Re-opening rinks with social distancing

[gkelly]

I think I need to get my blades sharpened first. Before I stopped with ankle problems I remember thinking they needed it. Though it might be a double whammy - skating for the first time in over a year and on freshly sharpened blades...i'll have to think about it.

I'd recommend going once before sharpening just to see how it goes.

If you feel that dull edges are holding you back more than the time off, then get them sharpened before your next time on the ice.

If you feel you need to acclimate your body to skating again before adding too-sharp blades for the next few sessions, then wait until you're acclimated.

Either way, if you think you will start lessons again while still readjusting to the ice or first adjusting to a new sharpening, make sure your coach is prepared to focus during the first lesson on the acclimation rather than expecting to pick up right where you left off.

 

[antmanb]

I'd recommend going once before sharpening just to see how it goes.

If you feel that dull edges are holding you back more than the time off, then get them sharpened before your next time on the ice.

If you feel you need to acclimate your body to skating again before adding too-sharp blades for the next few sessions, then wait until you're acclimated.

Either way, if you think you will start lessons again while still readjusting to the ice or first adjusting to a new sharpening, make sure your coach is prepared to focus during the first lesson on the acclimation rather than expecting to pick up right where you left off.

Yes I think you're absolutely right - I will go back and see how it feels to be back on the ice without a sharpening.

Before this i'd never had a break of longer than 6-8 weeks so I do wonder what it will feel like to skate again. To be fair I am pretty bad at skating with little to no natural talent so I think general stroking and cross overs would be the focus of any return.

 

[MacMadame]

I skated this past Thanksgiving for the first time in years in rentals. On a small outdoor rink that hadn't been Zamboni-ed recently. It was ... interesting.

I am thinking about going back to skating. The problem is, it's a hobby you have to do regularly. I can go back to riding my bike tomorrow and I will be fine. And I can ride once every 2 weeks and maintain my skills and even my endurance. I can't do that with skating. I have to skate twice a week just to maintain my skills.

Also, I was pretty bad at it.

 

[Bunny Hop]

I long ago embraced my badness at skating. I enjoy it (the skating, not the badness) and so long as I'm not a danger to myself or anyone else, that's enough for me.

 

[sk8pics]

I long ago embraced my badness at skating.

Me, too. And I have given up much hope of getting better, mostly because I just skate with my coach, once a week, pre-YNW. It is just pure fun. My coach is okay with my position on this and he does try to teach me things. Sometimes he succeeds.

 

[MacMadame]

I made progress for about 10 years and then spent 3 years on the same 3 dances and it stopped being fun. I like making progress. The progress is part of the fun for me.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Me, too. And I have given up much hope of getting better, mostly because I just skate with my coach, once a week, pre-YNW. It is just pure fun. My coach is okay with my position on this and he does try to teach me things. Sometimes he succeeds.

Yes, I skate twice a week, and most of that time is in lessons. That works for me. It's also safer as there's double the people looking out for others!

I made progress for about 10 years and then spent 3 years on the same 3 dances and it stopped being fun. I like making progress. The progress is part of the fun for me.

I agree that progress is still needed. I've been learning harder turns recently, which has been great, but they're all done holding onto the coach. I also aim to improve the things I can already do. I'm okay with small gains.

 

[flyingsit]

I stopped skating when my schedule changed and I had a hard time getting on the ice more than once a week. I could feel myself losing skills and it stopped being fun.

 

[sk8pics]

I agree that progress is still needed. I've been learning harder turns recently, which has been great, but they're all done holding onto the coach.

Yes, LOL, me too! Fortunately, my coach is okay with it, and I feel very secure with him since he is a former pairs skater.

 

[misskarne]

I'd just like to go back to working on things to level up rather than having to spend ages regaining what I already had because injured.

 

[bladesofgorey]

As a kid I really struggled when I could only skate once a week, but I'm tying to train smarter and make the best of only being able to skate one or two days on the weekends at the most. I really feel like part of it is mindset- because I felt like I was starting over each week I spent the first half of my ice time trying to get my sea legs back. Recently I've decided I needed to let myself have 5 minutes tops to warm up before I start running through all my jumps. I feel like that's made a big difference- being able to plow through when I don't quite feel "in" to the ice. It gives me a chance to work on refining skills or trying new things during the last part of the session rather than just maintaining (I wish I could say doing off-ice exercises during the week helps but I'm an exhausted lazy person the other days so I haven't tested that theory out).

 

[Debbie S]

Catching up on this thread.... @antmanb , when I was returning after 6 months off when I broke my leg (2009), I did have my coach with me the first time I went back, really to hold my hand and/or spot me. I first wanted to make sure I still was able to stop, and once that was confirmed, we stroked around the ice a couple times, then she had me doing forward and back swizzles and the consecutive edges from the first moves test. But I had 2 screws in my ankle and my range of motion was a bit limited, and I was nervous about whether I could stay upright. You sound more recovered and mobile than I was, so if you feel comfortable getting out and working on the basics, go for it. (But I agree you should hold off on the sharpening....I got my skates sharpened during a 5-week break b/c of tendonitis so went back with sharpened blades and...I wouldn't recommend it. )

I stopped skating when I stopped making progress. I had cut back to once a week b/c I didn't have much to work on (no longer testing) but then of course, my skills started deteriorating and then it just got frustrating. Plus, it would take half the session to get back into it after not skating for a week. It just didn't feel worth it. I'm still a member of my club and I volunteer with various tasks, but I just don't feel an urge to get back on the ice. And with YKW, I definitely don't want to be on the ice.

 

[Japanfan]

I long ago embraced my badness at skating. I enjoy it (the skating, not the badness) and so long as I'm not a danger to myself or anyone else, that's enough for me.

I did the same, at about six years old. My mom put me every available activity in the small northern mining town I grew up in. This meant ballet and figure skating for me, both of which I was very bad at.

I still remember skating in some sort of exhibition while my mom was out of town. My costume had a big strawberry on it across the front, and it was upside down! Don't know how that happened. I still remember it to this day, so it must have been traumatizing.

 

[Yazmeen]

Me, too. And I have given up much hope of getting better, mostly because I just skate with my coach, once a week, pre-YNW. It is just pure fun. My coach is okay with my position on this and he does try to teach me things. Sometimes he succeeds.

I think I'm pretty much at this stage, too. I made the stupid mistake of trying ice dance boots and blades, and it never dawned on me that a well-endowed woman with broad shoulders and a wide rib cage should not have done this on size 5 and a half feet (size 4.5 skates) and skinny ankles. This never occurred to either of my first 2 coaches either - only the one I have now actually pointed out once that "if you were just a size 7, this would be so much easier for you". I lost pretty much all the skills I had, and now I just do simple edgework and dances.

I haven't skated in 6 months, and I'm not going back until I'm sure the trend is cases lowering or at least steady in my county and the one I skate in. Right now, my county's cases are rising again, so no indoor activities for me (my belly dance teacher has been kind enough to teach us virtually). It realize this means I may not skate until next year, but so be it. I have asthma and hypertension, and I'm over 60, and my husband has health risks. Our lives and health are a hell of a lot more important that skating, especially considering skating is strictly recreational for me now.

 

[syzygy]

I was making masks and ran out of elastic so I substituted in strips of that lining that's used in skating dresses (I make my own dresses) and it's so much more comfortable than regular elastic imo, so if any of you guys have any of that lying around, try it.

 

[spinZZ]

Hi. I'd appreciate feedback from members whose rinks have re-opened for at least a month. Have any of you had any reports of a C_O_V_I_D spread traceable to activities at your rink (hockey, freestyle, public, LTS ....)? I'm in NJ. Rinks re-opened early July, but very cautiously and on a very limited basis (NY/NJ were the hardest hit region in Mar - May). Primarily freestyle, hockey practice (no games), and private rentals. I normally skate weekday morn public sessions (typically not crowded). So far I haven't gone to freestyle; not so much because of the high cost, but because of the extra caution needed around high-level skaters doing jumping passes and program runs. But one rink near me has just started adult-only public sessions. Rates are really reasonable under current circumstances ($10 for a 1.5 hr session); limit of 25 [ETA: Correction:20] skaters. I'm tempted to go. But first I thought I'd check on any problems that may have cropped up in other parts of the country that re-opened earlier and more aggressively. Thanks. [A Google search pointed only to problems associated with youth hockey games.]

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

I haven't heard of any Covid cases tied to the rink I go to in NJ. The Covid cases I've heard of that have been tied to figure skating have been overseas, and part of the group programs there - the "camps" and similar for elite skaters. The cases I've heard of in the US tied to ice rinks have been hockey, just like you saw.

I'm not saying the US hasn't had any cases tied to figure skating; just that I haven't heard of them.

And $10 is really good. Which rink is that?

 

[spinZZ]

I haven't heard of any ********* cases tied to the rink I go to in NJ. The ********* cases I've heard of that have been tied to figure skating have been overseas, and part of the group programs there - the "camps" and similar for elite skaters. The cases I've heard of in the US tied to ice rinks have been hockey, just like you saw.

I'm not saying the US hasn't had any cases tied to figure skating; just that I haven't heard of them.

And $10 is really good. Which rink is that?

Protec in Somerset. [By the way, the session calendars posted on their website are not reliable. Call to confirm. Or check what's actually available on prepay site.]

 

[overedge]

I went back for my first session tonight.

The good things: the city (rink owners) have done an excellent job of marking out distances with arrows on the floor, markers for seats in the dressing rooms and on the rinkside benches, and for water bottles on the boards. Only 8 people in a dressing room at once. Only water bottles and blade covers are allowed on the boards, nothing else. About 1/2 of the people on the session were wearing masks. No changing at the rink, you're supposed to show up ready to go in your skating gear, which everyone did.

The bad things: parents were completely ignoring the marked distances to talk to coaches, put their kids on and off the ice, etc. There were way more people on the session than I expected, so it was hard to keep six feet away from everyone. Also, skaters doing double jumps shouldn't be on the same session as wobbly skaters learning to skate (but that's not a COVID-related issue, it's a session planning issue which I'm going to bring up with the board).

Also, the skaters on each session have to wait outside the rink until all the skaters from the previous session have left, and then come in as a group. There is supposed to be a club volunteer asking the screening questions at the door, but ours didn't show up tonight The waiting area outside is just the sidewalk by the side of the rink, and it's not going to be fun waiting out there when it's cold or raining.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

@overedge, my rink bought a tent/awning for people to wait under - that might be an idea for your rink as well.

For the screening, is it common that volunteers don't show up? If it is, you may need a different system. My rink now uses an electronic system, where people scan a QR code when they arrive and answer all the questions. But if that's not something your club can do, an idea is to have everyone who enters the rink sign a form, checking off the questions on the form. That's what my rink did before they had the electronic system.

 

[overedge]

@GarrAargHrumph thanks, I will suggest that. I am sure the other ice user groups don't want soggy people getting colds etc from skating around in wet clothes.

Re the volunteers, this session is an adult/teen session, so it's hard to get volunteers. The adults don't bring their parents, and for the younger teens, the parents would sooner watch the kids rather than help the session run. All of the skaters had to sign a very lengthy waiver which included agreeing not to come to the rink if you'd been sick, out of the country, etc. which I guess is the fallback if the volunteer screener isn't there.

 

[ioana]

One of the rinks close to where I live is opened again (they're seasonal, so this is on schedule). They also have daytime public skating sessions listed during the week, but no limits that I have seen. Planning to go Monday and see how busy it looks. In the past, they were fairly quiet with mostly adult skaters so am hoping I can work on a few patterns and maybe spins. Obviously, if they have 40+ people, am going to do a 180 and give up on the idea altogether .

 

[overedge]

I went to a public skate at my local rink yesterday. It was very well regulated - you had to pre-register and the lineup outside was socially distanced. A staff person came out and explained the protocols and then checked everyone in. Another staff person assigned everyone to their own bench for putting on skates, and there was also a staff person on the ice during the session, which I've never seen before at a public skate at this rink.

There were about 15 people on the session, the majority of whom were wobbly little kids with their parents. It's been a very long time since I've been on a session with kids that little, but they weren't very fast so it was pretty easy to stay away from them. The main hazard was two hockey dads suffering bad cases of toxic masculinity, who were encouraging their kids to skate really fast and then trying to check them like in a hockey game I had to give them a couple of glares before they started staying away from me.

I would definitely go again. I felt quite safe (apart from the stupid hockey dads) and it was good to see that the staff were being strict about following the protocols.

 

[myhoneyhoney]

More rinks around me are opening on a limited level. Understandably none are offering public sessions.

I NEED some practice time, I wonder if I can register for freestyle sessions? I'm only about Delta level though. Maybe the Adult only FS sessions? I did see low level sessions but the discription said kids low level. Aaack. I'll call the rinks tomorrow.

 

[spinZZ]

More rinks around me are opening on a limited level. Understandably none are offering public sessions.

I NEED some practice time, I wonder if I can register for freestyle sessions? I'm only about Delta level though. Maybe the Adult only FS sessions? I did see low level sessions but the discription said kids low level. Aaack. I'll call the rinks tomorrow.

I'm in somewhat a similar situation. Adult public restarted in one rink near me about a month ago. But I'm not sure for how much longer: sessions keep getting bumped for hockey. I might have to spring for freestyle too. A lot depends on your schedule and the freestyle schedules at the rinks near you. Kids are back in school, whether virtually or in person. If your schedule allows, best bet is to find a rink that offers freestyle on weekdays mid morning through early afternoon, when the kids are still in school. You then only have to contend with a few home-schooled kids and a few random adults.

 

[myhoneyhoney]

I emailed the skate director for one of the rinks. She said I could try the Adult Freestyle sessions. She thinks I will be ok, just be aware of those jumping and spinning. I've never been to FS so I will need to read up on the etiquette and rules. Excited!

 

[Yazmeen]

I emailed the skate director for one of the rinks. She said I could try the Adult Freestyle sessions. She thinks I will be ok, just be aware of those jumping and spinning. I've never been to FS so I will need to read up on the etiquette and rules. Excited!

You'll do fine at that level - just be aware of those around you.

 

[MacMadame]

You'll do fine at that level - just be aware of those around you.

Agreed.

 

[The Accordion]

I am so incredibly grateful to be back on the ice! I will make a great effort to never take for granted this glorious thing again! Bonus - COVID has meant time for me to take better care of myself so being on the ice feels even better!

 

[ioana]

New Hampshire rinks just closed until October 29th. Am keeping my fingers crossed the temporary shutdown works and restrictions don't need to extend past that date. In the meantime, Mass is still open so I should be able to skate on my own, even if lessons are back on hold for the time being.

Conway Arena

conwayarena.com