Injured Skater: Shocking Treatment

[dbny]

I was at a public session today where there was a large group of school kids. Many of them had their laces untied or not tied all the way up; accidents waiting to happen. Finally, one little girl, maybe about 10 yrs old, fell near a coach giving a lesson. She was crying and holding her lower leg near the ankle, and repeating "my leg, my leg!" There were NO guards on the ice. The coach went over to her then skated off to get help, leaving her alone. After several minutes, a guard came out and spoke with her. She never got up or even tried to, and lay there for at least 10 minutes. The next thing I saw was someone taking her by the feet and drag her off the ice on her rear! Someone else came and held her under the arms to get her butt off the ice. It's simply unbelievable that an ice arena would not have someone qualified in rudimentary first aid on staff and present during public sessions, and would not have a stretcher and wheelchair. This kid should have been taken off on a stretcher or wheelchair, and EMS should have been called immediately. The last I saw of her, she was sitting on a bench with an improvised ice pack on her lower leg near the ankle.

I don't know if the people removing her from the ice were with the arena or with the school, but their ignorance is astounding. Don't get hurt at this place! PM me if you want to know which it is; I don't feel comfortable stating it publicly.

[myste12]

I can't believe someone would drag that poor girl off by her legs! That could have been terrible.

I worked at as an ice guard while in high school, and I never received any first aid training through the rink. I had taken first aid through Girl Scouts, but even that didn't prepare me to deal with some of the more serious injuries. You'd think that ice rinks would have someone qualified to deal with these injuries on site, but usually we were just told to call 911 if anything looked bad. Many of the rinks I skate at now don't even have guards anymore.

[Sessy]

I can't help but wonder what would've happened if she'd had a problem with her neck and/or spine and/or a concussion!

[Goldjudge3]

I now refuse to teach on public sessions because of the recklessness of some skaters. I found myself watching out for the other skaters and attending to the injured more and more. As a coach, the rink demands we know CPR, basic first aid and be AED certified AND have liability insurance. Why not the skating guards as well? Most of the kids taking privates have a bit more control. Our rink sometimes has a guard, sometimes not. When there are guards out there, they are usually busy talking and not enforcing the rules. Safety is a huge issue. A rink that we train at sometimes no longer holds public skating because they were sued from one womans mishap...heres what their website reads when you click on the public skate tab:

Reason for Cancellation
On March 7, 1999 during a public skating session, a woman claims a "reckless" skater knocked her feet out from under her causing her to fall and strike her head on the ice causing several injuries. There were approximately 110 skaters on the ice with 3 guards supervising this session. It appears that current Illinois law does not protect Ice Rinks from this type of liability.

On July 13, 2000 we were notified of the lawsuit and our attorney informed us of the Roller Skating Rink Safety Act which protects roller rinks from this type of liability. We contacted our State Representative Sidney Mathias and in January of 2002 he proposed the Ice Skating Rink Safety Act. The bill was opposed by the Trial Lawyers Association and never made it out of the House Rules Committee.

It was a very difficult decision for us at Twin Rinks to no longer hold public skating sessions. It appears, however, that with the current Illinois law our guards are responsible for the behavior of every skater all the time. We feel this is not a reasonable standard, and it would be impossible for us to maintain. Our insurance will cover this exposure, but the potential liability of the next accident is more than our coverage limits.

What You Can Do
You can help get public skating back at Twin Rinks! Email our State Representative Sidney Mathias at smathias@legis.state.il.us and ask him how you can help get the Ice Skating Rink Safety Act passed.

[slusher]

I have first aid/CPR, both for my workplace and for Skate Canada (coach). If someone fell on public ice, it is my DUTY to attend them according to my first aid training, and I have insurance to cover me if there is lawsuit from inproper treatment but not if I ignore someone. If they fell on club ice, I HAVE to attend, even though it might not be my skater. I'm shocked that there was a coach on that ice as related in the story, and they did nothing. I guess it's different in the USA?

[dbny]

I now refuse to teach on public sessions because of the recklessness of some skaters. ............... A rink that we train at sometimes no longer holds public skating because they were sued from one womans mishap...heres what their website reads when you click on the public skate tab:

Reason for Cancellation
On March 7, 1999 during a public skating session, a woman claims a "reckless" skater knocked her feet out from under her causing her to fall and strike her head on the ice causing several injuries. There were approximately 110 skaters on the ice with 3 guards supervising this session. It appears that current Illinois law does not protect Ice Rinks from this type of liability.

On July 13, 2000 we were notified of the lawsuit and our attorney informed us of the Roller Skating Rink Safety Act which protects roller rinks from this type of liability. We contacted our State Representative Sidney Mathias and in January of 2002 he proposed the Ice Skating Rink Safety Act. The bill was opposed by the Trial Lawyers Association and never made it out of the House Rules Committee.

It was a very difficult decision for us at Twin Rinks to no longer hold public skating sessions. It appears, however, that with the current Illinois law our guards are responsible for the behavior of every skater all the time. We feel this is not a reasonable standard, and it would be impossible for us to maintain. Our insurance will cover this exposure, but the potential liability of the next accident is more than our coverage limits.
............

There is one arena where I won't teach on public sessions because they are dangerous and unsupervised. They have enough guards, but the guards skate around yapping with each other doing absolutely nothing. I was hurt there once and won't go back. I know a very experienced Russian coach who won't teach there anymore either, for the same reason. This same arena allowed a guard to take a young skater onto the ice with the Zamboni. The two were skating along with it and sometimes holding on. 8O

No amount of insurance and no liability waiver can protect an arena against it's own negligence. I've never been to a public session at Twin Rinks, but they could have 30 guards on the ice and be negligent if the guards were not enforcing the rules. An arena is not responsible for every reckless skater, only for those it allows to continue skating. I really believe that if arena management is vigilant in policing their public sessions, they have no more to fear than the rest of us in terms of spurious lawsuits.

I'm shocked that there was a coach on that ice as related in the story, and they did nothing. I guess it's different in the USA?

There were three coaches on the ice, as a matter of fact, but no guards at all. There were about 30 or 40 skaters altogether. Other than some jerk skating around with his eyes on the ice directly in front of him, I didn't witness any reckless behavior. This was a public session, not club ice.
I don't know what the laws are regarding this kind of thing in the US, and it may well vary from state to state, but I would never leave an injured skater alone on the ice at an arena where I worked. I don't work in this one, and had to consciously stay away from the scene. My guess is that this particular place has not held staff meetings to brief coaches on their responsibilities in such matters, and since all three were young, they didn't know better on their own. Anyway, why should the coaches be briefed if the arena management has seen fit to run public sessions without guards on the ice and with no emergency equipment on hand? I'm still upset about it.

[sue123]

I have skated on so many public sessions during the day without any guards. Usually, at that time of day, it's more competent skaters than you would find at a regular public session, so it never struck me as a big deal. But I would think if the rink knew that a group was coming, they should make sure they have somebody there to keep an eye on things. Who was it that pulled her across the ice? Another of the school kids? That poor kid.

As for the makeshift ice pack, I fell down hard on my shoulder once, and went to get ice because I could not move my arm, I wasn't sure if I had dislocated it or what. The guys gave me a ziploc baggie with what looked like leftover zamboni ice scrapings. Why bother having ice packs if you can get it right off the rink?

[Morgail]

Wow! I can't believe that! As much as I complain about the lack of rule/safety enforcement at public sessions at one of the rinks where I skate, at least they have the sense to deal well with potentially serious injuries. One crowded Saturday, a girl broke her leg. Rink management cleared everyone off the ice except the girl, her friend, and a few rink employees. It stayed that way until EMS arrived to safely take the girl off the ice. Another day, a woman fell backwards and hit her head and couldn't get up. The rink did the same procedure, clearing everyone off the ice until the woman could be treated. The woman ended up being fine, but that could've been a bad injury.
Of course, some people griped about not being able to skate for 10 minutes out of 3 hour public session, but I think the rink handled those situations well by putting the safety of the skaters first.

[dbny]

I have skated on so many public sessions during the day without any guards. Usually, at that time of day, it's more competent skaters than you would find at a regular public session, so it never struck me as a big deal. But I would think if the rink knew that a group was coming, they should make sure they have somebody there to keep an eye on things. Who was it that pulled her across the ice? Another of the school kids?

No it was an adult, and another adult who helped after the first yard or two.

Just because you don't think its a big deal that there were no guards on a rather empty public session does not mean that it is a responsible policy for arena management. There should always be at least one person with skates on ready to help or to enforce rules if necessary.

Wow! I can't believe that! As much as I complain about the lack of rule/safety enforcement at public sessions at one of the rinks where I skate, at least they have the sense to deal well with potentially serious injuries. One crowded Saturday, a girl broke her leg. Rink management cleared everyone off the ice except the girl, her friend, and a few rink employees. It stayed that way until EMS arrived to safely take the girl off the ice. Another day, a woman fell backwards and hit her head and couldn't get up. The rink did the same procedure, clearing everyone off the ice until the woman could be treated. The woman ended up being fine, but that could've been a bad injury.

This is pretty much how it's done at the rink where I work most. They don't clear the ice, but they do make everyone stop skating and go to the boards until the injured party has been safely removed from the ice. Either way is acceptable, IMO. What is not acceptable is to allow everyone to go on their merry ways.

[Mrs Redboots]

Our coaches all have to have at least basic first-aid skills as part of their training, and I don't think the rink's insurance policies allow anybody to skate unless there is a qualified first-aider in the building. Most of the management have basic skills, I believe, although I don't think the skate marshalls necessarily do.

[das_mondlicht]

2 years ago, I was at public session and there were only few regluars skating. After I finished my lesson, I stroke around to think about what was learned and fixed during the lesson. As I XORed around the Lutz corner, I heard a blast. My reaction was to stop and look around. Then, the burning light bulb and glass shattering down right in front of me. It was less than an inch distance. I saw the burning stuff and thought - run. But, my feet just glued to the ice. Until my coach shouting from distance to wake me up from the shock. Later, they coned the area and a couple of rink workers stepped in to pick up the debris. I was only asked am I bleeding? I can't see myself, I don't know... My adult-skater friends helped to look my hair and my dress for any piece of glass or metal. Later, I was told by the ice monitor that this happened about 4 times in the past 20 years and most during tot group lessons. Tot has helmet on, so they didn't get hurt. About 6 months, I avoid that corner.

No safty management apparently...It is a shame to see when bad thing happens but they know it would come some day. I sympathize the little girl. Hope nothing serious happen to her.


Luna

[flippet]

A rink that we train at sometimes no longer holds public skating because they were sued from one womans mishap...heres what their website reads when you click on the public skate tab:


They actually didn't stop all public sessions at Twin Rinks until 2002--I used to work around the corner from there, and would skate the lunchtime session. I was very disappointed when they shut them down. I honestly can't remember if there was a guard 'on duty' during the lunchtime session...probably, but not with a labeled jacket or anything, iirc. But then, there was generally less than 10 people on the ice--two or three adult figure skaters, a couple of adult hockey skaters, occasionally a teen elite, and maybe a tot or two, and maybe a coach giving a lesson to one of the skaters. It was very frustrating to learn that an incident THREE YEARS earlier was now ruining the fun for everyone. The same kind of thing happened at the Notre Dame rink as well....some guy fell and hit his head, and raised a stink, and now no one can skate there unless they're attached to the university somehow (at least, last I heard).

:giveup:

[Mercedeslove]

I now refuse to teach on public sessions because of the recklessness of some skaters. I found myself watching out for the other skaters and attending to the injured more and more. As a coach, the rink demands we know CPR, basic first aid and be AED certified AND have liability insurance. Why not the skating guards as well? Most of the kids taking privates have a bit more control. Our rink sometimes has a guard, sometimes not. When there are guards out there, they are usually busy talking and not enforcing the rules. Safety is a huge issue. A rink that we train at sometimes no longer holds public skating because they were sued from one womans mishap...heres what their website reads when you click on the public skate tab:

Do you know how much an AED costs? I wouldn't want the skate guards to be near them either. Heck I think it might be safer to have someone around just for the soul purpose of first aid. Whether it is a first responder, or EMT. Someone who can be there until 9-1-1 arrives.

While the use of an AED might be fool proof, there are people who would attempt to use it while the PT was down on the ice. Not realizing that ice is water and water is a conductor of electricity. There are many people out there who just can't seem to figure out how to properly use an AED.

Our rink doesn't have one, they should possibly look into one because the key factor in cardiac arrest (in adults at least) is early defibrillation. The 3-5 minuets it takes the local FD to get there can mean the difference in that persons life. CPR only can do so much, that is if it is done right but a trained person and not Betty Sue the ER fangirl.

If someone at my rink gets hurt and I am there, the coaches and staff come get me, and if it is bad enough I tell them to call 9-1-1.

If the person fell on the ice and didn't hit their head of have a possible spinal cord injury/neck injury I have them removed off the ice. The cold will not help them, especially if they are going into shock.

As for the girl who was left on the ice, it is unacceptable, but then again there could have been a lot more to the situation.

EAT: My high school had an ice rink, and we would have skating as a gym class (best class ever). One day one of my friends fell and dislocated her knee. My gym teacher was completely clueless and had no idea what to do. It took me to make him snap out of it, and help me get the girl into the penalty box. (a few feet away) and call 9-1-1.

The medic (whom I knew ) had a hard time in their fire boots getting across the ice with the gurney. They have me the gurney and I pushed it across the ice. It made for an interesting skating partner. They then went the other way (the gurney would not have fit through that way.) and treated her.

When it was time for them to leave, I got one of the football players to help me bring the gurney back and give it to the medics.

and posting this has made me realize I have in or around the fire service since I was 15. That's 12 years. Wow.

[Skittl1321]

Our rink has no skate guards. I shudder to think of what would happen there if there was an emergency. The one lucky thing is that we are in a mall, that has AEDs and security- so there would be quick access to (mediocre, at least) medical care.

Generally if they feel the need to come out on the ice, the counter workers walk out on the ice in their shoes (sometimes the dirt on the ice is insane). Occasionally one will have hockey skates on- but I can never tell if he is working or just skating when he is out there.

I can't complain too much, as I have never witnessed an accident, it is not a very crowded rink, and they allow freeskating on public sessions- which saves a fortune and allows me to skate, as I can't go to most freestyle sessions, but if the rink was crowded it would be insane. There is no directional control, not "stay out of the center", no limitation on camel spins. (Thankfully the people who do practice on public ice usually aren't going very fast) or backward spirals (which I will only do if my coach is less than a foot away from me spotting for me, and then still I rarely practice them.) AND this was crazy, but last week we actually had 2 speedskaters on a public session. It was amazing how fast they were whipping around the ice, but then as I had someone who was trying to focus a camera on someone skating next to them almost run into me, completely clueless, it occured to me- I've never seen a speed skater stop. They either run into a wall, or slowly come down to a normal speed. If a clueless public skater was to get into their way- could they stop?

[Clarice]

That is kind of scary, Jessi. We used to have speed skaters who practiced at our rink - they had a club hour, and used to put up all kinds of mats and stuff at the ends of rink in case somebody wiped out. There were a couple who would sometimes skate on public sessions, but only the really uncrowded, middle of the day ones. I can't imagine them out there with a bunch of kids. The ice costs at our rink are pretty high, so the speed skaters stopped practicing here. I don't have any idea where they've gone. There really isn't a proper speed skating facility anywhere in Iowa that I know of.

[Goldjudge3]

If you are asking how much the AED machine costs. I believe that the ones that run on the "D" batteries are somewhere around $2K if not more. Every year when we get certified (CPR, AED, First Aid) they bring in the local fire department EMT's to train us. The question always comes up about using the AED on the ice. My boyfriend, who has been a firefighter/emt for many many years said you really have to use your best judgement when shocking on the ice. If the patient is wet, its not advisable. IE if someone just came out of a pool, they must dry them off before shocking. Either way, lets just all hope we can be safe on the ice and help to the best of our ablilities if the need ever arises.

[jazzpants]

Okay, I found out which rink it was... and let's put it this way. I will NOT be going back there unless I am skating with someone that has some amount of First Aid background (or at least know that you do NOT drag an injured person by the leg off the ice!!!) 8O 8O 8O

And I am VERY SHOCKED about the rink management of this particular place. I expected them to know better than to open themselves up for a lawsuit. Apparently from what I'm hearing now, all they are is a LOT of HYPE!!! :evil:

[Sessy]

In the Netherlands, speed skaters have their own rinks. It's VERY popular here, actually, the only reason figure skaters get ice oftentimes is because it costs practically as much to freeze both a figure skating rink AND a speed skating rink than it does to freeze just a 400 metre rink. So we have them much to thank for!!!

However, yes, speed skaters can stop - at least the good ones, I've seen them use some semblance of a T-stops (or should I say, 1 foot snowplow?) sometimes, although it seems to be much more difficult for them than for us, let alone for hockey players. Also, I saw a speed skater doing waltz jumps once, and one who tried to spin. Hilarious. :lol: I'm suspecting they also can do snowplows because they can do those figures that look like this on the ice: <><><><><><><> where you open up your legs and pull them together again. If they can do that, they should be able to snowplow. Swizzles or whaddaya call em?

Usually the only speed skaters we encounter here on "our" 30x60 metre ice rinks are shorttrackers, since the whole point of shorttrack is to skate on a 30x60 rink. They make EXTREME curves not to loose speed in the curves, where they're under such an angle to the ice that they could touch the ice with their elbows it seems. The most common way I see them stop is when they fall and fly out of a curve and boink up against the boarding. I'm not sure shorttrackers even know how to stop. 400-metre trackers speedskaters, when they're good, do know how to stop. And they have better crossovers than most figure skaters, although only in one direction tee-hee! :twisted:

[dbny]

Also, I saw a speed skater doing waltz jumps once, and one who tried to spin.

OT, but I believe that Axel Paulson landed the eponymous jump in speed skates.

[Sessy]

Yes he did, though I think his speed skates had anckle support, contrary to speed skates nowadays. Even though I might be wrong

However, spinning on speed skates? C'mooon. :lol:

[Derek]

The question always comes up about using the AED on the ice. My boyfriend, who has been a firefighter/emt for many many years said you really have to use your best judgement when shocking on the ice. If the patient is wet, its not advisable. IE if someone just came out of a pool, they must dry them off before shocking. Either way, lets just all hope we can be safe on the ice and help to the best of our ablilities if the need ever arises.

The electrical conductivity of ice is very poor, compared to water. Exact data is difficult, as there are too many variables. However, water is always present as it melts where a person is in contact with the ice, ie a shadow is always left when someone is removed off the ice? I agree on best judgement ...

[Roger]

I broke my right leg just above the ankle at a public stating session. With about 100 skaters only one teenager happened to come over and ask if I was OK as I got up. I don't think he believed me as I was starting to skate away, but my ankle was at a strange angle. I skated off the ice on one foot, a hockey player (getting ready to go home) helped me get the boot off before the ankle swelled and we taped it. Two guys helped me to the car and I drove my self to the emergency room. Driving a Trans Am with one foot while the other is draped over the seats is ... interesting. By the time I reached the emergency room I was certainly questioning the wisdom of driving myself.

One operation, One titanium plate and six screws later I was on crutches. 4 weeks to the day after surgery I had the cast off and was in PT. I heal very fast. Unbelievably so when my age is taken into account. They still made me wear the cast when not in PT. Two more weeks and I was back on the ice.

A lot of accidents happen and unless it looks really bad not many pay attention. I really believe public skaters *try* to ignore getting involved with any one who might be injured. I found that when skating "patch ice" the other skaters paid far more attention to each other than on public ice and would invariably check when some one went down.

[sunjoy]

The treatment of the skater in the original post seems perposterous. I can only assume that she wasn't *really* hurt, and was hamming it up to get attention. I've seen some school kids do that, although of course not the more serious skaters, who are tough as nails. If her leg really was hurt, being dragged by it would have made her howl. And she'd have made them stop.

Even still, dragging someone healthy off the ice isn't a good practice. Much better to sit with them, (or stand, if traffic needs to be blocked) and assuming there's no real injury, make her comfortable and emphasize that falling is the way to learn, and let her skate off on her own, praising her for being brave. I'm not a coach, but this much is blindingly obvious even to me. Apparently not to a non-skater, or schoolteacher who doesn't skate much. :(

I saw a dislocated shoulder happen today. Skate guards called 911, offered to bring a blanket, but the man decided (against advice) that he'd get up and skate off. Medics arrived maybe 10 mins later and reduced the dislocation. That's how it should happen.

Speedskaters, aside from reckless beginners, one-or-two going slow (for them) getting their endurance workout, probably isn't too much of a danger at a session with lots of space and good rink management (no wrong-way skaters). They are very aware of their speed, and although they apparently can't hockey-stop the way we can, they can shed speed by toeing-in, and generally have very good control. At least the ones I've shared the ice with (both experienced adults) do.=

I'm starting to think that it's crowding that's the most dangerous factor. 100 skaters? That sounds like way too many for a standard sized rink!

[samba]

When I broke my leg, all the coaches stopped what they were doing and came over, they immediately got a wheel on stretcher and carefully lifted me onto it, they took me to the first aid room where my injury was assessed, meantime an ambulance was called and on its way. For me the treatment I received could not have been better, this is mainly due to the First Aid training of the coaches which is compulsory in the uk and the first class First Aid facilities.

[Sessy]

100 skaters is "pretty empty" around here, 200-300 people is more of a norm on free skating sessions around here. When there's about a 100 I'll still wager any jump but the lutz, and they don't mind my doing scratch spins and backspin (of course, as long as those 100 are actually sticking to the boardings and skating rounds by the boardings, and not going all the way over the ice).

[dbny]

The treatment of the skater in the original post seems perposterous. I can only assume that she wasn't *really* hurt, and was hamming it up to get attention.

It didn't look like hamming to me. As far as howling if it were really broken, that's debatable. Certainly if it were displaced, pulling her by the foot would bring on howls, yet many fractures are not displaced.

Remember what happens when you ###-u-me.

[CanAmSk8ter]

I can't believe someone would drag that poor girl off by her legs! That could have been terrible.

I worked at as an ice guard while in high school, and I never received any first aid training through the rink. I had taken first aid through Girl Scouts, but even that didn't prepare me to deal with some of the more serious injuries. You'd think that ice rinks would have someone qualified to deal with these injuries on site, but usually we were just told to call 911 if anything looked bad. Many of the rinks I skate at now don't even have guards anymore.


I worked at the rink where I skated in high school too, not usually as a skate guard, but I filled in as one occasionally. We had very basic first aid info in our employee manual (don't move an injured skater, etc) and there were always rubber gloves and gauze pads in the pockets of the guard jackets, but we also had walkie-talkies when we were on the ice, and the manager on duty had one at all times. All the managers had first aid certification. Any time a skater fell and we thought there was even a possibility of injury we were supposed to call a manager on the walkie-talkie.

I'm always surprised at how many rinks don't take proper OSHA precautions when there's blood on the ice. My current rink is really good about it, getting out the peroxide or whatever it is every single time there's blood, but I've seen rinks basically have a skate guard scrape up the blood with snowplow stops and scoop off the bloody snow, or else just Zamboni over it. I've actually seen it just ignored if it's only a little bit.

[Sessy]

They zamboni over it here too.

I'm always telling the kids in figure skating class not to lay around on the ice with their bare hands or to wash their hands after skating, not to play with the "snow" and not to put ice shavings over their shafed skin. The hockeyers bleed, spit and snot all over the ice. Aids and hepatitis are just a few of the possibilities, but what about cytomegalovirus and other stuff like that!
After a few months of explaining what the hockeyers do to the ice, I've finally gotten through to them I think. At least it's been a long time since I've seen any of the kids play with that snow. And when one did, the others went "eewww" - which is really the best way to keeping them from doing it again, peer pressure. :lol:

[Sessy]

When my collarbone was shattered (not just broken, it had like six fractures in it) they didn't find out till two days afterwards, when it was displaced all over the place. You could just lift my arm and everything.
Admittedly, the bone shatters probably cut through some nerves or something because functionality in that arm never did return fully, but you're right, dbny, a fracture doesn't necessarily mean that you can't pull by the legs.

Besides, she could've torn ligaments or have a fracture that didn't go entirely through the whole bone.

[dbny]

The hockeyers bleed, spit and snot all over the ice.

At the same rink, a different public session, where there actually were guards on the ice, one of them skating near me spit onto the ice. I had a knee jerk reaction and said quite loudly and sternly "Hey, this is a public session, not a hockey game!" The poor guard was really embarrassed and apologized profusely and promised it wouldn't happen again. I've seen guards and guys in hockey skates do that everywhere, so it really wasn't a reflection on that arena. It becomes a habit with them, and they have to be reminded.

[Roger]

<snip>

I'm starting to think that it's crowding that's the most dangerous factor. 100 skaters? That sounds like way too many for a standard sized rink!

As it was the day after Christmas 100 is probably pretty conservative. Normally, "Public Ice" might have as many as 5 or 10. <:-))

Typical week ends might see 20 or 30.

Even with a 100 out there I was able to do spirals to the length of the arena and back to the center so it wasn't terribly crowded. Normally spins and jumps are prohibited on Public Ice but I was a regular fixture around there so I'd just pick a spot a bit toward either end from the center. I'd probably done 10 or 15 scratch spins already and was getting tired so I decided to go home. I should have left one spin earlier.

[sk8_4fun]

When I broke my leg, all the coaches stopped what they were doing and came over, they immediately got a wheel on stretcher and carefully lifted me onto it, they took me to the first aid room where my injury was assessed, meantime an ambulance was called and on its way. For me the treatment I received could not have been better, this is mainly due to the First Aid training of the coaches which is compulsory in the uk and the first class First Aid facilities.

yep, this is, thankfully, what its like at our rink. The coaches will all immediately check on anyone who goes down, and first aid will attend to anyone who is hurt, them even if they insist they're OK. If you bump your head they wont let you back on. Not too sure about peak public ice as I avoid it. Most adult skaters look out for each other even if they're strangers. It's reassuring to skate in this kind of atmosphere!:D