Exploring what's possible

Let's bring roller skating back to Kitsap.

I'm exploring whether a new roller skating rink and social space could work in Kitsap County—and I'd like the community to help figure out whether it could work and what it could become.

Take the community survey Join the interest list

Have about 7 minutes? Your answers help determine whether this idea moves forward.

The idea

More than just a place to skate.

Underneath the skating, this idea comes down to three things.

  • Movement

    A reason to get out of the house, move your body, learn something and be physically engaged.

  • Community

    Somewhere to show up regularly, meet people and feel a little more connected to Kitsap.

  • Play

    Permission for kids and adults alike to have fun without it needing to be productive.

What that actually becomes depends on what Kitsap says it wants. Possibilities I'm exploring include:

  • Public skating

    Family sessions, open skating and plenty of opportunities to get rolling.

  • Adult & 21+ nights

    Music, DJs, themed skate nights and a social experience designed for grown-ups too.

  • Memberships

    Monthly memberships with skating benefits, discounts and special members-only events.

  • Food + bar

    Good food, plus a dedicated bar and lounge area for adults.

  • Parties & events

    Birthdays, private events, fundraisers, celebrations, company events and full-rink rentals.

  • Lessons & programs

    Beginner lessons, youth programming, skating groups and a home for local skating organizations like roller derby.

These are ideas I'm exploring—not finalized features. Your survey responses will help shape the concept.

Why Kitsap?

Kitsap has been without a roller rink since 2019.

For decades, roller skating was part of life here. Bremerton Skateland served generations of local families, skaters, parties, teams and community groups before closing in 2019. Since then, there hasn't been a permanent roller skating rink anywhere in the county.

  • 283K+ people call Kitsap County home
  • ~1 hour to the nearest permanent roller rink from Central Kitsap
  • 1.3K+ members of a local Kitsap roller skating community on Facebook—plus an active roller derby community

Population: U.S. Census Bureau, July 2025 estimate. Drive time: road route from Central Kitsap to El Centro Skate Rink in Federal Way, the nearest permanent rink currently operating — roughly 49 miles. Skating community: membership of a local Kitsap roller skating group on Facebook, plus West Sound Roller Derby, which has practiced at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds since Skateland closed.

None of this proves a roller rink would succeed here. Plenty of things people say they want turn out not to pencil. What it does say is that there's a sizable population, a history of supporting skating, a skating community that already exists—and no convenient place to skate. That's a gap worth investigating, and demand worth testing properly.

Help me test the idea

Who's behind this?

Hi, I'm Whitney.

I'm a Kitsap-based small business owner and community builder. Most of my work is about what actually makes businesses and community initiatives sustainable—not just which ideas sound exciting in the room.

I also love roller skating.

There's something about putting on skates that creates a kind of freedom that's genuinely hard to come by in adulthood. Life gets heavy. So much of it is work, responsibilities, bills, schedules, screens and the endless list of things we're supposed to be doing. Skating gives you permission to move, play, listen to music, laugh, learn something, be a little ridiculous, fall down and get back up.

That combination—movement, community and play—is what made me start wondering whether a modern roller rink could make sense here.

I don't have a rink, a building, or a plan I'm trying to sell you. I'm doing the research first, to find out whether this could actually work in Kitsap and what it would have to look like to be sustainable. If the answer turns out to be no, that's a real answer too.

That's where you come in.

Whitney Tatum

A photo of Whitney goes here once there's a good one.

The community survey

Could Kitsap have a roller rink again?

Liking the idea isn't the same as using it. What I need to know is whether people would actually show up, how often, and what they'd pay.

The survey asks about the things a feasibility study has to answer:

  • How often you'd actually visit
  • What you'd realistically pay
  • Which programming you'd use
  • Whether a membership interests you
  • How far you'd be willing to travel
  • What would make you come back

Your answers go into an early feasibility study looking at whether a new roller rink could be financially sustainable in Kitsap County. This isn't a petition for something already decided—it's the actual research, and an honest "I probably wouldn't go" is as useful to me as an enthusiastic yes.

Take the 7-minute survey
Goal 500+ Kitsap responses

Response totals will be published here as the survey progresses.

Membership concept

What if the rink felt like your place?

One idea I'm exploring is a monthly membership that makes skating more affordable for regulars and builds a stronger community around the rink. Recurring membership revenue could also help carry the fixed costs of keeping a building open, which is a large part of whether a rink survives.

Possible membership benefits could include:

  • Regular admission
  • Members-only sessions
  • Guest passes
  • Skate rental benefits
  • Food and drink discounts
  • Priority event access
  • Party and lesson discounts
  • Special member events

None of these benefits and no pricing have been decided. The survey asks what a membership would need to include—and cost—to be worth it to you.

The adult experience

Adult fun shouldn't have to revolve around a bar.

Think about where adults in Kitsap can actually go to be around other people. Most of the options involve drinking, eating or sitting—consuming something rather than doing something. There aren't many places built for adults to move, try something, and end up talking to people they didn't arrive with.

A rink could be a different kind of adult social space: somewhere you show up on a Thursday, put on skates, hear good music, get a little better at something you're bad at, and leave having actually participated in your evening.

Programming I'm considering could include:

  • Adult skate nights
  • 21+ nights
  • DJs
  • Theme nights
  • Date nights
  • Beginner lessons
  • Member nights
  • Social skate groups
  • Private events
  • Community events
  • Bar & lounge

A 21+ bar and lounge could be part of the experience—but it wouldn't be the experience. The experience is movement, music, people and play.

Alcohol service, programming and facility design would all depend on licensing, location, feasibility and what the community says it wants.

Interest list

Want to see this happen?

Join the Kitsap Skates interest list and follow along as I work out whether bringing roller skating back to Kitsap can actually happen.

People on the list can hear about:

  • Project updates
  • Community survey results
  • Pop-up skating events
  • Founding Membership opportunities
  • Future crowdfunding/reward campaigns
  • Location updates
What are you most interested in? (choose any)

Your information won't be sold or shared. If you choose to receive project updates, you can unsubscribe at any time.

Could Kitsap have a roller rink again?

Help me find out.

Take the community survey Join the interest list