Local Life

Retro Schwenker’s Pond Skkkk … aters

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Kids, you’ll skate when … the pond freezes over! Yes, Rumson-Fair Haven folks, it’s cold outside! But it’s only cold enough when the pond truly freezes over. Hell is another story, depending on the pond and the skater. 

Since there’s been lots of talk lately about how it  just might or might not be cold enough to skate, we figured the Retro Pic of the Day could take you back to a day in probably 1970.

On this day, the infamous call on the ol’ rotary dial phone (to a number that started with  Shadyside) was made to see if the ice was safe enough to skate on — and it was.

So, that day we opted to get geared up in high Fair Haven fashion, hold hands, glide, stumble, fall and freeze on Schwenker’s Pond. Dad came along with his Brownie camera, capturing that initial chilly, somewhat terrifying first skate moment.

Yeah, that’s me with the faux fur collared coat and really ugly stocking cap. Oh, I was never a very accomplished athlete, much less coordinated. There were lots of bumps and bruises at the end of that excursion. The sister, though, was another story. The outfits, we thought, were pretty hip.

Remember those stocking hats with the tassel on the end? How many times did yours get caught on the skate blade when you fell? Ahem …

No matter how war torn, that first skating day of the season was a hit on Schwenker’s or McCarter’s Pond. It was a plus knowing that the ice was thick enough to not fall in. See? Those little things are important.

Remember when there was that phone number to call to check if the ice was frozen enough for skating? Anyone remember that number? It started with Shadyside (SH) 7? Police?