CW vs CCW

[skatemore]

I grew up skating (just the basics) in Ontario, Canada but moved to Northern California and have skated in 4 rinks here.

In Ontario, the flow of skating for a public session would start counter-clockwise (CCW) but switch back and forth with clockwise (CW) multiple times during a session. In the rinks in Northern California, I've only ever experienced CCW flow.

I'm curious as to what it is it like in other places. Is it more standard to mix up CW and CCW or stick with one direction?

 

[tstop4me]

At the rinks I've skated at (US), most of the time, public sessions stay in the same direction throughout. The only exceptions have been busy 2-hr sessions in which they do an ice cut after 1 hr; then they change directions after the ice cut.

 

[Elija]

At the rinks I've skated at (US), most of the time, public sessions stay in the same direction throughout. The only exceptions have been busy 2-hr sessions in which they do an ice cut after 1 hr; then they change directions after the ice cut.

Same for me in New Zealand and Australia. Generally they stay CCW, but occasionally will switch after an ice cut on a busy session, but just for a few minutes. The rinks I have skated at in the US and Canada while visiting were the same too.

 

[christy]

Most rinks I've skated at have the single CCW direction the entire time, however there was one where the rules were to change every 15 minutes during a 1 hour session. In reality they skated CW the first 30 mins, then changed to CCW for the second 30 mins.

 

[MCsAngel2]

I've only ever seen CCW skating on public sessions.

 

[Arwen17]

Growing up in the 90s, I remember roller rinks periodically switching directions, but nowadays I don't even see that happening often. I've never been at any ice rink that switches directions. I wish all roller rinks and all ice rinks would do this, but I think they've decided its too much work. There used to be fancy stuff like disco balls, limbo games etc and I rarely see that much anymore either. Rinks have totally stopped doing 90% of what they used to do to entertain people in the 90s and just provide an open space for everyone to skate in the same circle over and over again.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

I'm in the UK and have skated at several rinks where the direction would occasionally be changed during public sessions. It was a bit random and more likely to happen during evening sessions.

 

[scottie99]

ALL the rinks I have skated in (United States) have always just cone CCW. I've never seen a public session go CW.

 

[leia1979]

NorCal native here. In the ‘90s sessions used to reverse sometimes, but I never see it anymore. I was just telling my husband (who is learning on hockey skates) that I wish they would switch. He’d benefit from strengthening the left side, and I’m a CW jumper, so I’d actually stand a chance of getting a few jumps in during public session.

 

[Lutz Mark]

Hi,

My little old seasonal rink in rural US would turn public skaters around at the halfway point. Here in Ontario, Canada they turn around every ten or fifteen minutes. I don't remember what they do in Quebec, I just remember one rink wouldn't let anyone skate backwards on public skates!