Last year, EOM wasn't open during the winter. Things like cold weather don't really bother them. The athletes work up a sweat and pay no mind to numbed toes or chapped lips. Skating keeps them off the streets. The parents are happy for them to have a place to go.
Truth be told, the ambulance shows up only sporadically.
Since EOM opened 18 months ago, Loop can count a couple of broken wrists, one broken arm and one broken ankle. Nationally, there are 31 million in-line skaters and 6.2 million skateboarders. Manager Johnson keeps a handle on the boys. On busy days, skaters, boarders and bikers whiz across the blacktop in a seemingly well-choreographed ballet of sport. EOM is currently located on the same ground that The American Dream developers were eyeing, directly behind City Place Mall.