World on Wheels, Mid-City, Los Angeles

The empty maple skating floor at World on Wheels under dark trusses and bright panel lights, with the neon World On Wheels sign glowing on the far wall — Shared by Juda

Four men in matching pink outfits and white gloves skate in step on a rink floor while a crowd watches from the edge — Photo: Los Angeles Magazine

World on Wheels opened in 1981 on Venice Boulevard in Mid-City Los Angeles and grew into the heart of the city’s Black indoor skating scene, built on hip-hop and R&B. It hosted KDAY broadcasts and earned a shout-out in Snoop Dogg’s “The Way Life Used to Be.”

It closed in June 2013 after its owner filed for bankruptcy. In July 2017 it reopened with investment from rapper Nipsey Hussle and promoter Tommy Karas.

It closed again in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rink also appears in the HBO documentary United Skates.

Sources

CBS Local, 2013-06-23: closing after three decades
Los Angeles Times, 2017-06-29: reopening
Los Angeles Magazine: The Roller Rink That Incubated L.A. Hip-Hop Is Back
Los Angeles Times, 2021-01-06: its future after 2020

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Rink Report

World on Wheels

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