Skating in Racine Wisconsin

[kander]

Does anybody know a good rink close to Racine Wisconsin? I'll be there at the end of May. I saw that there is some kind of national ice center in Milwakuee that is only about 30 miles away. Has anybody been there? It looks very intriguing to me. It's a speed skating oval surrounding 2 regular rinks. According to their web page it's one of only 12 indoor ovals in the world.

Kevin

[phoenix]

I sent you a PM.

[Kim to the Max]

kander,

I am originally from Milwaukee (my mom currently lives close to the Racine County border), and you are referring to the Pettit National Ice Center (http://www.thepettit.com/), which has 2 international sized rinks surrounded by a speed skating oval (and a running track). This is where Dan Jansen and Bonnie Blair trained when they were training for the Olympics. Wisconsin has a reputation for having some really good speed skaters. They generally have a lot of figure skating ice and The Pettit is home to the Wisconsin Figure Skating Club. If you take a look at their web site, the sessions and prices should be listed. The ice is very well taken care of and the coaches and skaters are pretty nice. When I skated there in December, a good number of the skaters were working on doubles up to double axel. The sessions were busy, but not horrible.

In terms of getting there....I want to stay that there is still construction on the Marquette Interchange so....take I94 going North to I894, continue on I894 (it will break off, stay to the right), until you get to the Greenfield Ave. Exit (Wisconsin State Fair Park). Take Greenfield until you get to 84th Street and take a left (You will see State Fair Park on your left ahead of you). Go all the way to the end (almost at the highway, and turn right into the rink).

Let me know if you have any questions!!!

[Clarice]

I skated at the Pettit once, about 10 years ago, when visiting relatives. It was a public session, and we were on the speed skating oval. The thing was, all you could really do was skate around and around the oval - there was no place to work on jumps or spins. Are public sessions there still like that? It was still pretty cool just to be able to visit that facility.

[Kim to the Max]

I think they still do it that way...because the folks who go to publics are generally not the figure skaters....since the Pettit has so many rink ice sessions that anyone can buy onto for figure skating, they don't often use those rinks for publics...

[techskater]

Pleasant Prarie is a new facility that is nearby.

[kander]

Thanks for all the info. I'd like to visit both the Pettit and Pleasant Prarie rinks while I'm there. It looks like both places have a ton of freestyle sessions. Are they all drop in?

I was looking at the Pleasant Prarie public schedule and they have something called "movie night" on saturday nights. Does anybody know what that is?

Kevin

[phoenix]

You can buy on at both rinks, for a slightly higher price than contracted. Probably your only option....the late Friday sessions at Pettit sometimes get filled up & people get turned away, but that's not typical of most of their sessions.

I believe that figure skating isn't allowed on publics at Pleasant Prairie (at least nothing high level), so you'd definitely be better coming in for a FS session, where you'll have much more elbow room.

I'm not sure, but 'movie night' might be that they play soundtracks from various movies....?

[myste12]

I'm actually from the area, although I usually skate in northern Illinois.

Pleasant Prairie's facility, the Iceplex is beautiful. They have two rinks. If you skate there, hope that you're on the blue rink, or bring an extra sweater because the green rink is notoriously frigid. They also have a very nice lobby with a great view of Lake Andrea. As beautiful as the facility is, it's not very well run. They are terribly inconsistent with ice cuts, and they often leave ice ridges in the corners when they do cut. It can be hard to find someone to pay, to turn on the rink lights or music, ect. The "no figure skating on public" rule is occasionally enforced. Usually you can do almost anything on daytime public because it's fairly empty. Afternoon and weekend publics tend to be more crowded, and I have been asked on occasion not to do any figure skating type moves (jumps, spins, spirals, footwork) on those sessions. All in all, it's a nice place to skate. As far as I know, you can drop in on any freestyle, although you pay a bit more. I skated a Sunday morning freestyle there not too long ago, and had the place all to myself which was quite nice.

I haven't actually skated at Pettit, but I take my skates there for sharpening. Daytime publics appear to be on the speed skating oval. Daytime freestyles (1-2pm) have always been empty when I've been there.

[Kim to the Max]

I haven't actually skated at Pettit, but I take my skates there for sharpening. Daytime publics appear to be on the speed skating oval. Daytime freestyles (1-2pm) have always been empty when I've been there.

Totally OT, but is Bruce still doing sharpening there????????

[phoenix]

Totally OT, but is Bruce still doing sharpening there????????

No, it's Kevin from Rainbo. He's very good!

[Kim to the Max]

No, it's Kevin from Rainbo. He's very good!

Thanks :) I'm not in Milwaukee much since I live in NY now, but it's always good to know of a good sharpener for when I'm there visiting my mom :)

[myste12]

No, it's Kevin from Rainbo. He's very good!

Exactly right, Kevin's my skate guy! I've never had anything but absolutely perfect sharpenings from him.

I also had the assistant manager there do a sharpening for me, but I can't remember her name. It was a good sharpening, but I still like Kevin better!

[kander]

This is the weekend I'll be out there. I'll probably be at Prarie but I don't know which day. That sucks if they don't allow freestyle on a public session. Speaking of public sessions, Petit hardly had any.

[phoenix]

As far as I know Pettit is CLOSED this weekend--we have no FS ice, there are no group classes, and no public sessions!! Don't know if the building is actually locked & dark, but there will definitely be no skating.

[kander]

As far as I know Pettit is CLOSED this weekend--we have no FS ice, there are no group classes, and no public sessions!! Don't know if the building is actually locked & dark, but there will definitely be no skating.

I called ahead and they have some freestyle sessions on friday. Nothing on saturday or sunday.

[phoenix]

I called ahead and they have some freestyle sessions on friday. Nothing on saturday or sunday.

Oh, yes, Friday is normal schedule. I'll be there on the last 2 sessions of the day, are you planning to come then by any chance?

[techskater]

Kevin-
You can always drive a little further south into IL and skate at Gurnee (myste's rink) or Vernon Hills (my rink)!

[kander]

Kevin-
You can always drive a little further south into IL and skate at Gurnee (myste's rink) or Vernon Hills (my rink)!

I'd love to but I've got my brother, sister, and both their families with me. I can't get away too far.

[kander]

Oh, yes, Friday is normal schedule. I'll be there on the last 2 sessions of the day, are you planning to come then by any chance?

You mean 3:30-5:45? I might be there sometime between 1:30 and 3:30. I'm not sure if I can get away. I'll find out tommorrow. If you see a tall, thin middle age man you've never seen before it's me!

BTW, the plane ride out here was an hour late. I think the pilot took a long detour over Canada. I accidently wacked some poor lady on the head with my baggage when we were getting seated :oops:

[phoenix]

You mean 3:30-5:45? I might be there sometime between 1:30 and 3:30. I'm not sure if I can get away. I'll find out tommorrow. If you see a tall, thin middle age man you've never seen before it's me!

BTW, the plane ride out here was an hour late. I think the pilot took a long detour over Canada. I accidently wacked some poor lady on the head with my baggage when we were getting seated :oops:

I'll be there 5:15-7:00. If you're gone by 3:30 I'll miss you. Hope you enjoy it anyway! That early in the day, it should be quite uncrowded, which is nice.

[kander]

I'll be there 5:15-7:00. If you're gone by 3:30 I'll miss you. Hope you enjoy it anyway! That early in the day, it should be quite uncrowded, which is nice.

I ended up working on a chicken coop(!) instead at my brothers property. I see where the term "chicken" comes from. Those things are more skittish than a mouse at a cat convention. Speaking of cats, his neighbor has 40(!) cats in their barn.

My next and last chance for skating is sunday afternoon at Pleasant Prarie at 1. I really hope I can make it.

[kander]

I finally managed to get in a skate in Wisconsin. I went to a public session at the Pleasant Prarie iceplex. It was a very nice and clean facility with a rec center right next to it. There were only a few people on the ice and nobody objected when I started jumping and spinning. There were only 3 girls on the following freestyle session. The place is empty. You can pretty much get your own private ice for $6

It was fun visiting the midwest again. I haven't been here in a long time. It was fun watching native midwesterners in their natural habitat, dontchaknow :D:D They are friendly creatures and do not startle when approached.