Is Your Rink Open (Coronavirus)?

[concorde]

SkateQuest shut down as of 4pm today. The email gave no reopen date.

 

[sk8pics]

With the way the skaters all pass around the various flus and colds every winter, I think it is irresponsible of the rinks to remain open for freestyle sessions, at least. For those open for freestyle, is there going to be a "no spinning" rule in effect? To cut down on the snot flying around?

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

Yeah, our governor (Cuomo - NY) said they don't expect the virus to peak for 45 days.

 

[Snittens]

I know the rinks need to close and I get it, but I was really sad today. It might be the last day I see my son skate in who knows how long. He had just gotten his competition program for the season. I don't know what all of this is going to mean for the competition season, maybe it will be pushed back. Skating is pretty much his life, and by extension, mine since I take him nearly every day. It's going to be weird. Hoping his coaches can do some off-ice with him outdoors.
I've been looking all over the mid-Atlantic for a rink that's still open and can't find one. Only one I saw open is not allowing skaters of outside coaches.

 

[Willowway]

Westchester Skating Academy is closed for several weeks and will reevaluate as the situation demands.

 

[spinZZ]

I've been looking all over the mid-Atlantic for a rink that's still open and can't find one. Only one I saw open is not allowing skaters of outside coaches.

This sort of behavior has just got to stop. If rink management is irresponsible enough to stay open, skaters need to be responsible enough not to go: then the rink will finally close because they have no customers.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

I know the rinks need to close and I get it, but I was really sad today. It might be the last day I see my son skate in who knows how long. He had just gotten his competition program for the season. I don't know what all of this is going to mean for the competition season, maybe it will be pushed back. Skating is pretty much his life, and by extension, mine since I take him nearly every day. It's going to be weird. Hoping his coaches can do some off-ice with him outdoors.
I've been looking all over the mid-Atlantic for a rink that's still open and can't find one. Only one I saw open is not allowing skaters of outside coaches.

This is a stressful time for both of you, and I'd recommend you let the skating go for now.

I know it's rough to not have this in your lives right now, but if you turn this around, he may find that this is an opportunity for him to work on some other things. He can do things that will help his skating, such as off ice (ask his coaches if they'll set up a virtual off ice class via Zoom or similar), online ballet workouts, strengthening workouts, etc. In addition, if there's anything he's wanted to do which he hasn't had time for, and which can be done without direct interaction with others, then this is the time. Learn to play guitar or French, tap dancing, piano. And maybe let him do some stuff that you'd normally frown at - if you rarely let him play video games, then let him play video games. If he never has time to binge watch tv shows, then now's the time. It's okay to cut both you and he some slack right now.

 

[misskarne]

My rink is still open. I still haven't got clearance from my physio to return to skating yet. I'm hoping to this week. I'm going to be pretty upset if my physio clears me just in time for the rink to close...

 

[Bunny Hop]

Mine is still open as well. Limit of 100 people on public sessions (not that I ever go to those) and enhanced cleaning. I went for one of my regularly scheduled lessons last week. There were definitely fewer skaters than normal. At the moment taking it week by week as to how comfortable I feel continuing to go. Given my tendency to need my hand held, this could be a good time for me to learn to fly on my own (metaphorically speaking).

 

[spinZZ]

To misskarne and Bunny Hop. I see that the two of you are from Down Under. I really hope your country is spared the ravages of this virus. But be prepared for rapid change from normal to near shutdown within an interval of days. I'm in the US, and that's what's happened in my region. Also, I posted this inquiry (http://www.skatingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=7621.0) on a UK skate forum to find out what was happening there. I posted on March 15. All was fine and dandy. Then events were cancelled, followed by some rink closures. And just 5 days later (yesterday, March 20), the UK ordered a national shutdown of many public venues, including rinks.

 

[misskarne]

To misskarne and Bunny Hop. I see that the two of you are from Down Under. I really hope your country is spared the ravages of this virus.

Yeah nah we're utterly fcuked. Not enough people taking it seriously and a government too piss-weak to act decisively. We're headed the Italy route.

@Bunny Hop At least yours is being cleaned and has various limits. Knowing the person in charge of our rink, there's no way any of that is happening - and it would be very difficult to keep the practically-derelict building clean anyway.

 

[spinZZ]

Yeah nah we're utterly fcuked. Not enough people taking it seriously and a government too piss-weak to act decisively. We're headed the Italy route.

Yeah, I thought all the news footage from Italy would convince all countries to take decisive action. But apparently not. In the US, our President said not to expect any national shutdowns mandated by the federal government (shutdowns within the US, that is; international borders are under federal jurisdiction). So far, actions have been reactive, rather than proactive, on a local level. If a lot of people in a particular town or city become sick, then the mayor imposes some degree of shutdown in that town or city. But guess what? If the bars in a particular infected town or city are shutdown, those residents just go to a bar in a neighboring town or city. That probably hastens the spread of the disease. So far, three states have announced some degree of shutdown on a state-wide basis, with more to follow. The hardest hit state is now New York (now with some degree of a state-wide shutdown). The surrounding states (New Jersey and Connecticut, with others joining in) are at least trying to coordinate a regional policy on shutdowns (otherwise, people from highly infected New York will simply drive to a bar in a neighboring state to party). Problem is by the time the number of sick people is large enough for government (at some level) to be scared enough to take action, it's too late.

 

[Bunny Hop]

@Bunny Hop At least yours is being cleaned and has various limits. Knowing the person in charge of our rink, there's no way any of that is happening - and it would be very difficult to keep the practically-derelict building clean anyway.

There's a limit to what they can clean in my opinion, but they're doing the rink barriers, so that's something. I will be surprised if it's still open for more than a couple of weeks.

I should add that the sessions I'm going to typically have less than 20 people on them (down to about 10-12 last week) which is why I'm marginally less concerned than I otherwise would be.

 

[fan]

Toronto rinks are pretty much shut down

 

[misskarne]

Update: mine is now closed from midday today, since the government finally pulled its finger out of their ass and ordered closure of non-essential businesses.

I'm getting my return-to-skating clearance today. Cry.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Most of the rinks in Australia I think are now closing. The various states are issuing different directives but it is the same as restaurants, cafes, cinemas, etc.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Mine closed today as well, and so did the rink close to where I work.