In the application for E. Sectionals it describes Rink 1 as 86.6' x 186.2', and Rink 3 as 182.4' x 83.8' at the Nashoba Valley Olympia Rink.

It says nothing about the size of Rink 2. On the their website it doesn't say whether all of the rinks are NHL, or if any are Olympic. It just says that they have three rinks.

Can anyone tell me if all three rinks are NHL, or if any of the rinks are Olympic?

Can one throw Beanie Babies at these rinks, or are the rinks netted off?

Also, is there "lift space" (off-ice) for the Pair teams, where a million little kids won't be running around? Anything that anyone can share about this facility will be great!

Oh, yes...does anyone know if the LOC is planning to offer the Pair and Dance teams a Co-ed locker room?

Thanks,
Lovepairs

Call the rink and ask.

Gee...really?! I called the rink several times already, and just get thrown into a huge voice mail loop.

Again, if anyone skates at this rink and can help me out with some of my questions, I'd grately appreciated it.

Thanks

Ok, hopefully I get this right. I've skated there many times. Rink 3 is definitely smaller than the others. When Easterns (standard) were there, several competitors complained about the sizing as they were not used to a smaller rink. AFAIK, the other two are NHL size. I don't think they're Olympic. There is a limited amount of lift space, and the rinks will be crowded, so I think you'd probably have to go outside. In rink 3 there's no glass as it's used for figure skating only, so you can throw beanies there, but there is glass in the other two....I can't remember if they're netted, I don't think so in Rink 1. The best thing about rink 3 is it's usually pretty warm.

No idea about the co-ed locker rooms.

I like Colonial as it's SO adult friendly, but don't expect a huge modern arena. It's nice, but not exactly big, brand new, and sparkling. That said, Colonial puts on great and well run competitions several times a year. I expect this Easterns will run very smoothly.

Sorry in advance is I got anything wrong!

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"Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?"

Thanks, Stormy! So, we have to lift outside in the snow??? That's not fun. It's nice to lift outside on grass in the summer, but I don't think we'll be able to manage it outside if the weather is bad and the concrete is hard. They never think about the Pairs...it's always like we're the forgotten step children--ugh!

I'll contact the LOC and ask if pairs and dance teams can have a co-ed locker room.

Thanks, again, this helps.

Best,
Lovepairs

I wouldn't have thought it was a locker room you wanted - after all, who wants to strip naked in front of strangers of the opposite sex? - but somewhere that pairs and dance couples can warm up without worrying about ceiling height.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

From the Colonial FSC's Colonial Open Application:

"Olympia I ice surface is: 186 x 87
Olympia II ice surface is: 183 x 84
Olympia III ice surface is: 184 X 82 with rounded corners."

I've skated on all three and don't remember thinking that there was much difference between them.

The rink has a space beside Rink 3 that is used for pairs off-ice practice but I suspect it might not be available for warmups because it is next to the area where the judges are generally seated.

I still think that the best source for answers to your questions is someone from the rink or the LOC. Everything else is just heresay. And having been on LOCs in the past, I know from experience that 90% of the problems and issues that come up during a competition could have been solved or avoided with a phone call in advance. I also know that the LOC at Colonial is doing their best to respond to all messages and inquiries. But they are also volunteers and it may take them a while to get to all of the requests. I'm sure that a little patience would be greatly appreciated.

ETA: I called the Olympia office when I started typing this post, left a message and they just called me back. Response time was less than 10 minutes.

Thanks, Blue...This information really helps.

Best,
Lovepairs


Oh, Mrs. Redboots,

Some Pairs and Dance teams like to have that quiet time together in the locker room helping each other get ready, focusing, and calming down right before getting on the ice...it has nothing to do with getting undressed infront of the opposite sex. Thanks for understanding.

I do know exactly what you mean, lovepairs - but not necessarily using up a whole changing-room to do so, surely? At the Mountain Cup, if it's fine we go out to the car-park at the back, where there is plenty of room to get warmed up together. If it's wet, there is less room, but there are places where people go.....

It's not just pairs and dance teams that need extra space to get warmed up and "in the zone", of course.... and some singles skaters have someone to help them do just that and get themselves focussed and ready. In a way, wouldn't it be just ideal if all rinks could provide such spaces? Of course, they can't, and it's difficult to know whether someone sitting or stretching quietly in a corner needs to be distracted, or needs to be helped to focus and calm themselves!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Hi Mrs. Redboots,

At several Adult Nationals in the USA a separate locker room has been provided for "Pair and Dance Teams." So, yes, I do mean a separate locker room. This also helps cut back on the overflow in the Ladies locker room.

For pair teams, we tend to error on the side of caution when doing overhead lifts, both on and off ice. So, it's not a great idea for us to do lifts on concrete. We've tried the grass in the summer time, but it's not the best scenario either, because the ground is often uneven. The safest conditions for us when doing overhead lifts off-ice is indoors with a rubber padded floors, or even carpet is good, and of course a high ceiling is needed.