There's a rink near me that closed a few months ago due to financial difficulties. The bank brought in an experienced manager and capital, so it's now being renovated quite nicely. They're scheduled to open in mid August with a new name and new management.
I found it intriguing that the hockey programs are already in place. The local hockey league stepped up to the plate and organized leagues, teams, registration, etc. based on the mid-August go date.
On the new rink's Twitter page, the management posted a little blurb saying that any figure skating people who wanted to "contract" ice time for lessons and freestyles should contact the management. I don't skate or coach there, but I know they had a nice program. I feel like a busybody, but I sent out two emails to a coach and a parent that I'm friendly with, just to make sure someone else knows about the situation.
The word "contract" intrigues me - I wonder if the hockey ice is all rental except for Stick & Puck/Pickup? If so, I can understand why the sport of Figure Skating isn't growing: we no longer have skating clubs that step up to the plate and reserve ice time. That was the traditional way it was handled pre-1990's, but you always had the issue of not having enough skaters to cover the cost of renting the ice.
I guess this is a bit of a rant, but how do you convince busy families that figure skating requires some upfront financial committment as well as a regular time committment?