I do agree that many skaters don't have the luxury of choice. It's public or nothing for many of us.

I'm not terribly advanced, but I don't see the harm in spirals and MITF, as long as you are careful and have good control. I've never even had a close call. Of course, my moves are pre bronze and bronze, but those 3 turns on Adult Silver don't look too scary.

Some MIFs might work, depending on the crowd and what is being worked on. If is crowded, you probably won't be able to do the patterns properly or with speed, which may not make your practice effective. As for spirals or camel spins on public skate, absolutely not, unless you are the only one on the ice. Keep in mind that you may be watching where you are going, but other skaters may not be. I saw a tot doing backward swizzles nearly barrel into another skater doing a forward spiral not that long ago. She was coming from behind the person doing the spiral, so the other skater didn't know what almost happened. The blade on the spiraler's extended leg was about as high as the center of the back of the tot's head. Fortunately someone pulled the tot away before impact. This incident was at a freestyle session where the skaters are used to freestyle moves being performed and (usually) know what to watch out for. You can't count on that at public skating.

Good gawd, I don't know where you skate, but on all the rinks around me, camel spins are spirals are quite common on public ice and are allowed. Not when it's crowded of course, but when there are a couple dozen people on the ice it's quite workable. Most rinks are somewhat large.

I've never seen anything resembling a major incident as a result of these moves. The trick is to make sure there's no one in your vicinity when you go into your move. Most of the ankle biters aren't all that fast.



Overall, the only way to prevent ALL accidents is to not skate at all. There's really no need to avoid any particular move on public ice, unless it's a triple jump or something insane like that.

Good gawd, I don't know where you skate, but on all the rinks around me, camel spins are spirals are quite common on public ice and are allowed. Not when it's crowded of course, but when there are a couple dozen people on the ice it's quite workable. Most rinks are somewhat large.

I've never seen anything resembling a major incident as a result of these moves. The trick is to make sure there's no one in your vicinity when you go into your move. Most of the ankle biters aren't all that fast.



Overall, the only way to prevent ALL accidents is to not






Im glad you have never seen a bad accident. I have, and it was not pretty.
Im not sure what you mean by ankle biters... but my ankle bites skater knows not to do spirals ect on any public ice unless its all figure skaters.That is why we pay more for fs ice.We have three rinks and not one is allowed to do fancy skating unless its empty .Public skating is really for people who skate for fun, excercise to learn, not to do figure skating tricks.It is dangerous.

I'm with you, twokidsskatemom. The only way to prevent accidents is to first be safe, no matter what, and second to skate properly for the ice you are on. Saving that $6 on freestyle isn't worth a gouge in the forehead of some kid.

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Who in their right mind let's tots skate on freestyle ice? That is very obsured and stupid. At my rink they let any level on freestyle but I haven't seen any tots on there. I usually skate public if it's not jam packed. On the weekends that is when it's the worst. I don't usually do spirals unless there is no one there. I can do camels though and it's usually empty. One time I was going into a back scratch spin and a little tot came very close to me and I almost hit her. The problem there is she was not looking out and probably looking at her mom at the boards. As the rink says it's skate at your own risk!

I dont think anyone here said let a tot who doesnt skate skate on fs ice.Your example is why you shouldnt do tricks on public ice. people of any age who dont know how to skate well use that ice, that is why its called public ice.The tot didnt know to look, you as a higher level skater should know.
Public ice for people who skate, not for fs who want to work on tricks, unless its empty.

Public ice is for any member of the public who would like to skate, regardless of skill.

I don't do camels or spirals on crowded sessions, but it's a bit OTT IMO to say that you can't do spirals unless you are isolated completely. Doing spirals or camels is perfectly safe on a lightly attended public session.

I wish I lived near a facility with three rinks, but I don't.

No, the problem was that YOU, the better skater, were not looking out. She's a little kid, on PUBLIC ice, she's allowed to look at her mom or not look at anything at all without getting whacked in the face by someone who should be on ice designated for what they are doing. You can enjoy the perks of cheaper and more readily available ice, but the downside is you can't do everything, and you can do less of it, and you have to be twice as careful as you would be with other freestylers who CAN watch out for themselves, and if it means stopping a spin/jump 100 times, that's what it means, that's what you get for cheaper ice. If you had hit her, it would have been your fault, and I can bet you ANYTHING that the rink would have forbidden any form of figure skating on public ice after the accident. That's usually how rinks start to make the "no freestyle" rule, something bad has to happen first.

Yes, its for any skill level but Its pretty much for people who dont do jumps ect. That is why you pay more for fs ice.I havent heard of a rink that you can do spirals unless its pretty much people who really know how to skate. At some rinks to cant even skate backwards if there are people on the ice.
How would you feel is you were on public ice and caused something to happen, as people who dont skate dont know enough to watch out for a higer level skaters.
Im still not sure what you mean about ankle biters... you think kids cant skate fast?

We have three rinks, one that used just for the college hockey team, one that is run by the city, and used by all our high school hockey and our jr hockey team; and a private rink. That is all we have within 400 miles.I dont see that as lucky. Fs here is at 6 to 8am and one 45 minute afternoon session, during hockey season.Hockey pays the bills for our private rink so that least we get ice time after their season is over.

'Ankle biters' is a general term for children, toddlers especially. Kind of like 'rugrats'. Just slang, that's all.

I know what she meant.....


Dont like the term that is all.

It was a joke. Perhaps you could lighten up, just a little?

My dad has been saying that for years!

I agree with fadedstardust that it is the responsibility of the better skater to watch out for less experienced skaters. I always would stop if I was in anyone's way, not wait for them to stop. You take that with the public ice of course.

I am not going to cause an accident at a skating session. I have been skating for years and am quite careful and able to control what I am doing.

Do you really truly think you will never cause an accident?People of all levels , including eliete skaters, have run into each other.Things happen.What about Salt lake and the pairs skaters?

Glad you have more control than others.Im sure you are great skater.And if you had kids, you might not think ankle biters was funny.

I do not think accidents are unavoidable. What I mean to say is that I am not reckless and I abide by the norms of the skating sessions that I attend, during which it is not unusual to see spirals on lightly attended public ice.

I didn't say I was a great skater (I wish!), but I do know enough to leave lots of room when I practice an element. I also agree with the previous poster that if you see someone even in your radius, it's better to just abandon the move and prepare again.

My dad had children (including me obviously) and called me a little ankle biter, so I guess I will do the same when I do have children. Really though -- whatever, Merry Christmas and I hope you wake up tomorrow in a better mood.

Im in a great mood now. You make a point of saying how you did camels and spirals on public ice and you were told at MOST rinks that isnt allowed. If it is at your that is great.
I dont think ankle biters is funny, I think its degratory. If you dont and choose to call your kids that, more power to you.I dont think its funny.
If i made a comment about bratty 24 year olds, and said my dad called me that, would that be funny ? If I made a remark about adult skaters you might not think it was funny either.
You made the statement how anklebiters arent fast... I have two and they are fast enough. They know to watch for people who dont know how to skate, no matter what the age.
Still comes down to at MOST rinks, you can either do things in the middle or not at all. Unless you have empy ice, which we do have most days.But I know how lucky we are.

What you said was a public session,with a couple of dozen people, that sprials and camels are ok.
You also said you would never cause an accident, cause you have been skating for years. That has nothing to do with it.Things happen. Im at the rink 6 days a week, lots of things happen over time.
I hope you have a great night too !!

A bit off topic but I'm a teacher and I will call the kids I teach kidlets, ruggerrats, kiddies. Now, I'm talking my wee ones here in grade one and two. My older students I don't use silly names with them 'cause they would htink I was crazy

On topic.....most public ice I have been to in Canada doesn't allow freeskate on public skating sessions. Sometimes you will get the occasional skate guard who will say if you freeskate you can do some jumps and spins in the middle. Public ice is public ice...for everyone. And as a skater I have to remember that people often do not know how to skate, how to look out of the way, etc. It is not freeskate ice. if there was an accident chances are the arena or even myself would get sued.

For the general public they are not allowed to play rough games like crack the whip nor bring hockey equipment out unless it is a designated session.

For skaters on public ice: imagine 3-4 boys came out and borught all their hockey equipment out and started playing a game of shinny while you were out there with friendsjust stroking around. maybe with a young child. Chances arey ou would get frustrated. Thats how people feel when they can't enjoy themselves on a public session.

I'll share a fairly good public skating experience I had recently. There is a State Park 30 miles from me with a semi-outdoor public rink where skating is $2 for all the time you want. I couldn't resist checking it out. The ice wasn't great, although they do have a zamboni and run it fairly often. The great thing is that because it is outside of a city it wasn't very crowded. I didn't try to work on much freestyle stuff since the kids were having fun zipping around and I didn't want to interfere or accidentally hit one. But I got a GREAT power stroking type workout. I figure that I can't do that much at expensive freestyle ice time because I need to focus on other things then and would also get in the way of lessons etc. But at this State Park rink, I can do power stroking and generally not worry. Sure, I have to dodge a kid now and again, but at the park rink that is not too difficult. So I plan to start going there at times for a good aerobic workout! I might have found a hidden gem in that park rink. Of course maybe I was just lucky and hit an unusually uncrowded day.

I think the term "ankle biters" is kind of cute. I have two girls (both skaters at one time), now 18 and 21. I think the tone with which things are said is all important. We called our younger daughter a monkey all the time and she knew it was because she was very active, very agile, and we loved her. Lighten up, twokidsskatemom, from the context, it's clear that there was no offense intended. Ankle biters is quite a common term and I've never heard it said with rancor. If you have, that's very unfortunate, but it didn't happen here.

Public sessions vary from rink to rink and time to time. Crowded sessions are no place for camel or spirals, and sometimes not for jumps and spins either. The biggest menace, IMO is management who refuse to make rules, people who disregard the rules, and skate guards who do not enforce rules.

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I have heard of ankle biters before too. It's just a term that's all, we don't go up to the kid and say " hey ankle biter get out of the way". Maybe if you skated twokidsskatemom maybe you'd understand. I think parents should go to the rink to watch their kids not coach them. That is what that mom I was telling you about does with her daughter. I don't the management would have done anything if we hit each other, I have seen many accidents there and still they do nothing.

I do skate.And i dont coach them, they have a coach.

hey that's my nickname! my dad used to always, and still does call me monkey. Didn't mean anything bad, other than i was very active, i climbed a lot of trees (fell out of my fair share of them too) and copied my older sister in everything she did. Anklebiters is just a nickname. Just like how some people call their kids munchkin. Nothing mean is meant by it.

I dont see monkey and ankle biter as the same , and she didnt use the term monkey.
Its all good, np.