STAR of the Month: Skating in the Sunshine City with Shauna Controlla

Smack in the middle of the Sunshine City of Portmore is a thrilling, excitement-filled and ambitious business venture called the Destiny Rink. The roller-skating rink, which has been in operation for three years and seven months, is one of Jamaica’s few ‘skate lands’ and remains a beloved hotspot for children, teenagers and adults alike.

Dancehall artiste Shauna Controlla, as part of the STAR of the Month feature, ventured to Destiny Rink last week and found out how much fun skating can be.

Being a novice, it was no surprise that the area designated as the Beginners’ Circle was her favourite. But after one hour of training, the Star of the Month was ready to test her skills and do some skate moves to the high-energy music that was blaring from the speakers.

“Four weeks before my anticipated Reggae Sumfest appearance, I allowed THE WEEKEND STAR to draw me out for what would be a first-time experience – skating at the Destiny Rink. I think I was more concerned about falling flat on my bottom, and yuh know me can’t play with my body,” Shauna said in a thinly veiled reference to the fact that she has had body-enhancement surgery.

“The hardest part about roller-skating was getting over the fear of falling. It is all mental, and if you tell yourself that you can’t do it or expect to fall, it will definitely happen,” she continued.

Shauna was lucky to get assistance from Kimano Hill, a member of staff, and Owaine Lewis, a regular customer. The latter, who said he was there to spend quality time with his daughter, Sincere, got the recording artiste to skate without any support.

“I really appreciated the help I got from staff and the father-daughter duo; and surprised myself that I never fell,” she said.

“My plan is to take my son here … . He is going to go crazy when we finally get to do something like this together. This skating rink deserves a five-out-of-five star rating, especially for it being family-oriented but still a place you can come with a date.”

The Experience: Rating: 5/5

n Best Part: There is capable, friendly staff on duty to teach beginners.

n Hardest Part: Turning the corners in the roller skates.

n Location: 6 Portmore Parkway, Portmore, St Catherine. Coming from the Port Kingston Causeway, keep on the straight road then turn left at Crystal Clear Water Refilling onto Mega Way. The skating rink will be at Destiny Mall on the left. Walk three flights of stairs and reach your destination on the third and final floor overlooking the town.

n Essentials: Make sure you wear or walk with a pair of socks; skating is strictly prohibited without socks although the skate shop offers socks at an affordable cost of $100. Also it is likely you will bust a sweat, take a face towel, rag or anything to wipe the sweat from your eyes.