaters of all ages during the 2-hour sessions at the Florham Park rink, which accommodates as many as 350 skaters per session.

“They’re adorable,’’ said Jolene Tartaglia, who manages the rink that has been in her family since 1937. “It seems like every week, they’re helping someone and just having so much fun.’’

Tartaglia recommends skating for children aged five and up, because by that age most are social enough for the crowds and noise volume. “And by seven or eight, they’re very social,’’ she said. “They don’t mind all of this. It’s a club environment for kids.’’

On a recent Saturday, both Aaron Langel, of Haskell, and Jacob Hausman, of Rockaway, enjoyed the atmosphere and did their best to show off their skills. “It gets me out of the house,’’ Hausman, 12, said with a laugh, as he got used to his classic skates. Nathan Jones, who brought Hausman out with his son and other friends, agreed. “And they’re not all home on the computer,’’ he said. “That’s where they’d all be otherwise.’’ Langel, just four-and-a-half years old, seemed to have mastered his inline skates, though mom, Sharon, seemed a bit more nervous than he.

Skating sessions at Florham Park are two hours long and take place on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The schedule is available at www.florhamparkrollerrink.com. Afternoon admission is $6.50, while the cost is $7.50 per person at night. Skate rental is an additional $4, but skaters are welcome to bring their own skates.

Friday and Saturday night sessions attract a lot of teens and young adults, said Tartaglia, whose uncle, Mel Batson, and his partner, Vincent Sullivan, have owned the rink since 1965. “It’s date night,’’ she said. The rink is also a popular choice for children’s birthday parties. At a price of $13.25 per skater, families can bring in their own food and have a table reserved for their group. Schools and camps often book skating sessions, Tartaglia said.

For adults, skating makes great exercise sense, Tartaglia said. “Most people have skated as kids,” she said. “It’s something that does come back to you.’’

Joe Dungan, 72, couldn’t agree more, having picked it up quite easily in his 50s. He continues to work on new skills and tricks for fun, he says. “It’s always a challenge,’’ he said. “There’s always something to work on. Everybody skates slightly differently. One person can do this trick and you say to yourself, ‘I wish I could do that.’ And they’re saying the same thing about you.’’

Not only is it good exercise, but skating gives Joe Dungan, a semi-retired union stage hand, goals and motivation. “I look at someone who’s been skating since they’re 11 years old and they can do things that amaze me,’’ he said. “That’s a goal I’ve got to keep working toward. We’re mediocre, but maybe we can get that good.”

The two can be found every Saturday and Sunday spinning, twirling and skating backwards and forwards in Florham Park. “We don’t just cruise,’’ Claudia Dungan said. “We don’t stop. We’ve learned to jump. We do a full range of things. We have certain dance moves.’’

The Dungans say their skates were costly. Purchased about 20 years ago, they spent more than $350 per pair, but they’ve lasted, with a little maintenance. They also use inline skates, which are more affordable. Both types of skates are available for rental at the Florham Park rink.

The music, disco lights and fun atmosphere are all energizing, Claudia Dungan said. “It gives you great freedom, great joy,’’ she said. “It’s like when you jump into water — you have certain expectations, but it’s that leap that really sets you off.’’

How do you stay fit? Email eabreu@gannettnj.com for a story.