Here, I've got one for you...

I moved to be closer to my home rink in Chicago (from 45 min to 20-25 min). But I'm a consultant, so the four months before AN's last year I was 40 miles from any rink, in the middle of nowhere and working 10 hour days.

Then I get placed in Bloomington, IN. Not bad, but they have only one hour of freestyle ice--from 3-4pm. And the rink closes in March...then I would have had to drive the 50 miles to Indy to prepare for AN's. Oh, and remember I'm supposed to be doing 10 hour days.

But I just got moved to the Twin Cities. Lots of rinks and skating friends. Right now, I'm skating with a friend about 40 min from our client, but I'm switching hotels (the new one is half-price) to one that will be 15-20 min away--and good evening ice. Plus there's all that outdoor ice when it's not below zero! So it's about 5 min from any rink...hooray!

So I never know how far my skating commute will be.... On the plus side, I'm compensated for travelling, which pays for my skating.

Thanks all!! I appreciate your trying to make me feel better (or worse in some of the replies lol ) I'll try my hardest to continue skating...though I'm struggling with the axel now and have almost

Anyway, thanks again all!!

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** Skate 'til You Drop **

Congratulations Mrs Redboots!!!

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Too far on heavy traffic days. 45 min. or so in the morning with work traffic and 1/2 to go home. It has taken up to an hour on a REALLY bad mornings.

Chico

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"I truly believe, when God created skating, he patted himself on the back."

The facility I skate at most often is about 50 minutes away, on a normal day. It's 40 miles from my house. I go at least once a week.
A few of my relatives live within ONE MILE of that rink... maybe I should move in with one of them?

There are two other rinks in the vicinity that I don't go to as much. One is about an hour + 5 mins and 45 miles, the other is about 35 mins and 28 miles. The closest one is also coldest and has worse ice. Just my luck.

How sad, we had that problem here recently. Our rink was open one day and literally closed the next. It took over 10 months to get it back but in the mean time, we had to travel 120 miles round trip 5 days a week. It was horrible especially with the gas prices raising so much over the summer. How has living in Thailand affected your skating since the tsunami? From the news reports, we see here (Texas) the country is literally devastated. Why is your rink closing? Our rink only reopened because of the hockey parents and figure skating parents working together to find a new owner. Many of the families, who could afford it, put a lot of money back into the rink. I am talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. I also do not know if you can find that type of support in Thailand right now. So many other financial needs to be met now. I do not know why but I never even thought Thailand had a rink. I know how dumb that is! I wish you luck in your travels.

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Laugh often it is good for your soul.

Yes, you lucky dog!!! Then again, back when I was skating as a kid, my commute to the rink was 5 minutes... ON FOOT!!! (It was only a block away!)

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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!!!

You're going to hate me, but I live on the same campus as my Rink. It's actually closer ( 1minute) to me than most of my classes are. It's also connected, through tunnels to a recreation center/cafeteria.

On the flip side, I don't have a car, so it's my only choice. I attempted to visit another rink on my bike and it took about 2 hours. Worse was that it was through country roads or major highways (both of which didn't have sidewalks). All in all it was a 6 six hour waste of time. With a Vehicle, it would be about a 15 minute drive.

I'm 15-20 from one, and 25-30 from my other rink (from home.) When I go from work (twice a week) add 15-20 minutes.

The other two aren't much further, probably about the same as the further rink, but I don't usually go to them.

Two new surfaces also opened recently, but they are waaaaay north of town, and I don't plan on going there on a regular basis as they are well over an hour away. Don't think my coach plans on going there either.

Well, the tsunami doesn't really affect my living and skating in Thailand as far as I'm concerned. It is true that the whole country is saddened and devastated by the news and the loss of many lives but things are starting to improve. Anyway the reason why the rink is closed is still unclear to me, I've heard some people talk of its not making enough money (which I know isn't entirely true).Also, the rink is situated on the top of this shopping mall and I think it has something to do with the mall renovation. All of the rinks in Thailand are in the shopping malls, including this new one too.
lol -- I don't blame you for not expecting to see any ice rink in Thailand. The skating community here is still very small, but it's growing with more and more children and parents are becoming interested in the sports (figure skating and hockey alike).

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** Skate 'til You Drop **

Sorry, I wasn't finished yet...
I really hope to see these sports in Thailand go as far as they can get. Some of the skaters here are really talented and with more support and push from the government or whatever, I'm certain that these skaters will be able to earn their places in some of the major international skating events

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** Skate 'til You Drop **

Less than 10 miles. All highway. Never so close in over 10 yrs.

Kay

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A 5 minute walk.

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Keeping School Figures Alive!!

7 to 10 minutes to our home rink,25 to the one in town, maybe 30 minutes to the one at the college
But then about 350 miles or so to the next one....

80 miles away
I practice in the morning and have my lesson at night.
Occasionally I'll get there twice a week.
Not the best but it is better than nothing!

When I started skating, we had a small rink in our local shopping mall.. a 10 minute drive away if I hit every red light.

It closed many years ago.. so I started traveling to the next closest rink... 40 minutes away with no traffic.

Then my coach decided to retire so I changed coaches. New coach was willing to teach at that rink one week, if I would skate at the rink closer to her the following week. Distance to that rink 50 minutes.

When she became pregnant she didn't want to skate at EITHER of those rinks.. so we moved to another rink, 75-90 mminutes away (depending on traffic) from me but 5 minutes from her house.

Skated there for 3 years.. then rink management changed and started charging OUTRAGEOUS prices for the coach to teach there.. so we moved to another rink.. still 5 minutes from her house.. but now 2-2/12 hours from mine, depending on traffic.

So I travel to that rink twice a week for lessons, but practice 3 other days a week at the rink that is "only 40 minutes away".... which now, oddly enough seems "close".

But I also skated on a Synchro team for six years.. and that rink was also 2 hours away and even that seemed reasonable at the time.. after all, it was only once a week (but my sixth day skating each week).

To be honest, I'm not sure REASON actually has anything to do with this sport. If any of us were REASONABLE people, rather than obsessed, would we be spending this kind of time and money to go someplace incredibly cold in the dead of winter, so we could throw our bodies around on a hard, cold surface on sharp, thin blades?

My condolences on the loss of your rink!

Yeah isn't it great how when you start driving 2+ hours to a rink, the 45 minute away one seems like it's right next to your house? Hah.

Good to know I'm not the only one who feels that 45 minutes is "close" to home.

My "NORMAL" (aka non-skating) friends all say "Why don't you change coaches and just stay at the closer rink.. or take up another sport closer to home?".

All the SKATERS just nod in the common knowledge they're not the only ones who are obsessed and willing to drive that far. And MOST understand why I don't want the challenge of breaking in a new coach. Interesting no one on this board even SUGGESTED that!