what do u bring to the rink?

[Sk8Bunny]

Exacetly 4 days of school left-yay!- so i thought id start a fun thread. What does everyone bring with them to the rink? for practice and competitions. Name the funny/weird things that you bring! like good luck charms and stuff!!! I'll get it started-
For practice:
water bottle, jump rope, tapes, notebook/goalbook, kleenex, ace wrap, ice cream money(lol), and granola bars, and a small plush otter/seal that stays in my skate bag to ensure good practices, and a good luck letter that my friend wrote me 2 years ago for a competition i was in. whenever i need encouragement, i pull it out and read it.

For competitions:
same as above, except no ice cream money,lol, and i bring my good luck bear that i named Karma, cause my friend gave him to me and he only has one eye, and she told me she picked him out for him cause he 'looked like he needed the most love'. so he is my good luck bear that i bring along.
oh, and i also bring a new pair of skate laces. this is a superstition cause i buy new spare laces before i compete, and i bring them so my old ones dont break. lol.

Mine arent that orginal or weird/funny, lol, but hopefully some of you out there have some kool and unique stuff that you bring to the rink w/ you. Lets hear it!!

[sk8er1964]

Ok, this is the view from the old & injured type :roll:

In the "injury bag": Therabands (why? I don't know - maybe because this bag also goes to PT with me). A thigh brace. A heating pad, for before skating. My cd player for my warm up and after-stretching, currently with Alan Parsons Project greatest hits (bet you younger folks never heard of them, let alone thinking they can have a 2-cd greatest hits :lol: :lol: ). Deoderant, body wash & skin/body wipes. A magazine, shorts & a t-shirt, again for PT. A lock. Zip lock bags for ice after skating/stretching. Kleenex.

In the skating bag: Skates, guards, a jacket, my skirt and turtle neck (what I skate in), over the boot tights, footless tights & skating socks, a cloth diaper to wipe my skates with, my tape player, my program cd, rink open skating schedules, $$$ (not a whole lot), a stone, asthma medication, open skating passes.

I think I'll probably take one or more of my beenie babies from my first AN as good luck charms in future competitions :) .

[StarshineXavier]

For Practices:
Skates(duh), soakers, the bags my skates live in, guards, water bottle, gloves(like 3 pairs incase of me being a human zamboni), spinner, tapes, sk8 tape, clear hockey tape, screwdriver, loose change, chapstick, ring pop(my coach gave it to me as a treat), kleenex, my tape ball with tape from when I won Nats for synchro, towel, loads of key chains on the outside of the bag, hair elastics, brush, socks, hair ties I stole from my club's skating carnivals, my knee pills, super strength Motrin and I think that's it. There's prolly garbage in my bag too.

For Competitions/Tests:
Same as above, but add:
Make up, dress(in a separate bag though), spare tights and that's about it.

I HAVE to have my tape ball in my bag at all times. I tape my laces for competitions and tests, and if I have a good skate, then the tape goes on the tape ball. So it's got just happy memories associated with it. I'm neurotic about people playing with it too-I HATE when people play with it and usually yell at them when they do.

[Hester Prynn]

interesting idea. Well, I've got time so I'll gladly contribute.

This is from the some what young but injured group...

Practice:
skates, practice guards (lime green and gold glitter), competition guards (metallic gold) because I'm very superstitous about the gold thing. Tapes, pair of gloves, 1-2 pairs of socks, shammy, Star (a goodluck tiny Russ dog), cd's for practice, spare laces, mp3 player, the *ankle* bag... consists of Silipos, lamb's wool, pre-wrap and sports tape, gel pads of various sizes and shapes, those little donut pads for the balls of the foot, circular ankle pads, heating pad, and a spare pair of orthodics.

Competition:
All of the above listed but including spare tights, Henry Higgens (my goodluck sheep dog from my favorite coaches), 3 goodluck emails from someone special in my life... inspirational and moving all in one.., a pic of me and my coach from NY, back-up dresses... the usual stuff... oh and yes, Caramel frap moolah!

[jazzpants]

Practice: MYSELF!!! (DUH!!!) :P , skates, gloves, skate guards, towel to dry off skates, soakers, tape, a little travel pack that I wear around my waist that carries my locker keys, pocket Kleenex and change for coffee/drinks/locker, skating music (when I am doing a program, but I'm not doing one now so it's N/A...), my SkatingSafe protective pads, spare boot lace

Competition:
Everything mentioned above, minus the fanny pack but add my competition dress, myself already made up in makeup and hair done... and hopefully a LOT of skating fans!!! :P As for good luck charm...my coach *IS* my good luck charm!!! :mrgreen: (Let's hear it: "AHHHHH!!!!") :P

[*dani-skates*]

Practice: Skates, screwdriver, water, a banana, hair ties, hairbrush. soakers, hard guards, spare socks, tights, practice dress, money, cell phone, chapstick, tiger balm, sweater, tape with general warm up music, competition/program music.

competition: all of the above and a picture of my dad who was a coach but died- it gives me strength, make up and my best friend.

Coaching: jazzpants, a sweater, a pen, a notebook, a book listing the different aspects of each level for testing, starburst- a little bribery never hurt anyone ;)

I think my friend Josh wins for the biggest first aid kit. He has one bag for his skates, one bag for extras and then another bag for his first aid kit. Its so funny because the most I ever bring with me is tiger balm, an ace bandage and aspirin but Josh has EVERYTHING! If you look even slightl in pain then his mom comes up to you, opens her bag and inside is every type of medication imaginable it. It grows every week aswell. It is pretty useful sometimes though but seriously, they practically have their own drug store there.

[*dani-skates*]

Practice: Skates, screwdriver, water, a banana, hair ties, hairbrush. soakers, hard guards, spare socks, tights, practice dress, money, cell phone, chapstick, tiger balm, sweater, tape with general warm up music, competition/program music.

competition: all of the above and a picture of my dad who was a coach but died- it gives me strength, make up and my best friend.

Coaching: jazzpants, a sweater, a pen, a notebook, a book listing the different aspects of each level for testing, starburst- a little bribery never hurt anyone ;)

[skateflo]

Good grief! After reading all the things you people carry in your "bag" I have to wonder do you use a bag or a suitcase! The weight alone must be quite a workout carrying all that stuff!
I notice at our rink about 50% use wheely cases, the other half use large bags. I tried a wheely and found it hard to maneuver getting from the car to the locker room (no lockers....) so I went back to using a large bag (skates, guards, gloves, fleece top, light sweater,lesson notebook, extra laces, lambs wool, cassette tape - I hate it when I have to add the weight of my cassette player. I also have an extra large sack tote for my hose, large towels (to put on bathrrom floor when changing from work clothes into skating clothes), undershirt, turleneck, case with my contact lens/hair comb, etc.

I like it best when I get out of work early enough to go home and change into my skating clothes and then only have to carry my skate bag (with a dollar for my traditional Hershey bar upon arrival at the rink.)

I use my lesson book for inspiration and always put my skates on in a particular order. Sorry, no other charms adorn my bag....maybe I should find one!

[Mrs Redboots]

I used to take more than I do, but since we aren't allowed in the pros' room any more, so it's inconvenient to leave our skates there, I am reducing everything to a minimum:

Practices: Skates in their bags and soakers, skate guards (don't know why, since I never use them at our rink!), boot covers, practice kit if I'm changing there, or else I wear it, my music, any props for my artistic event, if I'm practising that, tissues, contact-lens eye-drops, water and (in the mornings) coffee - and a banana on weekend mornings when we are really early! Oh, and often a Walkman and spare batteries so that I can run through my programme without monopolising the rink's system. I always have arnica cream, peppermints and Rescue Remedy in my handbag.

Competitions: As above, plus costumes, make-up, hairpiece, sometimes a packed lunch, Thermos with hot drinks in it..... I used to take my little "good luck" mascot - a plaster "Brother Cadfael" - who saw me through all my preaching exams, but he doesn't seem to like competitions much :(

[anital]

In my bag:
skates, zebra soakers, guards, gloves, otb tights, a thousand pairs of stockingttes (ankle length stockings for under my otb tights), hair lackys and clips, tissues, lipbalm, tapes, my little tiny bag with 3 crystals in it and three chinese lucky coins (Blessed by an important monk), an angel bear, a book titled "Angelic Dreams" which has some one the most beautiful and motivational sayings I've ever read (the bear and book were given to me by a friend who I consider my angel), spare laces, diary, small notebook, pen, drink bottle, fruit bars, two towels (one for me, one for wiping my blades), wallet, keys and mobile phone.

As for goodluck charms, I have my angel bear and crystals etc and also have a blessed Chinese coin (the ones with holes in the middles) tied in the lace (at the toe) of my right boot- landing boot. I always put my right boot on first, always step onto and off of the ice with the right foot first and always do two fists over my heart before I step off. :D

[melanieuk]

boots
guards
cloth
crash pads
gloves
screwdriver
purse (a UK purse, not a handbag!)
spare laces
tissues
water bottle
mobile phone
soakers
music tape
a pen
hair grips

[dbny]

Practice:
skates, soakers, guards, knee pads, water bottle, gloves, club jacket,
extra laces, boot covers, moleskin, scissors, bandaids, lambs wool, neoprene boot covers, ear muffs, sunglasses, contact lenses, glasses case, reading glasses, mp3 player, lace hook.

Coaching:
All of the above, plus: washable markers, red and green gloves to match kids hands to mine, stickers for kids, stuffed animals for kids to skate over and around, insurance papers, business cards, name tag.

[Jeujeucda]

Practice:
- Skates & guards
- Small towel (acts as soakers)
- Terry hankerchief (to wipe blades with)
- Practice clothes (socks, footless tights, shorts, t-shirt, sweater, gloves)
- Ankle gel sleeves (bunga?)
- Extra laces
- Band-aids (just in case)
- Tissue
- Mp3 player with my program on it
- Cassette tape/cd with my program on it
- Water bottle

Competition:
- Same as above, except
- Competition dress & tights instead of practice clothes
- Extra tights
- Make-up

And I always bring my favorite teddy, Jeujeu (thus my screen name), in my purse. He's my sweetie baby! ;)

Jeujeucda

[tidesong]

Everytime i carry my skate bag around people ask me if i'm going camping or something... :P

Practise:

Skates(+soft blade covers and hard blade covers)
Jacket/Pullover/Sweater
Tights
Ankle Stockings
Gloves
(for now: ankle guard)
Knee guards
Sometimes videocam and all related equipment
When practising programs: tape
Silicon gel
Lesson/practise card

Waterbottles
Umbrella
Wallets
Pencil case
Sweets
Handphone
Various odds and ends that are forever in my bag :P
e.g. tissue paper, notepads, mopiko(for insect bites), zambuk(some ointment),tomato sauce, chili sauce

Competitions:
Add
competition dress, tights, etc +backup
tape+backup
sewing kit
makeup
contact lens stuff
spectacle case
eye mo
hair stuff

i don't have much extra stuff on my bag... its huge enough already... :P

and of course when i go skating after school, which happens pretty often during term time... you add files, textbooks, writing paper, pencil case, current projects... :) you get the idea...

[quarkiki2]

Maybe as a beginning skater I haven't yet figured out exatly what I need yet, but I carry a backpack and my purse.

Backpack: Skates, soakers, guards, towel, hair bands, gloves, feminine protection, and hairpins. For a while there were raquetball balls in there, too, because that's how I used to use the bag. Lots of Learn-to-Skate nametags (which I always forget to wear after the first class) and flyers and some test results, too, LOL!

Purse: wallet and money, cell phone, asthma inhaler, chapstick, lipstick, cell phone, car keys and sunglasses. Sometimes a mint. Lots of receipts.

I go dressed to skate and will occasionally lock my purse in my trunk and just bring my car keys in with me.

Unbelievably, I've never needed even a band-aid, let alone real first aid. Nor have I had any blisters or sore spots from my skates -- don't ask me how I managed to break in a pair of Reidell Gold Stars without blisters -- I have NO idea!! I guess I must have tough feet or they're a really good fit. Only trouble breaking them in is foot cramps, which mysteriously disappear when I'm enjoying myself on the ice and are only noticeable when I'm standing around and my feet get cold or when I'm frustrated. Odd...

[flo]

One helpful thing is that in a small bag - child's mesh purse - I keep my tape, tissues, lip balm, water bottle and garden crash pads. This I put on the boards so I just have to grab one thing, and everything's in one place. For competitions I take out the pads, put in a lipstick, and give it to my coach, or put it by the entrance in the event I need something quickly.

[TreSk8sAZ]

Practices: Skates, hard guards, soakers, spin trainer, extra tights, sweater, short-sleeved shirt, ankle brace, towels, lip balm, kleenex, punch card for freestyle, money for food, cell phone, car keys, music

Competition: Everything plus the dresses, my mascot (a small bear wearing a locket with my little sister's picture in it-- she's a few states away), and any info I need for the competition (like directions!)

Usually there is one other thing added to my bag: something that my coach left at the rink. I swear she would leave body parts if possible. I've brought her sweaters, CDs, her appointment book, even her freestyle skates once because she left them next to my bag after changing into her dance skates!!!!

[icenut84]

I don't carry half as much stuff as you lot seem to! lol. I just have a normal boot bag (purple). It has a plush keyring of Zippy from Rainbow on it! :mrgreen: I loved that show when I was little.

Bag contains:

*Skates
*Soakers (black)
*Guards (bright pink)
*Small towel for drying skates
*Gloves
*Plasters/other pressure-relieving things in case I need them
*Lesson/practice notebook (I always forget to take a pen though, so I have to do it when I get home anyway. D'oh!)
*Leaflets I've picked up
*Lists of train times etc
*Printed off sheets when someone's given me a tip for something
*Hair bobbles
*Feminine protection
*Money
*Water bottle (if I remember), plus chocolate bar and banana (if I remember!)
*Random bits of paper etc

I think that's it.

I also take my purse (not as in handbag), mobile phone, umbrella, etc.

[vesperholly]

Ok I'll bite, if a purse is not a handbag in the UK what is it?

Jocelyn

[blondeangl]

i bring......
~skates (lol duh) :lol:
~guards
~soakers
~small towel
~gloves
~sweatshirt
~...sometimes other stuff....

[Lili]

In my bag: skates, water bottle, tissues, extra laces, my program music, hair clips, a small brush, gloves, a towel, soakers/guards, knee pads, and an OLD granola bar.

[anital]

Originally posted by vesperholly
Ok I'll bite, if a purse is not a handbag in the UK what is it?

Jocelyn

In Australia a purse is the female version of a wallet, I think it's the same as in the UK. You only have money, receipts and cards (like credit card etc) in it. The purse goes into the handbag!

[jazzpants]

Originally posted by *dani-skates*
Coaching: jazzpants, ... And NO, she's NOT referring to me!!! LOL!!!! :P :lol:

I'll take the StarBurst, thank you!!! :mrgreen:

[starskate]

Hey everyone, i guess i'll share also. i have not competed yet (i'm just starting out), so i do not take anything with me to a comp.

anyway for practice i take:
* a wheelie suitcase (everyone always ask where i'm going:roll: )
* my skates of course
* soakers (they're white with canada flags)
* pink skate guards (i want some new onews these never seem to fit my skates)
* a towel to dry my skates
* a water bottle
* a schedule of when i skate
*two pairs of gloves
* ankle supports for each ankle
* first aid tape (in the summer i almost broke my toe and it hurts when in skates so i have to tape it)
* gel patches (just in case my left knee starts to hurt (i have major problems with it:x )
* chap stick
* tissues
* sometimes a cell phone
* a cd player and cds to warm up to

i think that is it but hey i may have missed something.

bye for now
Jess

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by jazzpants
And NO, she's NOT referring to me!!! LOL!!!! :P :lol:

I'll take the StarBurst, thank you!!! :mrgreen: No, don't do that: that's the company that manages our rink, and another one in the South of England, too. ;)

[BringontheRain]

I use a big backpack and squish stuff into it

Practice
- skates
- guards
- box of tissues
- about 3 shirts ( 2 long sleeved, 1 short )
- sweater or sweatshirt
- skating attire
- water or lemonade ( 2 bottles )
- notebook for recording
- 3 butt pads
- bungas
- CD's for warmup
- 4 tapes ( 2 for each program )
- motrin or my painkillers
- soakers
- a few towels
- bag to bring my butt pads, CD's, tapes and notebook on the ice in, it's clear and has happy faces on it and says smile :)
- bandaids
- gloves
- snacks ( lunch in the summer cause I'm there from 730-1230 or 9-230 )
- change of clothes
- feminine stuff
- my purse

Competitions
- all of the above
- competition dresses
- extra tights
- CD player
- batteries
- warmup sweater
- warmup pants
- extra water
- my mom LOL
- makeup
- hair stuff

[jazzpants]

I wrote:
And NO, she's NOT referring to me!!! LOL!!!!

I'll take the StarBurst, thank you!!! To which Mrs Redboots replied
No, don't do that: that's the company that manages our rink, and another one in the South of England, too. ;) Oh, I thought she was talking about Starburst CANDY!!!! :P LOL!!! :lol:

Re: Starburst (the ice rink company): Well, at least I'll be guaranteed free ice time!!! LOL!!! :lol:

[CanAmSk8ter]

Practice- all stuffed in a backpack
*Skates
*Guards
*Hello Kitty towel
*CDs
*Leg warmers
*Knee brace
*Bungas
*Case with band-aids, Blister Block, moleskin, mini scissors, etc.
*Magic Marker, for writing on the ice when teaching tot classes
*Wallet with ice time coupons for both rinks I skate at
*A whole bunch of papers- schedules, test forms, competition applications, you name it

Competition/Test- all of the above, plus
*Dress(es) and backup dress
*Extra tights
*Warm-ups
*Make-up
*Lucky teddy bears- Canada Bear (Teenie Beenie from McDonalds) and Riverdance (green with shamrock on chest). My suffed penguin has to sit on the sofa in the living room while I'm gone. (Don't ask how that got started, I honestly don't remember).
*Several lucky pins that go on my warm-up jacket- the number keeps growing- and two that go on Riverdance's bow
*Lucky necklace- a copy of one an ex-boyfriend gave me. I wore it for one test and passed, but then I lost it. Shortly thereafter, I decided to lose the boyfriend too. I went and got myself another necklace just like the first one.

[wannask8]

Hmm, lots of luggage in this thread. For me, I go to practice with:

- skates, in soakers, in their bag
- guards
- lace-bite Bungas
- gloves
- jacket for warming up
- scrap of paper with notes on stuff I need to work on
- punch card (no $$ required!)
- Carmex
- Ace bandages
- terry towel
- water

Meanwhile, I leave a small cooler in the car with a stash of ice, a couple of zip-lock baggies, and a banana and/or coffee yogurt and/or Laughing Cow cheese so I can get the ice into the baggies and onto my knees with the Ace bandages and have a quick snack before driving home!

-- wannsk8