Penrith Skatel Is Closing After 18 Years
After 18 years, Penrith Skatel will close its doors on 22 March.
For so many families, Skatel wasn’t just a roller rink. It’s been part of growing up in Penrith for nearly two decades.
But the story goes back even further.
Sue and her late husband Bob had been running roller skating rinks in the region since the early 1980s. What started as an opportunity at a Windsor rink turned into something much bigger. They eventually ran three rinks across Mount Druitt, Peachtree and Windsor before buying the Penrith building outright.
After Bob passed away in 2015, Sue continued the legacy on her own.
“Everything has revolved around roller skating for 38 years,” she shared, and now she’s looking forward to spending more time with her family — something she’s missed while running the rink all these years.
It’s the end of Skatel as we know it, but it’s not the end of skating in Penrith.
The main coaches from Team Skatel Artistic Roller-Skating Club have secured time at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre to keep the sport alive locally. The skating community isn’t going anywhere — it’s just changing venues.
Still, 22 March will mark the end of an era for a business that’s been part of Western Sydney family life for 18 years.
If you’ve ever skated there, had a birthday there, or watched your kids learn to roll there, now might be the time for one last visit.
