Skating in Detroit -- Request for info

I'll be in Detroit next week on a business trip (Tue-Fri only), and I'm staying in a hotel on I-75 about half an hour north of downtown Detroit, which is actually in Troy, Michigan.

I've read some of your reports about visiting skating rinks where top skaters practice, and I was wondering if I can do the same. Is Callaghan still in Detroit? Isn't his rink near my hotel? If there are top skaters practicing there, can I visit and watch? I have no idea how to go about doing this.

Unfortunately, I'll only have free time in the evenings, or perhaps in the very early mornings.

I would appreciate any info or guidelines.

Thanks bunches.

Spirit, you could try PMing GS member Northernlite about this. She seems to be in the know about what skaters might be around.

The two major rinks that are close to your hotel are the Detroit Skating Ckub in Bloomfield Hills and the Onyx in Rochester. They are both right off I75. Callaghan is at the Onyx now, having relocated from the DSC a few years ago. I'm not sure which skaters might be around at this time of year. I think the best bet is just to give the rink a call.

The Onyx (home of Todd Eldredge and Sato and Dungjen )

http://www.suburbanhockey.com/onyxicearena/index.html

The DSC: http://www.dscclub.com/

It's too bad your trip isn't scheduled for the week of July 20th. That is the week of the DSC's big show, Skate Detroit. This is huge, featuring more than 200 skaters at all levels. Totmianina and Marinen won in pairs last year, to show the level of the competition.

Major awwwww warning. Here's Michelle and her boyfriend at the DSC last year:

http://www.dscclub.com/albums/album02/aac.sized.jpg

Thje other big-time rink is the Arctic Edge in Canton (farther away). Igor Shpilband is the dance coach there, and they have Belbin and Agosto and several other strong dance teams.

http://www.arctic-edge.com/

There is also a rink in St. Claire Shores (the St. Claire Shores FSC), where Ryan Janhke and Amber and Alissa Czyzny used to skate. But I don't know who is there now.

Plus -- if you want to put on the old skates yourself, you can come down to the new outdoor public rink (free) downtown, at Campus Martius Park.

Here is an article about it from the South End (student newspaper at Wayne State University)

http://www.southend.wayne.edu/modules/news/article.php?storyid=604

OT -- How the South End got its name. Most people think it refers to the South End of a horse going North. But actually, the campus of Wayne State extends from the General Motors Corporate Headquarters to the North, to the downtrodden Cass Coridor (skid row) to the South. The founders of the student newspaper, student radicals in the 1960s, wanted to show solidarity with the common people and unite against the big corporations.

MM

If you are in Troy, you still have a bit of a drive to get to either the Onyx (which is not quite right off I-75 - directions to this one could get quite tricky) or DSC. The exit off I-75 that would take you right to the DSC has been closed for a while due to construction, so you would need to find an alterate route. By far, the DSC will be closer to you from Troy.

Mathman said:

The other big-time rink is the Arctic Edge in Canton (farther away). Igor Shpilband is the dance coach there, and they have Belbin and Agosto and several other strong dance teams.

http://www.arctic-edge.com/

Click to expand...

"Farther away" is right -- your link is to a rink of the same name in Oklahoma City, not Michigan. Knowing your style, MM, I thought you were having me on.

But I found the actual link to The Arctic Edge:

http://www.arcticarenas.com/aehome.html

Seeing Belbin & Agosto would be too supercool. I adore them.

Thanks for the responses. I'll see what I can do. (I wish I'd posted this a few days earlier; now I'll probably have to wait until I'm there on Tuesday to call these places.)

Even if you don't actually get to see your favorites on the ice ( I think if you go late morning you will have a good shot at it, at least at the Onyx), going to the DSC is pretty neat in itself. They have all sorts of pictures lining the walls with all their famous skaters, past and present.

I was a DSC member in the '60s -- a lot has changed since then, but I really enjoyed a visit there one day a couple of summers ago. It was amazing who I saw just during my brief visit -- of course the dancers were all there (they have since moved to Canton) but we spied Yuka Sato and Chris Bowman in the lobby, plus a few others.

And the history of the place is amazing. I was thrilled to see the same enlarged photograph of Doug Ramsey in the lobby as was there in the '60s -- he was a DSC member who died in the plane crash in 1961 on the way to the World Championships-- so yes, that sense of history is still there, plus loads of old photos through the years.

It was unclear to me though when I visited if and when I could actually SKATE, since it is a private club and a real "training" club -- I enjoyed the visit, though -- just to watch what a real training club is like is an education in itself! (Also reminded me of the atmosphere I trained under as a kid -- wow!)

Have fun. Let us know how it goes.

Thought I'd just respond publicly.
I haven't been in Onyx in quite awhile. I used to see Shizuka and Jenny there a season or two ago. But I haven't heard anything about a real high-level elite there now (except for Todd, who might still be recuperating from surgery). Another poster in this thread used to go to open skates there - dunno if they still do, or can offer any specifics.

I think MM misspoke himself - aren't Yuka and Jason still at DSC? Again, you may not see *the* most famous senior single elites there, but you'll see quite good skaters. As noted above, many, many dancers now are in Canton.

I despise the drive to Canton from my current location. [I'm not alone. I once heard someone at DSC discussing how their family was considering getting involved in that rink but the woman didn't like those freeways either. I've had to take part of the route several times recently on business. Shudder. ]

So unfortunately, I've missed out on seeing everyone from B/A to Tiff/M-Dude, and don't know anything about their practices.

If you are a skater yourself, there's a good rink in Troy, at the NW corner of Big Beaver and John R(?). No really big-name figure skaters. But I think some Detroit Red Wings have worked out there on occasion. There are rinks about every three miles in parts of Oakland (and suburban Wayne) County. Another nearby rink (for your own skating) would be in Royal Oak. I think the one in Birmingham closes in the summer. I'm amazed at the quality of so many rinks in the area - year-round rinks with two or three surfaces.

And btw MM, isn't Campus Martius an outdoor seasonal rink? I doubt our 90-degree weather's been too conducive to that.

[ETA: Spirit I just looked at your profile 'cos I was curious where you're coming from. We have the same B-day. Yay Libras. ]

NorthernLite said:

And btw MM, isn't Campus Martius an outdoor seasonal rink? I doubt our 90-degree weather's been too conducive to that.

Click to expand...

Especially since it is currently a huge water fountain!

NorthernLite said:

And btw MM, isn't Campus Martius an outdoor seasonal rink? I doubt our 90-degree weather's been too conducive to that.

Click to expand...

Lucy said:

Especially since it is currently a huge water fountain!

Click to expand...

No wonder I've been having trouble with my spread eagle lately!

NorthernLite said:

I think MM misspoke himself - aren't Yuka and Jason still at DSC? Again, you may not see *the* most famous senior single elites there, but you'll see quite good skaters.

Click to expand...

This is what I noticed when I visited DSC a couple of years ago on an average summer day -- I watched a high level dance session -- no "elites" or teams really, but a large group of people working on their compulsory dances, and every skater I saw had AMAZING technique. I learned a lot just watching the session. On the Olympic-sized rink, my husband watched an Intermediate-Novice FS session and all he could say was "Wow -- these kids are REALLY good!" And then on the 3rd rink, there was a Basic Skills session -- very well and enthusiastically attended. And these types of sessions, 45-minutes each, went on ALL DAY! We just saw a snippet.

It was fun. Made me long to skate in a more "training-atmosphere"

Mathman said:

No wonder I've been having trouble with my spread eagle lately!

Click to expand...

Yep, definitely time to be practicing your butterfly or backstroke instead.
[OT but is the Campus M. area still a traffic nightmare? Haven't been any farther south on Woodward than Orchestra Hall/the Fox area recently.]

And ON TOPIC - At DSC you can definitely see some fairly high-level pairs and younger singles skaters. And there may still be some at Onyx.
I just wish all the dancers still trained in Oakland Co., and also that some more high-level senior singles would move to the area. [Moi's been so spoiled from all the great skaers I've seen around here.]

And yes, it's really nice they put up that tribute to Doug Ramsey. I've spoken to people and read about DSC when it was still in Detroit, back in his day. I myself remember the Bloomfield facility from before the big C rink was finished.

Oh, and Spirit, I know you're really interested in seeing the dancers. But if you go to DSC - I think you can take one of the main east-west roads (like Big Beaver or Long Lake) from Troy west to Woodward Avenue (a main boulevard around here). Go north on Woodward to Square Lake Rd. (The construction Lucy's talking about shouldn't completely hamper you. I think.)
You have to do a "turnaround" off Woodward to get to westbound Square Lake Rd. Just before you get to Telegraph you'll hit a light at Franklin Rd. Turn right and look for Dennison Court. DSC's at the end of the short street/court.
Note: Pretty heavy traffic at rush hour around there.

Thank you for all the help, everyone, but as it turns out, I didn't have the time to see anything, anyway.

Spirit said:

Thank you for all the help, everyone, but as it turns out, I didn't have the time to see anything, anyway.

Click to expand...

Oh, man, what a bummer!!!