Skating in Raleigh, North Carolina [Archive]

jwrnsktr

09-16-2004, 03:32 PM

I'll be moving from Long Island, New York (many, many rinks) to Raleigh, North Carolina in January. I have visited Iceplex in Raleigh and know there are rinks in Cary and Garner. Also I heard that they are building a huge sports complex called "The Factory" which will have two sheets of ice. My question is this: anyone skating at Iceplex now? (looking for skating buddies) and also, any coach recommendations? I am looking for a coach who likes teaching adults and is patient, fun, but most importantly expects things to be done correctly and doesn't let things slide because I'm an adult. Thanks anyone who can help with this. If there are any coaches out there reading this from Raleigh, feel free to e-mail me at JWRNSKTR@aol.com or reply on this forum.

Terri C

09-16-2004, 06:50 PM

You know that there are at least 4 people on this forum, Skaternum, NCSk8er O2, Skatingatty and Inside Axel that are all from the Raleigh area!

skaternum

09-16-2004, 07:22 PM

Hooray! Another adult skater!!

I sent a PM, but thought I'd restate some of it here, in case others want this for reference. There are quite a few local rinks here.

The Iceplex (http://www.iceplex.com)

The Reczone (http://www.reczone.net)

Ice House in Cary (http://www.icehouserinks.com/cary/)

Ice House in Garner (http://www.icehouserinks.com/garner/)

The Factory, which is the 2 sheet rink in north Raleigh. It'll be open in mid-October, and will be managed by the same people who run the Ice Houses.

Sportsplex (http://www.trianglesportsplex.com/iceArena/iceArena.shtml) in Hillsborough.

Other info about sessions, coaching, etc. is in the PM.

Jumpingbeans

09-16-2004, 08:23 PM

The Factory has a website now. www.eatshopplay.com/TheFactory/

Jumpingbeans (I'm also from Raleigh ;) )

InsideAxel

09-16-2004, 10:08 PM

Yep, as has been stated, there are a few of us there. In fact, we have a very active adult program, not only at our club, but the whole area in general.

As I was considering your inquiry for coaches, I went through the list of all the skaters in our club and realized that nearly everyone has a different primary coach. I think that speaks pretty well to the diversity of our coaching staff and the overall support for adult skating.

Good luck with your move to Raleigh!

Kelton

dani

09-16-2004, 10:37 PM

I am from South Florida, and we don't have lots of Adult skaters here. I want to pretend I am from Raleigh! ;-)

MissIndigo

09-16-2004, 10:53 PM

I wish some of you Raleighites could send some of the wealth of adult skating over to my part of the state. We do have some adults here in the Triad, but it's nowhere near as active as it is in the Triangle.

And you lucky peeps! Two more sheets of ice! :bow: :mrgreen: I'll grin for you guys, but of course I'm green with envy!

Oh well--next time I'm at the 'rents house for an extended visit, may as well mosey on over to The Factory and check it out!

NoVa Sk8r

09-16-2004, 11:04 PM

Ooohhh ... now I really miss living in the Triangle area! :cry:

(Don't worry Loops; I ain't going anywhere just yet ...)

skaternum

09-17-2004, 06:58 AM

<cue sappy music> Yes, as a little girl growing up in South Carolina in the 60s, wanting desperatly to ice skate, who knew that I'd live in an area with 7 sheets of ice! And still be in the south. <sniff>

Dani, we'll make you an honorary citizen of Raleigh!

edited to add:
Au revoir, mes amis! Je vais en France pour deux semaines. A bientot...

jwrnsktr

09-17-2004, 07:51 AM

I am really happy to know that there are so many adult skaters in Raleigh! Thanks so much for the responses. I will email again as the move gets closer. This will be quite a change for this Yankee, but as long as I have the ice to get me through and the possibility of making some new friends, I think I'll come through OK! The information you all (or is that y'all :) ) sent is invaluable to me. Jeanette

InsideAxel

09-17-2004, 08:15 AM

Ooohhh ... now I really miss living in the Triangle area! :cry:

(Don't worry Loops; I ain't going anywhere just yet ...)

I think there's room for both of ya'. ;)

skatingatty

09-17-2004, 09:24 AM

Hi, Jeanette! As the others have already mentioned, there are lots of adult skaters in the Raleigh area, and we all have different coaches too. My coach is Tina B., who worked previously as a pro skater in Europe and with Disney on Ice. I have lessons at the Raleigh Iceplex, but I also skate at the Reczone (just a mile or so away from Iceplex) and the rink in Hillsborough, because they have public sessions on Tues. and Thurs. nights and it's close to where I work. Occasionally, I skate at Cary Ice House (closest to where I live), but it's an older rink, and it can be hard to find someone to play your music on a freestyle session. Their tape player is up in a booth, not right off the side of the rink as it is at the other places. Plus, Cary Ice House has the worst public sessions I've ever been on around here-- lots of kids and teens zooming around everywhere with no ice monitors. I am looking forward to visiting the new rinks at The Factory, north of Raleigh. Let us all know when you move here! You'll like the skating here. :)

jazzpants

09-17-2004, 09:28 AM

<cue sappy music> Yes, as a little girl growing up in South Carolina in the 60s, wanting desperatly to ice skate, that I'd live in an area with 7 sheets of ice! And still be in the south. <sniff>

Dani, we'll make you an honorary citizen of Raleigh!

edited to add:
Au revoir, mes amis! Je vais en France pour deux semaines. A bientot... <cue sappy music> We have about 12 ice rinks within a 50 mile radius <sniff>

You add me as an honorary skater of Raleigh and I'll add you as an honorary Bay Area skater!!! (And there are TONS of adult skaters in the Bay Area, believe me! But we always welcome more!!!) :mrgreen:

Au revoir, skaternum!!! Bon voyage!!! (You lucky dog!!! I wanna try some REAL French food too!!!) :yum: :P

NoVa Sk8r

09-17-2004, 10:26 AM

Amuse-toi bien! Tu nous manqueras!

Au revoir, mes amis! Je vais en France pour deux semaines. A bientot...

mskater

09-17-2004, 11:07 AM

(((ding, ding))) Another Raleigh adult skater chimes in;]

Hi Jeanette and welcome to the Triangle! I get my lessons at the Iceplex in Raleigh but practice in Hillsborough b/c it's closer to my work. That seems to be pretty common practice around here. With the new rink opening in Wake Forest you couldn't have picked a better time to move...enjoy!

dani

09-17-2004, 11:56 AM

J'ai dû employer le babelfish pour traduire ceci - ayez l'amusement mon ami !

;-)

NCSkater02

09-17-2004, 06:28 PM

Hi Jeanette--I sent you another email--this one about working.

Can't wait to meet you.

climbsk8

09-18-2004, 12:16 PM

Yup, add me to the list of NC adult skaters, too!!!! Although I'm west of Raleigh, I am a Central Carolina SC member and I do make it to the Triangle to skate...great ice, great test sessions, too!

Actually, I didn't realize that we had it so good, until I went to the Peach Classic a few weeks ago. We DO have lots of adult skaters in this area...and I'm counting my blessings.

So welcome to club, and email one of us if you need anything!

Lisa
lookingglassproductions@earthlink.net

Terri C

09-19-2004, 02:40 PM

Ok all you Triangle people- maybe you guys can get your clubs to bid on 2006 Adult Easterns???? ;)

jwrnsktr

01-17-2005, 07:14 AM

NickiT

01-17-2005, 10:12 AM

I hope you have a great skate at your new rink Jeanette! I'm sure you'll make plenty of new skating buddies in no time at all.

Nicki

MissIndigo

01-17-2005, 11:25 AM

I'm a North Carolinian (though I don't get over to Raleigh much to skate), and I can tell you there are some fab rinks in the area and some well-established programs. There is particularly a strong adult community there.

I haven't been to The Factory yet but another good rink in the area is the Iceplex, if you're ever interested. It's olympic size (200'x100'); the rink at the Triangle Sportsplex in Hillsborough is nice too, if you're ever on the other side of the Triangle area.

Other rinks can be found in Greensboro, a seasonal rink in Winston-Salem, and a couple of rinks in Charlotte. However, the rinks in the Raleigh area are by far the superior facilities in the state, IMO.

Welcome to NC! There will be no shortage of Southern hospitality on ice for you here!

climbsk8

01-17-2005, 01:25 PM

Hi there!

I'm one of them! There are very, very many out there, too. You're lucky to have the Factory so close to you ...it's a fantastic new facility!

Look for posts on this board from me, Skaternum, skatingatty, insideaxel and others who are your new neighbors. (I know I'm forgetting people, too.) Welcome to the neighborhood!

Also, look for NoVaSk8er ... he used to be one of us, but we let him get away :(

Best of luck!

skaternum

01-17-2005, 01:54 PM

Hello! I am a transplanted Yankee, adult skater. I'm going to the rink at The Factory in Raleigh for the first time today. We moved to Rolesville, NC on Thursday. My "stuff" isn't coming til Friday, but my skates came with me in the car (of course) and I am looking forward to my first skate here. I would love to experience some "southern hospitality" on the ice! So, if you see me - tall, brunette, - please say "HI!" I'm missing my NY skating buddies... :cry: Thanks, Jeanette

Jeanette, I skated at the Factory this morning on a freestyle session, but I didn't see you on it. There were only 2 adults this morning (me & InsideAxel) on the freestyle session. I wasn't looking for you, since I didn't read this thread until the afternoon, but with only 2 adults, I'm sure I'd have noticed you!

The adults in the area are scattered amongst all 6 rinks, so you're not likely to find tons at any one place at one time (except Mirko Mueller's adult spin clinic on Thursdays at the Iceplex). What will be your primary rink? We have a great bunch of adult skaters in the area. Looking forward to meeting you!! PM me if you want and let me know when/where you'll skate. Maybe we'll overlap!

NoVa Sk8r

01-17-2005, 02:50 PM

Look for posts on this board from me, Skaternum, skatingatty, insideaxel and others who are your new neighbors. (I know I'm forgetting people, too.) Welcome to the neighborhood!
Also, look for NoVaSk8er ... he used to be one of us, but we let him get away :(Aw ... I miss my NC folk and skating down there! :(
Good luck jwrnsktr ... you're in good hands.
I also was a transplanted Yankee and actually didn't skate till I moved south. Enjoy!

NCSkater02

01-17-2005, 03:06 PM

Another Raleigh-area skater checking in. I usually skate in Garner and Cary, and usually in the afternoons, after work. I'd like to try the Factory, but it's a haul from Clayton (and I work in Smithfield) I'm the still-overweight red head if you ever make it to the south side of town.

InsideAxel

01-17-2005, 05:13 PM

Hi Jeanette,

Yep, skaternum and I were on the first freestyle session this morning. I'm sorry we didn't get to meet you, but I'm sure we will soon enough. If you are close to Factory, IcePlex should be closeby for you too, which is where I usually skate.

Incidentally, are you the same person who was asking a while back about Raleigh skating? I recall someone who posted but couldn't remember if it was you.

Good luck!

Kelton

jwrnsktr

01-19-2005, 04:48 AM

Yep, that was me a few months ago asking about skating in Raleigh. I was at the session on Monday, but I was at the 10 a.m. public session, not the freestyle. I saw two adults - a woman and a man who were sitting and talking and they had just come off a freestyle session I believe. It must have been "you guys!" Do any adults skate on public sessions? I just like them a little better because they are usually empty in the morning. I'm not too fond of skating with the whiz kids. I liked the ice at The Factory. I did skate at Iceplex on our last visit here to check on the house we were having built. The Factory is closer but I'm quite interested in the classes mentioned at Iceplex. I'll have to check this out. I am so happy to hear there are adults in the area. (Skaters that is!) The public sessions in NY in the morning were usually all adults - and only between 5 and 10. Is it the same here? Also, let me pick your brains a little more, please. I'm looking for adult dance classes, esp ballet and tap. I've called a few places but either the adults are in with the 13 yr olds or there are no adult classes.

Thanks all of you for the welcoming replies and your help. Looking forward to meeting you all.

Jeanette :)

skaternum

01-19-2005, 11:37 AM

Yes, that was us! I think I remember seeing you get on the public session in the other rink. Darn, I wish I'd read this forum before I went -- I'd have introduced myself.

Most of the adult skaters in the area skate on fs sessions, rather than public. There are a few who do public, but it's mostly skate school students. Most of the adult skaters here work normal day jobs, so we can't do the less populated morning public sessions. It's just not practical or safe for us to skate on crowded sessions (Kelton does doubles and is this close to some triples, and I skate pairs, for example.) The morning public session, AFAIK, seem to be a mix of a few adults and some home-schooled kids.

As for skating with the whiz kids, I haven't had any issues doing so. There isn't any hostility here toward adults, like I've heard about in other places, and everyone is supoprtive of adults.

Hooray for you for taking dance classes! I used to be a ballet dancer (seems like another life ago!), and I continued to take class when I moved to Raleigh. I'd suggest either the Cary School of Ballet or the Raleigh School of Ballet. Both have adult classes and are well-run with excellent faculty.

A few of us are going to the Ashburn, VA competiton in a couple of weeks. Come along for the ride if you'd like to meet some of the adult skaters!

skatingatty

01-19-2005, 02:58 PM

Hi Jeannette and welcome to NC!! I like The Factory but it is far from where I live and work. I usually skate on public sessions at the Iceplex Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, the Reczone on Sat. afternoon, and possibly the Triangle Sportsplex or Iceplex in the morning before work-- though that is rare since I am not a morning person. Well, now that it snowed today I won't be able to practice tomorrow morning. I hope to see you at the rink sometime! I am a short Asian woman. I'm 31 but recently a friend of my coach thought I was 14 (he was far away and didn't see the crow's feet, haha).

jwrnsktr

01-20-2005, 03:33 PM

The trip to Virginia sounds like a good possibility. We just moved in a week ago and I'm in the throes of unpacking and trying to get our house set up. I hear what you are saying about fs ice, I might have to force myself to get used to it, but I want to get my feet under me a little over here and possibly find a coach. I will make it a point to say hello the next time I see any of you. I experienced the renowned southern hospitality first hand last night. I was stuck on Capitol for 7 and a half hours. I made it from the Triangle Mall to the Fabric Mill Warehouse before Perry Creek Road in all of that time. I was so "done" that I pulled into the parking lot of the fabric place and saw some women in there. I knocked on the door and asked to spend the night. I couldn't get to Perry Creek Rd. where I had to turn to go home! Since they were spending the night too, they let me stay, gave me some foam to lay on, sheets and a pillow and blanket. I slept there til 6 this morning and then went home. I was so grateful. I am done in today and just laid low - no skating, no working out - I just don't have enough oomph in me! I'll bounce back tomorrow, let's hope the weather cooperates. Hope to see you soon! Jeanette

skaternum

01-21-2005, 08:26 AM

Whoa! Poor Jeanette! Sadly, this is what happens in the South when you get snow or ice. People just freak out! Hope to meet you in person soon.

skatingatty

01-21-2005, 09:17 AM

Sorry to hear about your terrible traffic/weather incident. That's so nice of them to let you sleep in the store! And to think my boss got on my case for not driving to work when it started snowing. Hope you get to skate soon!

jwrnsktr

01-24-2005, 05:23 PM

I have recovered from my trauma of the ice storm and feel so relieved that I am not in the midst of the blizzard and subsequent mountains of snow in NY! I'm enjoying the clear weather in NC. I met Heather at the factory. She knows some of "you guys." She is so nice and we've been enjoying being the only two on the ice at The Factory. So far so good. I'm going to try to get to the Iceplex soon. Hope to meet more of you! Jeanette

mskater

01-24-2005, 06:15 PM

Hi Jeanette! I'm also from the Raleigh area and have skated at the Factory a few times but mostly practice at the Ice or Sportsplex. Glad your able to take advantage of the empty publics:]

Could you do me a favor? The next time you see Heather tell her that I still have her CD...

Nice to 'meet' you!

-Chad

skatingatty

01-25-2005, 11:27 AM

Hey guys,
Can you play your own music on the freestyle sessions at The Factory? I didn't notice any tape/CD players at the side of the rink. Thanks.

mskater

01-25-2005, 11:57 AM

Hi skatingatty:] I was there about a week ago and they didn't yet have a system which allowed you to play your own music. Did see some portable radios out on the boards though?

skaternum

01-25-2005, 12:05 PM

Hey guys,
Can you play your own music on the freestyle sessions at The Factory? I didn't notice any tape/CD players at the side of the rink. Thanks.They're on the long side opposite the rink lobby/snack bar.

uncfigsktr

01-25-2005, 04:13 PM

Chad! - long time no see! Just getting back into skating mode after baby #2. I will get that cd back sometime - no worries :D

Jeanette - I am so happy to have a skating buddy out on those empty sessions :)

Heather

NoVa Sk8r

01-25-2005, 05:24 PM

Oh my gosh, Heather--long time, no see!

Oh, it's Stephen by the way, your favorite (ex)Duke student. ;)

uncfigsktr

01-25-2005, 05:28 PM

BIGFOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh how I miss thee!!! I do hope to get back into competition/testing mode soon! Woohoo!!

NoVa Sk8r

01-25-2005, 05:49 PM

:D

Ah, yes, I've finally jumped on the testing/competing bandwagon and as of last August, I am now competinng in pairs. Imagine that.

mskater

01-25-2005, 06:40 PM

Welcome back:] I'm sure we'll bump into each other before long now that you're back on the ice. And that damn CD, how long has it been now? :P

climbsk8

01-25-2005, 09:51 PM

Hey Buddy!

Imagine my shock that "uncfigsk8er" is on this board....she who surfs and lurks but never posts! Welcome to the dark side.

And Jeannette, I'm really glad that you got to meet Heather (one of my best buddies!) but I'm really jealous that you get to skate with her now and I don't.

Oh well. Maybe I just need to start hauling it all the way to Raleigh again.

Oh, and NoVaSk8er ... duke sucks.

Love y'all!

NoVa Sk8r

01-25-2005, 10:16 PM

Oh, and NoVaSk8er ... duke sucks.Boo! Hiss! I guess if being ranked #2 sucks ... ;) And Duke is ranked higher than UNC, so the Tar Heels must *REALLY* suck then, eh? :D

(I'm actually more of a Syracuse fan--my undergrad alma mater. They're not doing so badly this year, either, at #4!)

jwrnsktr

01-29-2005, 03:57 PM

Yes, Heather, I'm happy you are there too. Having the ice all to oneself is a dream come true, for about 20 minutes, and then it gets too darned lonely! So, I'm always glad when I see you there. And, thanks for the help Friday! See you Monday! J

Isk8NYC

07-07-2005, 07:23 AM

Hubby and I are taking an impromptu trip to North Carolina this weekend. We're thinking of relocating there. We really like large older homes with a bit of land, but not a plantation. School system has to be great. And, of course, there must be ICE!

Any neighborhood suggestions in or around the Triangle? We'd like to take a drive through and check out the places.

skaternum

07-07-2005, 09:46 AM

Quick suggestions/comments:

Note -- all these are generalizations. You'll probably find examples that make me look like a liar.

Don't know what your definitions of "large" and "older" are, but Chapel Hill might be a good place to look. Quite frankly, you're not going to find TOO much in the way of "a bit of land" in the cities of Raleigh, Durham, or Cary. Because of the growth boom in the 90s, you have to go out in the 'burbs (Holly Springs, Apex, Garner, Wake Forest) to get a decent-sized lot. But there you're not going to find much in the way of "older" homes -- lots of new development out there. Older homes will generally be "inside the beltline" in Raleigh or in Chapel Hill. You might also want to look in Hillsborough.

There's ice everywhere...
Raleigh: Iceplex and Reczone.
Cary: Icehouse
Garner: Icehouse
Hillsborough: Triangle Sportsplex
Wake Forest: The Factory

"Great" school system? One word for you: overcrowding. Be sure to check and see what % the schools you're looking at exceed capacity.

Other helpful hints:
* In real estate ads, ITB means Inside The Beltline.
* The Beltline is I-440. It has an inner and outer beltline (indicates direction of travel; clockwise/counterclockwise).
* I-540 is the Outer Loop to most people. It's not finished yet.
* The Durham Freeway is actually Highway 147. Nobody calls it 147.

NCSkater02

07-07-2005, 03:44 PM

You can get more land/house for your money in Johnston County. It's immediately southeast of Raleigh on I-40 or US 70. Lots of new growth, several towns with that small-town feeling. Smithfield and Benson have some of those large older houses you're looking for. Clayton (on the west side of the county) is the fastest growing area.

School system is also crowded, and is one of the fastest-growing in the state. (my daughter's high school is starting it's 4th year, has over 1800 enrolled and already has mobile classrooms)

No real shopping or big activities, but it's quieter, with fairly easy access to Raleigh/Wake County. Rinks range from 15 minutes (Garner) to 45 minutes (Wake Forest)

BarbraM

07-07-2005, 05:44 PM

Avoid Fayetteville/Cumberland County like the plague--they tax you to death on property, as well as your cars each year.

What about Pittsboro? For those of you that live closer to there, is it near ice? My Uncle lived up there, and it seemed like a nice area.

conc

07-07-2005, 08:57 PM

We lived in Chapel Hill, NC for years and our daughter skated at the Triangle Sportsplex before we moved out of state. Hillsborough, NC about 8 miles north of Chapel Hill and is a wonderful little community that dates back to before Revolutionary War times. (Daniel Boone used to frequent the place before heading off to Kentuk.) I'll bet there are some good values in homes & property around that area and you'd be 5 min. from the rink, which is a nice facility. It has a bit of Andy Griffith of Mayberry feel to it. (Don't know how that will suit you if you're coming from NY.) The area is really starting to grow so shopping and schools should be pretty decent and close.

Good Luck!

Isk8NYC

07-11-2005, 09:20 AM

Thanks to everyone who suggested towns and rinks. I checked out three different rinks - Ice House/Cary, Triangle Sportsplex, and the Factory. Really liked the Factory.

Loved Apex, Wake Forest, and Hillsborough. I really disliked Chapel Hill, Cary and Durham, mainly because of the traffic lights and the highway grids. (I was getting very tired by the time we reached those cities.)

We're going to try another trip next month closer to the ocean, just to see if we like it better.

All suggestions are still welcome.

07-12-2005, 05:48 PM

Funny you should mention the area. I was just talking to someone yesterday and she mentioned she was thinking of moving to the Raleigh/Durham area. Who knew it was so popular!

Question for you, do you know if biking or hiking are popular activities? And if so, are there groups and where do you find these groups?

looplover

08-07-2006, 09:07 PM

mikawendy

08-07-2006, 09:30 PM

Another option to consider--would the employer in Wilmington be able to offer flexible hours (e.g., come in early and have a long midday break) for certain days of the week when you want to skate?

(Sorry, just had to suggest that, as I'm partial to the Wilmington area--I have family who live in Wrightsville Beach, and I love W'Beach and Wilmington....) :D

beachbabe

08-07-2006, 10:13 PM

Definately!

I live in NC and know a great place for skating is around the NC state university area.

There are 4 rinks including 2 nhl size and 1 olympic and PLENTY of ice time.

Around chapel hill there are less facilities but Jane Bugaeva trains there and she was like 9'th at nationals. That rink also has good coaches including an olympian in pairs I'm pretty sure. Jane told me herself that they have very good coaches there and a choreographer who choreographs a Belgian guy that was in either worlds ot olympics I forgot. There is also a coach who does video analysis right on the ice. Its a great facility!

Around the Duke university area there is lots of figure skating also.

Trust me...its a very active area in figure skating and you wont have trouble finding time to practice if you move around the nc state uni. area.

MissIndigo

08-08-2006, 01:29 AM

Figure skating and ice hockey has really boomed in NC over the past decade or so. I remember when I started back in '89 we had only a handful of year-round surfaces, with just the one rink in the Triangle area (and I had to commute 50 miles one way to get to that one. 8O )

I'm glad to see it spreading back to my old stomping grounds, the eastern part of the state. Now they have re-opened rinks in two cities there, where it used to get notoriously hot in the summers and maintaining an ice surface just couldn't be done.

You should have no problem finding plenty of ice time around the Triangle as the other posters have said. The rink closest to Chapel Hill is in Hillsborough, only about a 20 minute drive (or less) away (unless there's new stuff that's been built in the area since I left the state last year!).

gt20001

08-08-2006, 02:02 AM

How is it for adult skaters in North Carolina, around the Raleigh/Durham area?

I know this is so sick, but I only want to move where there are good ice rinks.

This job I'm looking at has an office in Wilmington, N.C., but there's only one ice rink and freestyles are in the middle of the workday.

I'm not sure I'm thinking clearly but I like ice skating! And the company also has an office in Morrisville (Norrisville?)

I would probably live in Chapel Hill.

Thanks!

I just visited the rink in wilmington a week ago. That is a very nice rink but a little more expensive than i was used to it is only 2 years old. The coaches there seem to be really nice too i took from some one named morgan and she was great with me any time i am in the area i am going to try and see her. Actually i think the midday freestyles right now are only for the camp i think when school starts back up they will go to the afternoon ie 4 and 5 pm. They have alot of hockey at that rink and public sessions were a mess when i was there they were impossible to skate on. Just my personal experience from my recent visit.

skaternum

08-08-2006, 07:12 AM

There are actually 2 pairs coaches who are Olympians: Elena Betchke (O Silver Medalist) and Mirko Mueller-Goolsbey (also World Bronze Medalist). Besides the big names, there are quite a few good coaches. There are now 6 rinks in the area, one of which is a twin sheet facility. Google them to find their websites. They are: Cary Ice House, Garner Ice House, The Factory in Wake Forest, Iceplex, RecZone, and Triangle Sportsplex in Hillsborough.

Isk8NYC

08-08-2006, 11:52 AM

www.arenamaps.com (http://www.arenamaps.com) will give you a list of rinks to check out websites, etc.

looplover

08-08-2006, 04:54 PM

Thanks all! This is good news.

Now I just need this company to interview me and give me the job :P

beachbabe

08-08-2006, 11:51 PM

looplover

08-09-2006, 05:14 PM

skatingatty

08-09-2006, 08:04 PM

Hi looplover,
I live in what used to be Morrisville, until Cary annexed us. So, if you get the job in Morrisville, you won't want to live out in Chapel Hill. That would be a 45-minute commute in traffic. You'd probably want to live in Morrisville or Cary; plus real estate is a lot less compared to Chapel Hill.

The closest rink to Morrisville is the Cary Ice House (www.icehouserinks.com). However, I don't like to skating there, because it's an older rink with the worst public sessions ever-- kids galore and birthday parties. It is also hard to play your own music during freestyles, because often there's no one upstairs to play your music (you can't just put in a tape or CD at rinkside). Other rinks that are about 25-35 minutes from Morrisville are the Reczone, where Kristi Yamaguchi skates, Raleigh Iceplex, Garner Ice House, Factory Ice House in Wake Forest, and Triangle Sportsplex. None of them have freestyle sessions that are good for working adults, besides early morning freestyles. The Reczone has good public sessions on weekends that are only $5 and often have fewer than 10 people. Their website is www.reczone.net . The Factory Ice House is the newest and biggest rink, but it is also the farthest away from Morrisville. Triangle Sportsplex is further west, and they have public sessions on Tues. and Thurs. evenings. They are crowded during the winter, but okay during the other seasons.

gt20001

08-10-2006, 11:52 PM

I just looked at a bunch of the freestyle schedules...crazy! What, do they think people don't work during the day? I looked at three and the freestyles were between 8 a.m. and ending at 5:45 p.m. That's a disappointment for us workaday adult skaters!

The schedule you are looking at right now is the summer camp schedule for the kids out of school after that is over in a couple of weeks i believe it is in the afternoon. I was just down there recently that daytime stuff was the summer camp.

gt20001

08-10-2006, 11:55 PM

by the way if you are interested jsut check out this site which has info on most of the ice rinks in NC

http://www.icehouserinks.com/

just select which one you want down the right side and in each site you can see what instructors are available- freestyle prices, etc.

Wilmington is so cheap!! $10 for an hour freestyle nas $80 for 10. Its like a givaway.

I know a coach who is moving there because she got a good offer.

CHEAP! I dont particularly find that cheap when i was down there i felt like it was costing me a fortune more than normal to skate at my home rink our normal price is 8 dollars and if you buy it is bigger incriments then you can get it as cheap as 5.50 and we also have empty public sessions during the week that are only 5 dollars for 3 hours of skating so i didnt know what to do when i had to pay 10 dollars per 45 minutes. What do you pay that you think that is cheap.

beachbabe

08-11-2006, 12:11 AM

CHEAP! I dont particularly find that cheap when i was down there i felt like it was costing me a fortune more than normal to skate at my home rink our normal price is 8 dollars and if you buy it is bigger incriments then you can get it as cheap as 5.50 and we also have empty public sessions during the week that are only 5 dollars for 3 hours of skating so i didnt know what to do when i had to pay 10 dollars per 45 minutes. What do you pay that you think that is cheap.

at my rink $8 is the price for 30min. Which means you esentially pay $16 for an hour long freestyle session. By buying in bigger increments you can get it doen to $7- which still comes out to $14 for a regular hour long freestyle session. I spend a lot of money on ice time.

jazzpants

08-11-2006, 01:39 AM

Wilmington is so cheap!! $10 for an hour freestyle nas $80 for 10. Its like a givaway.I can top that!!! :twisted:

My weekend rink: http://www.berkeleyiceland.com/freestyle.cfm

jwrnsktr

08-11-2006, 08:57 AM

I moved from Long Island, NY to Raleigh a year and a half ago. Mind you, we have about 10 rinks on Long Island. When my husband said we had to leave LI in order to retire, he wanted to move to upstate NY, or, get this, Wisconsin (no insult intended cheeseheads, I had just had enough snow to last a lifetime.) When I blatantly refused to go anywhere colder than where I was already, and mentioned that I wouldn't be going anywhere there wasn't an ice rink, he told me to find a place with a cheaper cost of living that had what I wanted. Raleigh it was. I skate at the Factory in Wake Forest. How is it for adult skater? Just fine. Sometimes I'm the only one on the ice for the public session. You can buy bulk admissions and it winds up costing $4.50 for each session which lasts about anywhere from 2-4 hours depending on what else is going on. They let you play you own music. The ice cuts are usually very good. The coaching is excellent. I don't do the freestyle session because we have a lot of very talented young people, but the public sessions are usually pretty open and we can basically do what we want. I've also skated in Garner and and the Iceplex. All great. Good luck in getting the job.

looplover

03-29-2007, 10:29 AM

Last year I thought I might move to NC but didn't, and now it looks like I might again. Does anyone know what is rink that's most adult friendly but with coaches that will push me and kick my butt as needed? In the Triangle area? I might move to Chapel Hill, or West Durham. I have such AOSS, I'm totally planning this move around proximity to good rinks more than proximity to the job (though am trying to incorporate both). Thanks!

skaternum

03-29-2007, 12:27 PM

I'd suggest doing a search for that topic in this forum. Didn't we have some of that kind of info in the earlier thread?

FWIW, all of the rinks have coaches that take adults seriously. And most of the coaches give lessons at more than one rink. Exceptions: most of the Triangle Sportsplex and RecZone coaches tend to only coach at their respective rinks. So unless you're planning on taking more than 1 lesson per week with a specific coach, I'd recommend you plan your life around where you're going to spend more time practicing, rather than taking lessons. You can always drive to a different rink for a lesson once a week.

There are a couple of specific coaches I'd advise against, though. PM me when you get closer to moving, and I'll offer my suggestions.