The Bachelorette Visits Hot Skates

in Lynbrook turned out to be the perfect setting for a romantic and laid-back date for ABC’s The Bachelorette Ashley Hebert and her suitor, Roslyn’s own J.P. Rosenbaum.

In her quest for love, Hebert traveled to Rosenbaum’s favorite childhood place. The episode was originally filmed on Easter Sunday, while the roller rink was closed to the public. It aired July 18.

Hot Skates General Manager Art Freedland, who coordinated the lighting and sound for the date, admitted to witnessing nothing but love between Ashley and J.P. at the rink.

“They seemed very happy and comfortable on the date. They kept looking at each other with loving eyes," he said. “Rollerskating is a very casual date. You can act goofy and have fun. It gives someone a chance to cuddle when you fall off balance.”

Freedland’s words sure did ring true because when Rosenbaum fell while on his skates, Hebert was there to give him a kiss.

Not a regular viewer of The Bachelorette, Freedland learned firsthand while on set that reality television is often, well, real.

“The date was a complete surprise for Ashley," Freedland said. "J.P. came in to see the place before the date and decided how he wanted it to look for Ashley. J.P knew he wanted to surprise her in some way. He brought the lunch and wine. Hot Skates brought back a lot of great memories for him growing up and he wanted to share it with her.”

According to Freedland, the filming of the date only took three hours.

Describing Hot Skates as a great facility that has been around for many years, Freedland said he is proud to be part of such a well- known establishment. “Filming The Bachelorette was exciting because it’s on a major channel during primetime,” he said.

Since The Bachelorette aired, customers have been eager to stop by the rink. “People who watched the show said it was a great reminder of their youth or they just wanted to be in the same place as J.P and Ashley.”

As manager for the past 31 years, Freedland has witnessed quite a few thrilling events. In addition to the recent filming of The Bachelorette, Hot Skates was seen in MTV’s Made and in actress Drew Barrymore's VS Magazine Photoshoot.

“It’s exciting to use this venue for a lot of media events. We take a lot of pride in our facility," he said. "Rollerskating is fun and wholesome. Look at how often you see rollerskating being featured – from the movie Roller Derby to Jessica Simpson’s A Public Affair music video. There is nostalgia in rollerskating.”

Watch The Bachelorette next Monday for the finale on ABC to see who Hebert gives her final rose to.