Crowded rinks...ARGH!!!

[maherwoman]

Oh, boy! Did I have a frustrating time in the rink today!

The rink was having five (yes, count 'em FIVE) birthday parties today, with about 20 people (maybe 25 if you counted adults) in each!!!! Needless to say, I didn't realize until we were already there, and had paid to go in, or we would've left and come back tomorrow afternoon or some such.

I spent more time dodging unpredictable, irritating kids, and fallen bodies, than actually skating, and boy can my aching legs attest to it, too! I know...it was a good workout for my legs...but sheesh!!

I found out that next Sat afternoon (same time we were there today) they're having SIX birthday parties. Needless to say, you can count on us NOT being there that day!! We decided halfway through this experience that we will instead bear the grunt of waking for my daughter's 9am Sat classes again, and just go on over then, as they RARELY have birthday parties that early in the day.

Now, I love kids, don't get me wrong...but that stunk!!!

So, though for me it's always fun if there are skates on my feet, today was frustrating all-in-all. It's why I love Tues nights...there are so many less people there...makes the environment more fun and relaxed.

[Bill]

You skated a Saturday afternoon session

You are learning

What session you try to skate does make a difference! I also avoid the kiddie sessions, for the same reason. I do go some times, but I'm aware of what I will face and only go when I feel like dealing with the mess.

Bill

[maherwoman]

Hehe...I know...I guess going on a popular day/time is something you only make the mistake of doing ONCE, eh?

The funny thing is that last week when we went at the same time, it wasn't NEARLY as crowded...but when I think about it, it makes sense that there was just this SWARM of constantly-crashing or -falling bodies around me.

My rink actually shuts the rink down during the kid lessons, and I find that most of the kids that stay for the next skate session (which comes free with what you pay for their lesson), don't stay but for half the time, so we wind up with quite the clear rink for about an hour or two. It's nice! Also, there are many less kids falling down when they've just had a class, which is also nice!

Our first night at the rink was a Fri night...will NEVER do that again, either. It was aweful...my daughter's first time in a rink, and all those teens banging around her and into each other...eek! We had to skate with her pretty much the whole night, which was hard with her not having much skill in the rink, but worth it to protect her from people at least twice her size knocking her down. Poor thing almost decided she didn't like skating!!

But, yes...I am most certainly learning. I would be a complete dolt if I didn't listen to my legs' message for me from today...haha!

So far, we'll be going our regular Tues night, Sat morning (9am-about noon), and probably will be adding Thurs nights soon as well. Let the fun continue!!!

[artisan555]

you know, i always use the kiddie sessions as an opportunity. the more you skate crowded sessions the more you learn. you learn to anticipate, how to think two or three moves ahead; you learn how to maneuver through a crowd, how to make tight turns and how to stop on a dime.

now i'm not necessarily talking about skating fast.

but both the crowded sessions and the kiddie sessions taught me skills i would never have learned otherwise.

and watch sparkie and nelson. they didn't learn to skate like that just waiting for the sleepy sessions!

[maherwoman]

Lol...true true...

Hey, I just realized that I don't know who Nelson is...can you describe him to me?

[artisan555]

hehehe. sure. nelson is mostly skating the monday,weds,thursday sessions. he's the hispanic guy. medium build, spikey hair, goatee beard, earrings. . . he's usually doing those non-stop spins in the middle. from a distance he can look kinda scary, but he's the sweetest guy you'd ever want to meet. he always gives me a big hug when i see him. i think his picture in up in the moonlight website. . .

[maherwoman]

He has a daughter about the age of thirteen, right? She's quite good as well. Looks like there's a picture of her from about three years ago...is she a competitive skater (or used to be, maybe)?

I LOVE watching Nelson skate...he's really incredible! We just drool over his abilities. His and that little guy that's about eight that just flies around the rink...drives me NUTS to watch someone so small and so young just bangin' out that amount of skill!!

But Nelson and Sparky are indeed awesome...and you have a good point that they didn't just get that way through free-skating.

Boy, was it a good workout...my legs are so sore today!

[Bill]

Ha!
I forgot to say how I started skating. I started skating as an adult on the most crowded adult night in the bayarea. There were typically 400 - 600 Adult skaters that skated it back in the early 90's. The key word is ADULT. I fell so often they were scared to follow me and most skaters skated a wide path around me. Still the Adult night is a night where more then a few adults avoid due to the amount of skaters. I skated it because it was all I knew.

Eventually I found out about other sessions, but haveing skated the busy adult night the amount of people seemed "normal". Crowded kid sessions are different and require a lot more care to skate.

Bottom Line? When I first started skating I was hooked so I kept skating the crowded adult night. When you are hooked you do what you need to do

Bill

[Rel8ing2Sk8ing]

I think there should be a leash-law for any kid under 12...........

[Spins]

Rosie,

Diversity is the spice of life! Enjoy one another's differences...they are what makes life beautiful!!

Diversity by Age, of course. You can enjoy such crowed sessions by improving your manuverability as a road test cones. I do it all of the time and it's fun. The real challenge is the sudden turn-around-and-here-I-am surprises at a slow speed.

This will develop your stopping and pushing, sideways lunging and sometimes bunny hopping abilities. Don't miss this opportunity-ha, ha and hee, hee! Too much fun.

Gary
o-o

******************************888

[maherwoman]

Okay okay...so I'm willing to conceded that Sat afternoons might not be all that bad. I think the thing that really got me was how tired my legs got, in all honesty...but like you guys have said, it's good for me to learn this way.

I'll just be sure to keep a good balance between crowded days and not-so-crowded days.

Is it wrong to slalom skate around kids? Hehe...

Oh, watch out with the kid comments around me...I have a six-year-old...and she skates quite a lot better than any other kid in the rink, let me tell ya!

[maherwoman]

Originally Posted by Spins

Diversity is the spice of life! Enjoy one another's differences...they are what makes life beautiful!!

Diversity by Age, of course.

Oh, I don't have a problem with kids...I just had a problem with being crowded. I have a little one, myself, so I have great tolerance for kids. I found myself helping and encouraging a few of the kids while we were there, too. That part of the day was fairly nice. I love seeing those short, little kid bodies on skates...it's really adorable! Boy, they can make skates small, eh? Cute cute cute!

[rachelannfournier]

My rink gets crowded like that on Saturday afternoons, too. Sometimes even on Sunday afternoons. They do have a special skate on those days for people 13 and over, but it only lasts for one song. I prefer to go Saturday nights. That's when mostly adults show up, although Friday nights sometimes aren't too bad either. The last time I went skating on Saturday afternoon, I swore I would never do it again. I just don't have the agility to dodge all those little kids, most of whom fall on the floor directly in front of me!

[big_kev_at_oz]

kinda contrasting to the situation here in sydney.
to my knowledge, theres only 1 rink left which is where i train, and we can barely get 20 skaters to a session. we have been forced to use basketball centres to run sessions in other areas with fair results (about 50 people per week)

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by big_kev_at_oz

kinda contrasting to the situation here in sydney.
to my knowledge, theres only 1 rink left which is where i train, and we can barely get 20 skaters to a session. we have been forced to use basketball centres to run sessions in other areas with fair results (about 50 people per week)

wow the sport is dying all over the world,,,,how sad Kev,,,,,and to think you have worlds next year on the gold coast.

Rick

[Animaetrix00]

There's a pretty diligent skate crowd in San Diego. I just started skating again (newwb!!!) and there are two rinks in town with adult-only nights. I'm trying to make it to at least one a week! It always gets crowded.

I am too nervous to try showing up at any of the kiddie sessions. I can barely steer so I'm envisioning running over kids. :P

[smashedagainst]

hey Animaetrix00, you didn't talk about the fisticuffs on the rink last nite. Was still fun... I like that place the most.

[ducorpstoo]

Originally Posted by smashedagainst

hey Animaetrix00, you didn't talk about the fisticuffs on the rink last nite. Was still fun... I like that place the most.

Oh I saw that last nite, LOL! Apparently there is a certain skater (very good and a longtime skater at that) that has the uncanny ability to cut directly through oncoming traffic and do those "Detroit slides" at either end of the rink. He usually misses people by only a hair's breadth while doing this maneuver. During all of these years I have predicted that a day will arrive where his luck runs out and will actually clip someone. Having said that...the inevitable did happen last night where clipped another very good (and longtime skater) as well.

I briefly got a glance of the confrontation that ensued. Both parties were in each others' faces. Luckily the skate-guard (Ned) was able to quickly diffuse the situation before any blows were exchanged (That whole incident reminded me of my Thanksgiving meal last week where both of my parrots were eating food from my plate. Due to their territorial nature, I had to act as the role of "skate-guard" and pull my Grey parrot to safety as my cockatoo had suddenly assumed an aggressive posture and was ready to pounce upon her )

[Animaetrix00]

Oh cool! I just found this forum today so I wasn't sure if there would be any local people on it.

I really like that place, a couple of my friends and I just started going a few weeks ago. We are trying to go every week. Everyone is so nice!

I'm the white chick with short neon red/pink hair that wobbles around trying to stay out of everyone's way. There are so many super duper good skaters there.