My rink

[Vash01]

It has been difficult to find a skating rink that I really like, for regular training. I have always had one regular rink, and most of the times I did not like it but I skate there because my instructor teaches there. There are other rinks in the area but they are too far for me.

Let me know if any of you have run into similar difficulties:

The ice is not well maintained for public sessions. I was particularly upset today because they had not resurfaced the ice and there was so much 'snow' on it that kids were making snowballs. The management bluntly told me that they don't resurface for a 2-hour public session. They had hockey before that, and they did not feel the need to resurface. The attitude is that if it's a public session, we don't need to do anything. Let the public do whatever they want. I was told that if I wanted good ice, I should come during their free style sessions- that is the only time they resurface the ice. All their F/S sessions are in the afternoon, on weekdays. I am at work at that time so it is impossible for me to do that.

The previous rink I skated at, also had bad ice (it had slope, and it was very rough at places), but at least they resurfaced it once during the public session.

My current rink is lacking is discipline. There is no staff controlling the traffic on the ice, and people skate in any direction. Many of them use plastic walkers that are white, and they often leave them on the ice when they are done. I am afraid that someone may get hurt.

I have skated in other cities and I have not seen this kind of attitude anywhere. I am curious to see what kind of experience others have with their rinks.

Vash

 

[anything_for_skating]

You know what? You are actually lucky!..."there are other rinks in area"...
OK,you are probably asking why are you lucky...Here are my problems:

-I live in Serbia and in whole country we have only 3 ice rinks normal sizes. I am from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and there is only that one ice rink.
-The ice rink is working only 6 months in year!
-Practices in the morning start at 6:30 AM!
-Sometimes, the men who works there is sleeping in the morning so we are waiting for him to wake up and oped the rink.
-We are freezing because inside of the rink...how to explain on English...well let's say that in winter, it's cold as much as outside, maybe even more.

And everything this is happening in the capital of Serbia! If you ask someone in the city, he/she will probably tell you: "Hey, wait a minute, skating actually exists in Serbia?"

Here's the big question: How can the skaters skate and try to do something in this sport with conditions like those? How can actually be skaters?!

I am skating since I know about myself....I am 13 years old now and I an waking up everyday so early, I am freezing, and I am giving up of somany things because of skating...People usually say to me that I am crazy, but I simply love it and that's my whole life...Doesn't matter it's so hard...

 

[dlkksk8fan]

Vash-since management told you they wouldn't resurface, then find out who owns the rink and complain to the owners. They should maintain the ice surface for safety reasons. If you can get enough people to complain then maybe they will do something about it.

 

[Vash01]

Vash-since management told you they wouldn't resurface, then find out who owns the rink and complain to the owners. They should maintain the ice surface for safety reasons. If you can get enough people to complain then maybe they will do something about it.

Good idea. Safety is definitely a concern, since they don't have staff telling people not to do certain things, like not skating in the same direction as everyone else. I don't have a problem with them not surfacing in the middle of the public session, as long as they resurface it before that session begins. They are not even willing to do that.

Vash

 

[Vash01]

You know what? You are actually lucky!..."there are other rinks in area"...
OK,you are probably asking why are you lucky...Here are my problems:

-I live in Serbia and in whole country we have only 3 ice rinks normal sizes. I am from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and there is only that one ice rink.
-The ice rink is working only 6 months in year!
-Practices in the morning start at 6:30 AM!
-Sometimes, the men who works there is sleeping in the morning so we are waiting for him to wake up and oped the rink.
-We are freezing because inside of the rink...how to explain on English...well let's say that in winter, it's cold as much as outside, maybe even more.

And everything this is happening in the capital of Serbia! If you ask someone in the city, he/she will probably tell you: "Hey, wait a minute, skating actually exists in Serbia?"

Here's the big question: How can the skaters skate and try to do something in this sport with conditions like those? How can actually be skaters?!

I am skating since I know about myself....I am 13 years old now and I an waking up everyday so early, I am freezing, and I am giving up of somany things because of skating...People usually say to me that I am crazy, but I simply love it and that's my whole life...Doesn't matter it's so hard...

This sounds so hard.... I totally sympathize with you. I respect you for skating under such difficult conditions. I hope that the conditions will improve for you and you will not have to skate in freezing cold. I hope you will continue to skate since you obviously love it. May be some day we will see you representing Serbia at a grand prix or even worlds.

All my best wishes are with you.

Vash

 

[anything_for_skating]

If you can get enough people to complain then maybe they will do something about it.

:agree:
:yes: :yes: :yes:

 

[anything_for_skating]

This sounds so hard.... I totally sympathize with you. I respect you for skating under such difficult conditions. I hope that the conditions will improve for you and you will not have to skate in freezing cold. I hope you will continue to skate since you obviously love it. May be some day we will see you representing Serbia at a grand prix or even worlds.

All my best wishes are with you.

Vash

Thanks...
Freezing? OK, I can take that.
Gettin up at 5:30 AM? OK, I can take that,too
But that I skate only 6 months? That's kills!
But I've been thinking and if with only 6 months skating I am not so far of skaters from other countries who skate 12 months, I mean, I am not so bad...

And thanks about wish to represent Serbia, if I continues workin hard, maybe it come true! Junior Grand Prix? Maybe. Worlds are so far... But Europeans maybe...My life wish (appart of to meet Carolina Kostner) is to compete at Europeans and to make to the free program...wich would be veeery hard, but still-not impossible.

 

[IcyBallerina]

5:30? That's nothing! XP I get up at 3:30 on *Saturdays* To ride in the car for an hour to get to synchro at five!

I've always thought that skaters are the craziest people alive.
We wake up early in the morning-
To put on little skimpy dresses-
And play in freezing temperatures-
With knives attached to leather blocks tied to our feet-
So we can throw ourselves into the air-
and fall-
and get up and try again-
and again-
and again-
then try something new to fall on!

And you know what? There's something about it that's absolutely irresistable.
I <3 Skating!

 

[Mrs Redboots]

I've known synchro teams rehearse at midnight....

But then, come to that, I've also known hockey teams come on after the public sessions finish, at 22:30! And there is even a match, sometimes, at one of the rinks I skate at - and they don't start until 22:30! By which time I'm usually fast asleep, given that I get up at 06:00 to be on the ice by 07:30. Our teaching ice does, in fact, start at 06:00, but almost nobody ever gets there before 07:00.

 

[Rusty Blades]

I've always thought that skaters are the craziest people alive.
We wake up early in the morning-
To put on little skimpy dresses-
And play in freezing temperatures-
With knives attached to leather blocks tied to our feet-
So we can throw ourselves into the air-
and fall-
and get up and try again-
and again-
and again-
then try something new to fall on!

You know Icy I was thinking that very thing last night as I was driving home at 10 p.m., having been up since 4:30 a.m., worked 11 hours, grabbed a bite to eat and then out again for 2 hours at the rink. I skate Saturdays (4.5 hours, including travel, Sundays and Tuesdays 3.5 hours including travel)

It isn't like I am acomplishing anything - I am trying to return to figure skating after 36 years away and trying to get the basics back. I will never amount to anything at my age (56) except to chip away at the SkateCanada "levels", so why do I work so hard? When I skated before (age 14 to 19) I had hopes of being on the radar in competition and spending 20+ hours a week on the ice made sense. Now I do it because #1 - I USED to do it and I want it BACK! #2 - I still LOVE IT!

Ok, reason #3 - I have "a screw loose" and think beating up my ol' bod' is enjoyable

 

[lindasaffell]

It isn't like I am acomplishing anything - I am trying to return to figure skating after 36 years away and trying to get the basics back. I will never amount to anything at my age (56) except to chip away at the SkateCanada "levels", so why do I work so hard?

Hehe :agree:

Hey, I have less excuse than you do -- I never had those hopes of getting on any radar, since I didn't really skate as a kid. I do it because I love it, too. There are PLENTY of crazier and less-healthy ways of spending time, right? I know, we do fall and get banged up a lot, but really, it's a thrill to learn something new and practice and be able to start to master it. But you're right I think, it's LOVE, that's mostly what it is!:yes:

 

[lindasaffell]

Wow, I guess I have a great rink, am very fortunate!

Vash and Anything,

You make me appreciate what I have. I have a well-managed and maintained rink, nearby, with great hours for me and a good lesson program. (Right now, patch time and so on don't apply to me, and I am not ready to be on any teams or to skate programs, so... I don't do those killer hours that some posters have mentioned )

It's just shocking that anyone would open an ice arena and be careless about it -- after all it costs a lot to open a rink, and I would think that insurance could be a big worry, between the would-be-hockey-player and the would-be-Olympic-medalist and the just-out-for-the-evening skaters, what a mix of danger!!!

I'm sorry I can't do much to change things in Serbia or other parts of the US where the rinks aren't so many or so good. But I will make a point of being more grateful for what I have!!!

 

[Vash01]

What really irritates me is that they have a lot of time for hockey, and they resurface for hockey sessions, but not for public sessions. They do make a lot of money from public sessions. I believe the public pays to skate on ice, and not to play in the snow. The patch or free style sessions are often at odd times when many people cannot make it (early morning, or during day). Of course not many would attend anyway, because the number of such skaters is small, but why not offer a good and safe environment in the public sessions?

Vash

 

[Vash01]

Thanks...
Freezing? OK, I can take that.
Gettin up at 5:30 AM? OK, I can take that,too
But that I skate only 6 months? That's kills!
But I've been thinking and if with only 6 months skating I am not so far of skaters from other countries who skate 12 months, I mean, I am not so bad...

And thanks about wish to represent Serbia, if I continues workin hard, maybe it come true! Junior Grand Prix? Maybe. Worlds are so far... But Europeans maybe...My life wish (appart of to meet Carolina Kostner) is to compete at Europeans and to make to the free program...wich would be veeery hard, but still-not impossible.

Anythingforskating,

You are very young. May be in a few years you could spend some time in another country to train when your rink is closed? In Europe the countries are very close together, so it's a thought. During the 6 months when there is no ice skating, how do you keep in shape? Do you roller skate or do exercises off the ice? You can also do mental exercises, imagining yourself skating. It must be so hard to get back on the ice after a 6-months break! It must be like starting over each time. You must have a lot of natural talent, and you obviously have great love for figure skating. My hat's off to you.

Vash

 

[anything_for_skating]

Anythingforskating,

You are very young. May be in a few years you could spend some time in another country to train when your rink is closed? In Europe the countries are very close together, so it's a thought. During the 6 months when there is no ice skating, how do you keep in shape? Do you roller skate or do exercises off the ice? You can also do mental exercises, imagining yourself skating. It must be so hard to get back on the ice after a 6-months break! It must be like starting over each time. You must have a lot of natural talent, and you obviously have great love for figure skating. My hat's off to you.

Vash

Oh, thanks...It's so nice to know that somebody actually pays attention to us...skaters from these little countries....
How do I keep in shape? I do a lot of off ice trainings and sometimes we go to 2 or 3 weeks skating camps in those countries near Serbia.

I’ve been thinking about skating somewhere in Europe, actually, skating in Russia. :yes: My mom is Russian, she is my coach, and she used to be a skater in Russia. So, maybe...but there's still a problem because our school ends in June and skating ends in April or March...so that would still be 3-4 months off ice...:frown2: and again, I can't stay in Russia whole summer...
Only, I don't like to talk a lot about "my mom is my coach" because people usually think that children of coaches are skaters just because of their parents...that they are bad persons and that they are skating just because his/her mom is a coach...I am not like that. I skate because I LOVE it and my parents would never say to me "you HAVE to skate". It's all on me.

Yeah, it is VERY hard, you can't even imagine how...I mean, and we just learn all those things and-no ice. Then everything from the beginning...:disapp: I don’t think I am a natural talent, actually, I am not, but talent is only 1/10 of making yourself a good skater. I work really hard, on ice, off ice, everywhere. I really give my best. As you can see, it’s not easy to get up so early, to go to school after that and to have very good marks there. Practically I don’t do anything apart of skating. No going out, no having much fun when I’m not on ice. Because it’s not fun to me. Real fun and beauty of life is there, on the ice. Nothing else matters.

Yesterday I was watching a big show that Russians prepared for their Olympic team and it was the best show I've ever seen... Singers, top athletes...everybody celebrating their mission to Torino! :boohoo: How beautiful!
And then, I really asked myself, why did I have to born here in this country where nobody cares about skating ???:banging:

 

[anything_for_skating]

And I would SO like to live in Russia!!!

 

[prefinetti]

ice skating camp

Hello!!!!
I'm looking for a ice skating camp (worlwide) so that I perfection my ice skating, but I can't find any!!! PLEASE HEEEEEEEELP ME!!!!!

 

[Vash01]

Oh, thanks...It's so nice to know that somebody actually pays attention to us...skaters from these little countries....
How do I keep in shape? I do a lot of off ice trainings and sometimes we go to 2 or 3 weeks skating camps in those countries near Serbia.

parents would never say to me "you HAVE to skate". It's all on me.


Yesterday I was watching a big show that Russians prepared for their Olympic team and it was the best show I've ever seen... Singers, top athletes...everybody celebrating their mission to Torino! :boohoo: How beautiful!
And then, I really asked myself, why did I have to born here in this country where nobody cares about skating ???:banging:

I am sure there is a purpose to it. You could be a pioneer and do great things for skating where you are.

It sounds like you really love to skate and that is wonderful.

I do hope you will be able to train in Russia when your rink is closed.

Vash

 

[Vash01]

Hello!!!!
I'm looking for a ice skating camp (worlwide) so that I perfection my ice skating, but I can't find any!!! PLEASE HEEEEEEEELP ME!!!!!

I am sorry that I did not go back to this thread in such a long time. I will look up some magazines to see if there are any camps in the USA. They usually don't advertise camps in other countries,so whatever I find out is likely to be limited to the USA..

Vash

 

[Wolfgang]

Anything for Skating - Have you tried finding about about options in Austria or Hungary? Both take their skating pretty seriously and should have year-round venues, if you can get to them. A little closer than Russia.....

I really admired the Turkish girl, they only have one or two rinks in the entire country, and there she was, at the Olympics (trains in Canada now, though...)!

There's two rinks in my area, they are quite different from one another.
One sits right up against the mountains, even has a little bit of a 'ski lodge' feel to it inside, the ice is below ground and it's COLD and DARK!
It will supposedly be remodeled and expanded ( 2 ice surfaces instead of 1!!!) this summer.
They Zamboni the ice after every 2 hour session, hockey game, or other event, but there are two or three iffy spots that do not seem to go away.
The other one is a relatively long drive away in the middle of Prairie Dog land, is above ground, extremly bright (looks precisely like the rink seen in the movie 'On Edge'), they also resurface after every session, but they're a little sloppy sometimes, leading to patches of frozen 'pond'.....
Today, the Zamboni guy actually came up to me (??) to ask me if he'd missed any spots.
I took that as a good sign, like I sort of know what I'm doing.....