Flipper's
1 known investors
Direct-to-consumer apparel and lifestyle business
Also known as Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace
Founders & leadership
Investors · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace is a roller skating venue and apparel brand that revives the roller disco of the same name that operated in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, from 1979 to 1981. The original rink was founded in 1979 by Ian "Flipper" Ross inside a golden-domed art deco building at Santa Monica Boulevard and La Cienega, on the site of a former bowling alley, and closed in October 1981. The revived business is co-founded by Kevin Wall (Chairman of the Board) and Liberty Ross (Creative Director), the daughter of the original founder, together with her husband, entrepreneur and record executive Jimmy Iovine.
The revival's first location opened on April 15, 2022 as a seasonal outdoor rink at The Rink at Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan, the first roller rink at Rockefeller Center since 1940. The operation combines paid skate sessions and skate rentals with a retail component: Flipper's Shop at the Rock, a pop-up store on Fifth Avenue, sells the brand's roller-wear and gear. Singer Usher serves as brand ambassador and headlined the opening night party. A second location opened in West London, England on November 11, 2022 and closed on October 13, 2024, with additional locations reported to be in development.
Founding story
The business traces to a family-owned roller rink founded in 1979 by Ian "Flipper" Ross in West Hollywood, which drew an eclectic clientele including drag queens, punk rockers and celebrities under a permissive dress code. His daughter, Liberty Ross, documented the rink in a 2021 book and subsequently co-founded the revived venture with Kevin Wall and Jimmy Iovine.
Business model
Revenue is generated from paid skating sessions and equipment rentals at seasonal rink venues, alongside sales of branded roller-wear and gear through retail outlets such as the Fifth Avenue pop-up shop. In the 2023 Rockefeller Center season, a one-hour skate session was priced at $22 for adults and $15 for children ages 4-12 bringing their own skates, with skate rental at $10.
Traction
The Rockefeller Center rink ran a full season from April 15 to October 31, 2022, and returned for a 2023 season from April 14 through October, opening Sunday-Wednesday noon to 10 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday noon to midnight. The opening night party drew guests including Usher, will.i.am, Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Patti Smith, Jon Batiste and Gayle King.
Latest developments
Following the closure of the West London location in October 2024, additional locations are reported to be in the works.
▸Full profile — market position, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
The brand positions itself on the heritage of the original Los Angeles roller disco, which Vogue described as "the West Coast's hottest nightspot" and which was called "Studio 54 on wheels." Its relaunch coincided with renewed public interest in roller skating following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Go-to-market
General consumers and families visiting Rockefeller Center for recreational roller skating, including adults and children aged 4-12, plus buyers of branded skate apparel and gear.
Geography
Seasonal rink at The Rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City with a retail pop-up on Fifth Avenue; a West London, England location operated from November 2022 until October 2024. Company listings reference an address on Ariel Way, London W12 7SL.
History
The original Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace opened in West Hollywood in 1979 under founder Ian "Flipper" Ross and closed in October 1981. Liberty Ross published a visual history of the venue, "Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace 1979-81," in 2021. The brand was relaunched in April 2022 at Rockefeller Center in New York, followed by a West London location in November 2022 that closed in October 2024.
Risks & controversies
The business is seasonal and venue-dependent; the West London site closed on October 13, 2024, roughly two years after opening.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 2
by search overlapCompanies competing with Flipper's for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 5
launches, deals, and filingsThe revived brand opened its first new location, a seasonal outdoor roller rink at The Rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City — the first roller rink there since 1940. Usher, the brand's ambassador, headlined the opening night party.
Flipper's donated $1 from every skate rental in 2022 to the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation, which promotes mental health awareness and education.
Liberty Ross published a visual history of the original Los Angeles roller disco.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Flipper's do?
- Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace operates roller skating rinks and sells roller-wear, reviving a 1979 Los Angeles roller disco.
- Who founded Flipper's?
- Flipper's was founded by Liberty Ross.
- Who are Flipper's's investors?
- Flipper's's investors include Cleveland Avenue.