- [Jake] I'm Jake and this is the Chardon Polka Band.

Since I was 16, polka music has been my job.

Since I was 16, polka music has been my job.

And at that job, I get into some pretty crazy stuff.

There's Mitch, Mike, Brian, and Bob.

You never know what we're gonna do or who we might run into, but we're gonna share it all with you on "The World According to Polka."

(playful music) (wheels screech) (playful music) (carefree music) (duck call whistle honks) (skates rattle) (horn toots) (duck call whistle honks) (skates rattle) (carefree music) (duck call whistle honks) - [Pair] The Quack Attack is back, Jack.

- [Skater] It's polka time, Jake.

(honks duck call whistle) - Well, it looks like it's time for another exciting installment of "The World According to Polka."

Today, we're using our polka music to explore roller skating.

And that might seem like an odd topic to pair with polka, but roller skating has almost always involved music.

In fact, the first pair of roller skates ever created was made by a Belgian musician and inventor named John Joseph Merlin, back in the 1700s.

He's said to have debuted his pair of roller skates at a dinner party where he roller skated while playing the violin.

And eventually, crashed into a mirror.

(glass shatters) He's my kind of guy.

In the late 1800s, people would skate to the music of live brass bands and small orchestras.

Now we're not going quite as far back as the 1800s, but we do hope to capture some vintage roller skating vibes with this first song, "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

("Breakfast at Tiffany's") (upbeat polka music) ♪ You'll say that we've go nothin' in common ♪ ♪ No common ground to start from ♪ ♪ And we're falling apart ♪ You'll say the world has come between us ♪ ♪ Our lives have come between us ♪ ♪ Still I know you just don't care ♪ ♪ And I said, what about breakfast at Tiffany's ♪ ♪ She said, I think I remember the film ♪ ♪ And as I recall, I think we both kinda liked it ♪ ♪ And I said, well that's one thing we've got ♪ (upbeat polka music) (upbeat polka music continues) (upbeat polka music continues) (upbeat polka music continues) (upbeat polka music continues) ♪ And I said, what about breakfast at Tiffany's ♪ ♪ She said, I think I remember the film ♪ ♪ And as I recall, I think we both kinda liked it ♪ ♪ And I said, well that's one thing we've got ♪ (audience applauds) Now we're gonna talk about the organ, a musical instrument that plays an important role in the history of roller skating and roller rinks.

As early as the 1920s, skating rinks featured full-sized pipe organs.

However, after the Hammond organ was introduced to the world in 1935, there was now a smaller and simpler option for that classic organ sound.

And from the 1930s to the 1970s, the Hammond organ helped make organ music synonymous with roller skating rinks.

And folks, there are still roller rinks out there where you can find live organ music today, in the 21st century, and we're here at one of 'em, Lorain Skate World in Lorain, Ohio.

And Kim, you gotta tell me, what's goin' on here today?

What did we skate into?

- We're skating to live organ music.

- [Jake] I love it.

Why are we doin' that?

- [Kim] You can just feel the music comin' through the speakers and you can just feel it.

The organ just moves ya.

- You own a skating rink, man, that's awesome.

How long has this place been here?

- So it's been here since 1975.

We are one of the last remaining rinks in the area that offer live organ music.

So we have a Hammond X66.

People that you see here on Tuesdays and Fridays, they come every week to our live organ session.

They have a lot of history in roller skating.

Many of them met their spouses on skates here.

- Lillian, you are passionate about your skating, right?

- [Lillian] That's right, sir.

And my husband and I met at a skating rink.

- You're kiddin' me.

- No, I'm not kiddin' you.

Not that he was the greatest skater, but he was good at hanging out in the lobby.

- I love it.

A man after my own heart.

- The lobby with his buddies, 'cause they drove and he didn't.

- [Jake] How long have you been skating?

- [Lillian] It's got to be at least 60 years.

- Wow, you started when you were a little girl.

- Yeah.

- I love it.

- [Lillian] With my little old clamp-on skates.

- [Jake] Aw, Lillian, what do you think of the live music element with the skating?

You gotta have live music for your skating?

- It brings the passion up.

(tinny echoing organ music) (tinny echoing organ music continues) (tinny echoing organ music continues) - Dave, how am I doing out there on the dance floor?

- You're doing fine.

- Yeah?

What would you give me in a ranking?

- [Dave] Oh, I'd have to give you about a seven 'cause you're in rentals, and they're not the easiest thing to skate in.

(chuckles) - [Jake] What's the significance of the music?

- You get the beat of the music for whatever you're doin', a blues, a tango, a schottische, waltz, it makes you flow 'cause you have to skate to the music.

- Folks, you gotta go find some live organ to skate to because it's amazing.

- It is amazing.

(joyful organ music) - It is easy to see how this peppy music brings people to the rink.

Now, in the 70s, a new kind of music dominated the roller rinks, and that was disco.

In the era of the roller disco, at the height of the world's disco craze, a trip to the rink meant colorful outfits, hip, new moves, and funky music.

And we're gonna pay homage to that time period the only way we know how, with a little bit of polka music.

The Chardon Polka Band is going to take on the ABBA disco classic, "Take a Chance on Me," and we're gonna do it polka style.

(upbeat music) ♪ If you change your mind, I'll be first in line ♪ ♪ Honey, I'm still free, take a chance on me ♪ ♪ If you need me, let me know 'cause I'll be around ♪ ♪ If you've got no place to go, if you're feelin' down ♪ ♪ If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown ♪ ♪ Baby, I'm still free, take a chance on me ♪ ♪ Gonna do my very best and I ain't gonna lie ♪ ♪ If you put me to the test, if you let me try ♪ ♪ Take a chance on me ♪ Take a chance on me ♪ We can go dancin', we can go walkin' ♪ ♪ As long as we're together ♪ Listen to some music, maybe just talkin' ♪ ♪ Get to know you better ♪ I got so much that I wanna do ♪ ♪ When I dream, I'm alone with you, it's magic ♪ ♪ You want me to leave it there, afraid of a love affair ♪ ♪ But I think you know ♪ That I can't let go (playful upbeat music) (playful upbeat music continues) (playful upbeat music continues) (playful upbeat music continues) (playful upbeat music continues) ♪ We can go dancin', we can go walkin' ♪ ♪ As long as we're together ♪ Listen to some music, maybe just talkin' ♪ ♪ Get to know you better ♪ If you change your mind, I'll be first in line ♪ ♪ Honey, I'm still free, take a chance on me ♪ ♪ If you need me, let me know, gonna be around ♪ ♪ If you got no place to go, if you're feelin' down ♪ ♪ If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown ♪ ♪ I'm still free, take a chance on me ♪ ♪ Gonna do my very best and it ain't no lie ♪ ♪ If you put me to the test, if you let me try ♪ ♪ Take a chance on me ♪ Take a chance on me ♪ Take a chance on me All right, folks, we are done with disco because we have another roller activity to discuss.

We've shown roller skating is both a fun, leisure activity and a majestic sport, but if you are going to roller skate, why not put yourself in a situation where you are going to get run into, and you expect bodily harm.

That's why we're here at the Burning River Roller Derby.

And we are joined by two of the derby's most petrifying players, Killer Queen, and Deviled Ham.

Can you tell us, in a nutshell, what is roller derby?

- Roller Derby is a community.

It's a group of players who are just getting together to have a good time, maybe rough each other up just a little bit.

- Roller derby is a full-contact sport where we have a star, we score points, we hit each other, we have a lot of fun.

- It doesn't say Deviled Ham on your driver's license, right, that's your roller derby name.

- Yes.

- You're Killer Queen.

- I am Killer Queen, yes.

- Is that your daytime name too, or like- - No, my daytime name is actually Dr. Courtney Spizalli.

(laughs) - Wait, wait, excuse me, let's hold for a second.

Doctor.

- Yes.

I am a doctor of nursing practice.

In my daytime job, I am a system peri-operative nurse educator.

I have a doctorate.

I oversee 16 different hospitals.

Yeah, that's my daytime job.

- Why do you play this sport?

- [Deviled Ham] It's the community.

Again, I don't work out well by myself.

I'm at the gym, I'm on the treadmill, I'm like, "Eh, this is not so fun."

But you get in a group of people and you're all doing the same thing, you're all sweating together, you all smell really stinky together, you're having a good time.

- It's a lot of fun.

I obviously, I get to do my crazy makeup, which is fun, I'm a Halloween avid person, so I get to do makeup.

- It gets you out of your own head space.

If you're having a stressful day at work, just come bump into somebody and have a really good time.

- We just have a lot of fun and I like hitting people.

It's good therapy.

(laughs) I would say it's free, but not when you break something.

- (laughs) Yeah, you gotta pay the medical bills.

- Yeah.

(laughs) We're welcoming to everybody and I think that's something that lacks in this world.

Doesn't matter what your body type is, doesn't matter what your background is, doesn't matter what your disability is, we wanna make sure everybody is welcome, create an environment that's just fun and cool (laughs) to hang out in.

- You know what, the world could learn a lot from roller derby and my friend, Killer Queen.

Thanks for sharing this with us today and we're having a great time watching you all out there.

- Perfect, thank you.

(energetic music) (energetic music continues) ♪ Gonna tell you a story that you won't believe ♪ ♪ How I fell in love last Friday evening ♪ ♪ With a girl I saw on a bar room TV screen.

♪ ♪ I was just gettin' ready to get my hat ♪ ♪ She caught my eye, so I put it back ♪ ♪ And I ordered myself a couple more shots and beers ♪ ♪ The night that I fell in love with a roller derby queen ♪ ♪ Round and round, oh round and round ♪ ♪ Meanest hunk of woman that anybody ever seen ♪ ♪ Down in the arena oh yeah ♪ She was five foot six, she was 215 ♪ ♪ A bleach blond mama with a streak of mean ♪ ♪ She knew how to knuckle ♪ And she knew how to scuffle and fight ♪ ♪ The roller derby program said ♪ ♪ That she was build like a refrigerator with a head ♪ ♪ Her fans called her Tuffy ♪ And her buddies, they called her Spike ♪ ♪ The night that I fell in love with a roller derby queen ♪ ♪ Round and round, oh round and round ♪ ♪ Meanest hunk of woman that anybody every seen ♪ ♪ Down in the arena oh yeah (energetic music) (energetic music continues) (energetic music continues) ♪ Well I could not help it but to fall in love ♪ ♪ With that heavy duty woman I've been speakin' of ♪ ♪ Things were kind of bad ♪ Until the day she skated into my life ♪ ♪ Well she might be nasty and she might be fat ♪ ♪ You won't find a person who can tell her that ♪ ♪ She's my big blond bomber ♪ My heavy handed Hackensack mama ♪ ♪ The night I fell in love with a roller derby queen ♪ ♪ Round and round, oh round and round ♪ ♪ The meanest hunk o' woman that anybody ever seen ♪ ♪ Down in the arena oh yeah (energetic music) (energetic music continues) That last song was from singer, song writer, Jim Croce.

Now check it out, folks, Mitch Lawrence.

- Up next, we've got a fantastic folk singer from Illinois, named Christina Eltrevoog to sing you another roller-tastic tune.

- My name's Christina Eltrevoog.

I'm here in the lovely town of Ottawa, Illinois, where I grew up.

I was a skating fiend in my adolescence at the good old Paramount Skating Rink.

I was very happy with the regular skate rentals, but today, I've got myself my first brand new pair of roller skates.

I'm gonna take 'em for a spin.

Whoa!

(laughs) (gentle music) (film reel rattles) ♪ I rode my bicycle past your window last night ♪ ♪ I roller skated to your door at daylight ♪ ♪ Oh, it almost seems like you're avoiding me ♪ ♪ I'm okay alone, but you got something I need ♪ ♪ Well, I got a brand new pair of roller skates ♪ ♪ You got a brand new key ♪ I think that we should get together ♪ ♪ And try them out, you see ♪ I've been lookin' around a while ♪ ♪ You got something for me ♪ Well I got a brand new pair of roller skates ♪ ♪ You got a brand new key ♪ I ride my bike, I roller skate, don't drive no car ♪ ♪ Don't go too fast, but I go pretty far ♪ ♪ Oh for somebody who don't drive ♪ ♪ I've been all around the world ♪ ♪ Some people say I've done all right for a girl ♪ ♪ Yeah yeah ♪ Oh yeah yeah yeah ♪ Oh yeah yeah yeah, oh yeah yeah ♪ ♪ I asked your mother if you were at home ♪ ♪ She said yes, but you weren't alone ♪ ♪ Oh sometimes I think that you're avoiding me ♪ ♪ I'm okay alone, but you got something I need ♪ ♪ Well I got a brand new pair of roller skates ♪ ♪ You got a brand new key ♪ I think that we should get together ♪ ♪ And try them out, you see ♪ La la la la la la la ♪ La la la la la ♪ Oh I got a brand new pair of roller skates ♪ ♪ You got a brand new key (gentle music) (film reel rattling) - All right folks, that was Bob Young and myself, backing up the amazing Christina Eltrevoog.

She's a good friend and a wonderful musician.

- And skating is always a good, wonderful activity.

- Oh, it's always wonderful and it's made even more wonderful by the music that you pair it with.

- Just like this next one, from back in our day, right?

- Oh, back in our day, the 1990s, folks.

This is a song about the passing of time, originally penned by the brothers, Hanson.

- This is a VHS throwback, called, "MmmBop."

(tape clicks) (upbeat music) ♪ So many relationships in life, only one or two will last ♪ ♪ Go through all the pain and strife ♪ ♪ Turn your back and it goes so fast ♪ ♪ Yeah, it goes so fast ♪ Hold on to the ones who really care ♪ ♪ 'Cause in the end, they'll be the ones who’s there ♪ ♪ When you get old and lose your hair ♪ ♪ Can you tell me who will still care ♪ ♪ Can you tell me who will still care ♪ ♪ Okay yeah, mmmbop, ba duba dop ba ♪ ♪ Du bop, ba duba dop ba ♪ Du bop, ba duba dop ba du ♪ Whoa whoa, Mmmbop, ba duba dop ba ♪ ♪ Du bop, ba duba dop ba ♪ Du bop, ba duba dop ba du ♪ Plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose ♪ ♪ Plant any one of those ♪ Gotta plant 'em to find out which one grows ♪ ♪ It's a secret no one knows ♪ It's a secret no one knows ♪ Okay now, Mmmbop, ba duba dop ba ♪ ♪ Du bop, ba duba dop ba ♪ Du bop, ba duba dop ba du ♪ Whoa whoa, Mmmbop, ba duba dop ba ♪ ♪ Du bop, ba du dop ba ♪ Du bop, ba du dop ba du (carefree upbeat music) (carefree upbeat music continues) (carefree upbeat music continues) ♪ Hey yeah, Mmmbop, ba duba dop ba ♪ ♪ Du bop, ba duba dop ba ♪ Du bop, ba duba dop ba du ♪ Whoa whoa, Mmmbop, ba duba dop ba ♪ ♪ Du bop, ba du dop ba ♪ Du bop, ba du dop ba du Today, I use my skates a lot when Emily and I are teaching the kids how to bicycle.

But this episode made me really wanna find some skating photos from my own childhood.

After all, skating was a big deal for me in middle school.

Me and my friends would hang out at the rink all the time.

So I figured there must be pictures.

I checked the photo albums, nothin'.

I checked through my closet and boxes of old photographs.

Still nothin'.

I even looked on old floppy disks.

(laughs) Still nothin'.

And then, I had a far-fetched thought.

Amy Hoffman.

See, back in eighth grade, I had the biggest crush on Amy Hoffman.

This was my first real crush.

I'd sit with her in science class.

We'd get in trouble for talking in the back of the classroom and I'd walk her to her next class every day.

And then one of the coolest things to happen to me in my whole middle school existence was getting invited to Amy Hoffman's eighth grade birthday party at the local skating rink.

Folks, I went to that party and we skated together.

Couples skated.

This was a big deal.

And so I figured, a birthday party, there had to be photographs of this occasion.

So, I had to find Amy Hoffman.

I tried the phone book, I tried email, I tried Facebook.

- Wait a minute, so are you saying that you actually reached out to a girl from eighth grade for some skating photos from a birthday party that happened 25 years ago?

- Well, it sounds kinda weird when Mitch puts it that way, but you know what?

I got a message back from Amy, and as it turns out, she didn't have any photos of us skating either.

All she had was some pictures of kids eating pizza at the skating rink, and all you can see is the back of my head.

But folks, this made me realize, I don't need photos.

I've got everything I need right up here.

I can still remember that night, how special it felt, and I can even remember the song that Amy Hoffman and I skated together to.

And if there's a moral to this story, it's this, you have to enjoy these awesome moments as they happen.

Right Mitch?

- That's right, Jake, whether you're a group of friends going out to skate to organ music every week, or if you're a group of friends that meets up and skates into each other and causes bodily harm, you know?

- Or, you're skating with your family.

Or you're skating with that girl from science class.

And today, I get to skate with my buddy, Mitch Lawrence, and make some sweet polka jams.

What do you say to that, Mitch?

- That sounds like "The World According to Polka" to me.

- The Quack Attack is back, Jack.

(duck call whistle honks) ♪ Finally I figured out why it took a long long time ♪ ♪ Maybe I'm comin' down and maybe I'm just blind ♪ ♪ But there's been times, I'm so confused ♪ ♪ All my roads, they lead to you ♪ ♪ I just can't turn and walk away ♪ ♪ It's hard to say what it is I see in you ♪ ♪ Wonder if I'll always be with you ♪ ♪ Words can't say what I can do ♪ ♪ Enough to prove it's all for you ♪ ♪ It's hard to say what it is I see in you ♪ ♪ Wonder if I'll always be with you ♪ ♪ Words can't say what I can do ♪ ♪ Enough to prove it's all for you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ Why do you wanna give me the run-around ♪ ♪ That is a sure fire way to speed things up ♪ ♪ When all it does is slow me down ♪