Well here is my lil review. I took the number two train all the way to the last stop in Brooklyn - Flatbush. Then I rode the bus for 25 minutes. The arena is right off the Flatbush Avenue Highway. You will see the Marina and tons of little boats on the other side. I was invited by the skating director for a VIP preview of the rink. http://timdavid.org/Opening_Invitation.pdf

So I was exited to see Ryan Hunka, Tim G. Anne Patrice M...

I first was directed to the trailors (where there offices are), to see Ryan. I saw one of the Hockey Directors and told him I was there for the pre-skate VIP party. He looked at me like I was speaking in another language. So I handed him the invitation and told me that the rink was still undergoing construction and nobody was in the arena. And Ryan Hunka just left. I figured, Hockey and Figure Skating doesnt get along too well, maybe they were just .... anyways... (But I was starting to get nervous and a little annoyed)

I went and entered Rink A (where the bleachers are). There were wood accross the ice - construction paper laid out in certain spots, and the seatings still need to be laid out with cement. I hoped at least that the people were at Rink B. So I went inside and saw the same kind of setting.
So 1hr on the train + 25 min subway ride, I was a little tired

I called and RSVP'd with Ryan Hunka earlier that day at exactly 12:22. And he said fine, we'll see you then.

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Tim David's Website

Sneak Peak should be Sneak Peek hehe

I just called the skating director and apparently he sent me the wrong invitation and the revised date was for next week the 25th.

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Tim David's Website

Which is interesting, since their website says they are opening to the public on Sat, Sept 23rd. They already changed that once from the 18th. I don't have good feelings about how this place is being run.

I live a mere 20 minutes away, and would love to be on staff there, but apparently, they think they need big names to draw skaters in. Where do they think dedicated skaters come from? They all have to start somewhere as beginners. If they don't have coaches on the public sessions and teaching beginners who are nurturing and understanding and fun, they are not going to build the base they need. All the gold medals in the world do not a good coach make. Only time will tell whether this new arena will become an asset or a financial disaster.

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I could see there being last-minute glitches that delayed the opening. Especially since they're laying two sheets of ice for the first time. I'm not real comfortable with their LTS program, but hopefully they'll change that soon.

I agree - big names aren't the draw cards. Opening the doors and providing customer service and qualified, talented instruction goes a lot further.

Is Tim G. really on staff? He's billed as a "Technical Specialist." I figured that meant he would be brought in to evaluate programs and choreography, not be part of the day-to-day staff. Very good if he is a full-time staff - seems like a nice guy.

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Didn't I read somewhere on the USFSA that he's going back to college (either NYC or Columbia) in his retirement announcement?

Timmy, come by to Oakland again! We love having you here in the Bay Area and I need help with my loops!!! LOL!!!

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I was looking foward to them opening soon. I live about a 5-10 minute car ride away which is currently much closer than any rink except Abe Stark, but I have issues with them and I don't think they hold freestyle sessions and they only have public skate on weekends. I hope they open soon and that it is functional.

I spoke with Ryan on the phone and he seemed super nice. my coach visited the facility and was given a nice impression of the staff. I also met 2 of their staff coaches (kristina and chris) who were practicing this past week at my rink in Long Island and they were very sweet and excited about beginning.

I'm very excited and I was told they will have freestyle sessions s/t like 6-10am weekday mornings. I hope to go there next week...Ill make sure to update you about that then.

happy skating!

Abe Stark is one of the worst run arenas I've ever been to. It's only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt there and they get their pants sued off. All the trouble they go to with their notarized waivers won't help them in the least when negligence is determined to be the cause. Their public sessions are so bad that I won't teach on them anymore, and I'm not the only one. You are wise to steer clear.

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Tim: Can't blame you for being frustrated at the invitation mix up. I do think it is awesome that they gave you a VIP invite though. Hope that it is all that it is billed to be when it opens. It just sounds like nice facility. Will have to visit it on my next NYC trip! From your description of the current state of construction, I think I would call the director before heading out there on the 25th too! eeek! giggle.

DBNY: Good point about coach availability for beginner skaters and LTS will help them build regular users of their facility. As a newer skater, I think learning that the coaches there are "big named" would have intimidated me about starting there. I would just assume that I would not have enough background to train with that type of coach. I feel much more confident now, but I think it would have been a real turn off to looking into that rink when I started.

Aviator is open. I think we must live about 10 minutes from each other! I may go over to the Wed afternoon freestyle. Any chance you can go?

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sue123 and dbny I prob dont live too far from both of you! i'm about a 25 min drive to the aviator. although their website says freestyle begins today the 26th its incorrect, they need to update their website asap. i spoke with ryan and he says prob next week freestyle begins and that i should speak to him this friday. ill post up after I talk with him. he also mentioned they will update the website with a clearer breakdown of the time slots and prices.

and yes the abe stark rink is poorly run, i would not go there again, i once went to a public session and the skate guards did nothing to prevent other skaters from hoarsing around the center where the figure skaters were. it was not only a complete waste of my time and money but it was really dangersous for all of us.

Wonder if anybody went on Monday the 25th from 6 to 8

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Tim David's Website

All this anticipation to get the rink to open! And it's so close to being open! So now the rink opens next week? That's ok, because I may get a couple days off next week.

And Abe Stark, I really don't go there, but it's so close that I could walk there in about 20 minutes at my normal walking pace, so when I would go home for hte weekend and really needed to skate, it did the job. I would try to get there early and have my skates on and be ready to go as soon as they opened the ice so that I could get some time to myself, but then usually my friend would show up, I would put on jeans, and we would just skate in circles. Even that though, can be dangerous when you have the little kids and skate guards chasing each other around. But i do avoid it as much as possible.

sounds a lot like U of DE's public session...I went to one and I swore I'd never go again! Skaters were playing crack-the-whip and others were hockey-skating and skating against the crowd, meanwhile we were "warned" we would be kicked off the ice if we kept spinning in the center ice. And it was overcrowded .

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I got to go to the opening, what a beautiful rink too, it was definitely worth the drive all the way from Westchester. There was only one sheet of ice open that night, but I peeked in on the other one and it looked equally nice. It was busy, but not overly crowded and there were a lot of other adult skaters there, mostly from either the city or Brooklyn/Queens/the boroughs. Everyone at the facility was really nice and I am hoping I will be able to go out and skate a few times a month on the evening FS sessions and pick up some extra lessons.

From what I heard while I was there, it sounds like there is a very extensive adult skating program in the works which includes a competition in the spring. If this happens it will be great to have an adult competition in the NYC area again!