Making it all work...with restrictions!

[Skate@Delaware]

My rink just re-opened for the new skating season (yay!) and it's been really good, they added new sessions (freestyle & publics)

HOWEVER (here it comes)

for public sessions, you are NO LONGER permitted to JUMP! any kind, if one foot is off the ice it is NOT ALLOWED! The only exception is if you are in a lesson (which happens on public ice). We are told this decision comes from higher up after several of the girls doing doubles crashed into LTS'ers and other innocent bystanders.

Unfortunately for me and several others, the freestyle sessions conflict and public sessions are only available for skating (I can make 3 of them vs. 1 freestyle) per week.

This really bites!

Anyone else deal with this at their rink? How do you deal with it? Does this mean that "no spins, spirals, etc" is coming soon?

I've already decided to make it work for me and do moves, spins & footwork on publics and jumps on freestyles. But this seriously bites as I like a progression in my skating training. :roll:

[Bill_S]

Our rink prohibits jumps, spins, and spirals during public sessions. I recall being told not to jump once by a rink guard when there was only one couple on the ice beside me. I jumped in one corner, and the other couple were in the far corner. Still, the guard told me I couldn't do that. GRRRRRRRRRR!

I talked to the rink manager and asked that the skate guards apply some common sense during lightly attended public sessions. He agreed, and I've been sneaking in spins and some jumps during light sessions. All seemed good.

That was the past though...

The former manager took another job at the end of last season, and we have a new hockey-playing manager this year. Time will tell what is permitted this year vs. the past couple of years. The official policy is still no jumps or spins, and we'll see about the "common sense" agreement that I forged with the former manager.

It's a regrettable policy that forbids jumps and spins. Among the beginning skaters I see, that's what they expect from advanced skaters. It's a shame they can't watch someone talented, but careful, showcase the beauty of figure skating.

[Skate@Delaware]

I can understand the restriction...as always it's the many that pay for the crimes of the few. The two girls in question had a habit of jumping willy-nilly and not really caring who was there "well, they should move" was their attitude.

I would agree that WE would be careful, but if we are allowed to jump/spin then EVERYONE would be allowed and that also means the ones that don't look/don't care to look or even don't care at all about looking.

I just think it's harsh to say "no more" after 7 years. What about the hockey boys doing their maneuvers? I haven't heard if their "stunts" have been prohibited as of yet.....I'm going to ask again.

[Clarice]

I would agree that WE would be careful, but if we are allowed to jump/spin then EVERYONE would be allowed and that also means the ones that don't look/don't care to look or even don't care at all about looking.


I think it would make more sense to ban the offenders from public sessions, rather than to punish everybody by banning jumps and spins altogether. It also helps if they designate particular areas for jumps or spins and enforce that. I once skated at a rink that actually painted an oval on the ice - jumps and spins were permitted inside the oval only, and public skaters were to stay out of it. Another rink permitted only single jumps and no camel spins - that made sense to me, too.

[AgnesNitt]

An acquaintance of mine from Canada told me that at her rink public sessions consisted of skating forward in one direction, then there was a horn or bell and you skated forward in the other direction. No backwards skating, much less spirals, jumps, or spins.

[jp1andOnly]

Thats right. Basically public ice is for the public..no hockey, no free. There are some sessions that are hockey or shinny ice(free skate) SC(skate canada) doesnt provide insurance for public ice. You also cant get lessons on public ice. There are LOTS of freeskate/dance/skills/open sessions at all the SC clubs.

An acquaintance of mine from Canada told me that at her rink public sessions consisted of skating forward in one direction, then there was a horn or bell and you skated forward in the other direction. No backwards skating, much less spirals, jumps, or spins.

[Isk8NYC]

As long as the rules are pre-defined and enforced consistently, I'd be okay with it.

I don't know if it's still this strict, but the Woodbridge (NJ) Community rink wouldn't let you do ANY figure skating moves at all on a public session and they had very few Freestyle session. Not even a three turn was allowed; I had a guard come up to me and say "No figure skating." I asked him what that meant and he didn't know. So no turns, no jumps, no spins. What a waste of ice.

But it was perfectly fine for the hockey guys to rip around the rink using the crowd as cones and bumper cars.

I know what you mean about a few people ruining it for everyone. One rink I used to skate at banned all jumps after a ding-a-ling decided to show off and do a double salchow (which landed really close to a kid) followed by a Flying Camel (which landed right in traffic.) Instead of making a rule, mgt. had a kneejerk reaction.

[fsk8r]

I skate at one of the no jump, spin, spiral rinks. OK common sense will prevail if there's only 2 or 3 of you on the ice, but otherwise the rule is don't try. Or if you do try (but generally the only ones trying are those doing waltz jumps holding a barrier or beginner spins) except that you might get a warning and then stop.
I don't find it to be a problem as I just work on moves and turns on those sessions or just chat (which is what everyone else on a public session does!).
The one public I do skate each week is following dance club and that I find to be dangerous as the dance couples still have their music playing for the first 45mins and they'll go around dancing and ignore the public. They're dangerous because the public don't know the patterns so it's like dodging asteroids. And being someone who knows the patterns doesn't help because the patterns get mangled as they dodge someone who can't skate.

[Skate@Delaware]

Thanks for all your input/replies. This really does help reinforce that:
1-we have been very spoiled and used to being able to do anything we wanted on the ice, regardless of the effect is has had on others
2-rules should be adhered to, but common sense should prevail (if you have no common sense, then you need to follow the rules)
3-I really have no excuse for not working on my moves now LOL!

I will add: once we (my family) skated at U of Delaware on one of their public sessions; we were warned against doing anything like 3-turns, spins, jumps, etc.....cause it wasn't allowed. However, the hockey people & general public were PERMITTED to play games such as "crack-the-whip" and THEY could do jumps with no warning was given to them (I did bring this to the skate guard's attention...their answer? They aren't figure skaters WTH?) That was the last session I ever attended up there.

[RachelSk8er]

I don't do public sessions, but they are pretty relaxed at my rink. During daytime public sessions when the ice is pretty much empty, anything generally goes (including playing your music on the stereo system). When it's in the evening, on a school holiday, or more crowded for whatever reason, they cone off the center for jumps/spins. That's how most of the rinks around here are.

[Skate@Delaware]

I don't do public sessions, but they are pretty relaxed at my rink. During daytime public sessions when the ice is pretty much empty, anything generally goes (including playing your music on the stereo system). When it's in the evening, on a school holiday, or more crowded for whatever reason, they cone off the center for jumps/spins. That's how most of the rinks around here are.
That's how ours used to be...minus the cones. But after the music system was broken several times they took that privilege away and if people can't remember to spin in the center (and others stay out of the center) cones won't work. Last time they tried cones, kids kept taking the cones and playing with them.

I'm just hoping that working on jumps once a week is enough (that's the only time I can hit the freestyle session outside of my lesson). At least my moves should improve-they have really gotten bad since my back injury.

[sk8lady]

Two of the three rinks I skate at made "no figure skating" rules. One of them actually put up a sign with a pretty little picture of a skater saying, "No figure skating." A week later, some of the hockey kids were playing "throw a glove on the ice and then be the first to throw yourself on top of it" and slammed into a little girl, who had to be carried off the ice and taken home. That rink gave up the rule--the other one still has it officially but once they took away all but 2 hours of figure skating ice, including all ice prior to 4 p.m. (when I have to be at home taking care of my kid), they lightened up a little bit--some of us just can't make those later hours during the week.

[NoVa Sk8r]

Maybe you could ask the manager or skate guard if jumps can be permitted, but only in the center? It's not like you're doing doubles or triples!

As for the hockey players can do anything but the figure skaters can't do anything ... when I was skating in NC, one of the skate guards (a hockey player) told me that I had to stop spinning. I looked at him with a confused and defensive expression and said, "I am twirling, not spinning." He said, "Oh, um, OK. I guess that is alright then." :lol:

[jazzpants]

I once did a runthru of my program with my primary coach during a very empty midday public session. Ice guard comes out and tells me that I can't jump outside the middle of the rink. Here I am in the middle of a lesson with my coach and this kid stops me during my runthru to tell me this. (Yes, I understand this is a public session but I have a lesson going on and I'm running thru my program as part of the lesson, so I can't exactly avoid skating outside the middle of the ice!!!) Needless to say, I sic my primary coach on him (and those of you who know him know you don't get into a hissy fit with my primary coach especially during his lesson. :twisted: :lol: ) In 30 seconds, I restart my program again... no ice guard!!! :twisted: :P :lol:

We're pretty strong figure skating-wise in our neck of the woods. Would be very surprised if figure skating wasn't allowed during public session.

BTW: kander broke this rule a couple of times and the ice guard was immediately on his tail. Same ice guard also warned me about it. Funny thing was... same ice guard said to me "I know you skate here a lot, but I need this job and just want to look like I'm doing my job... so just kinda do it near the cones and I'll leave 'ya alone..." Love the kid, so I did him that favor!!! :lol:

[slusher]

" A week later, some of the hockey kids were playing "throw a glove on the ice and then be the first to throw yourself on top of it"

Oooh, I was at this rink today or it seemed like it. Along with this game, there is also the "Accidentally" drop the water bottle and kick it around. At least the gloves are black and I can see them, a clear water bottle is invisible and dangerous.

We also have, because of humidity, Throw the hockey glove and hit the ceiling so all the water droplets rain on the skaters Game.

[Skate@Delaware]

Maybe you could ask the manager or skate guard if jumps can be permitted, but only in the center? It's not like you're doing doubles or triples!

As for the hockey players can do anything but the figure skaters can't do anything ... when I was skating in NC, one of the skate guards (a hockey player) told me that I had to stop spinning. I looked at him with a confused and defensive expression and said, "I am twirling, not spinning." He said, "Oh, um, OK. I guess that is alright then." :lol:
We did ask about jumping in the center, but were denied for the reason of safety. So far, we are allowed to spin (might see camels disappear soon tho)....

I'll have to remember to say that I'm "twirling" instead of spinning! THAT'S HILARIOUS!