Build A Rink Game

[FigureSpins]

When no one is misbehaves (i.e., interferes with my skating), and no one is hurt, the perfect guard stays in the office. 

No, that's a slacker that sits in the office, hands off.  There are plenty of those in the world and they're far from perfect.

A good skating guard socializes with the skaters, can defuse charged situations politely, addresses dangerous skating quickly, and enforces rules fairly & consistently.

[Isk8NYC]

Just to bump up the thread...

Online/telephone inquiries for private coaches will be handled fairly and efficiently.

[Query]

Online/telephone inquiries for private coaches will be handled fairly and efficiently.

I once asked the front desk and figure skating director for good coaches. They recommended coaches who didn't have enough students, for very good reasons.

But you were talking about the perfect rink.

In the vein of a facility that is unimaginably good for its customers:

(1) Rink staff aren't afraid to help people who are hurt. If needed, they call 911 promptly. They suggest washing injuries that bleed, and provide band aids and ice without being asked. They encourage staff to get first aid training.

(2) They post session schedules and driving directions for all nearby rinks. 

(3) Novice skaters who wander into the figure skating area are instantly be transported, Star Trek style, into the hockey boxes.

(4) Abusive parents and coaches are instantly transported to their homes.

(5) They give me a good job.

[Isk8NYC]

I wasn't talking about fantasy and Big Brother-like actions.  It's very simple to have the staff respond to private lesson inquiries and match/distribute the prospects without favoritism.  BTW, ONE item per post.

Moving right along...

Spectator seats that can expand as needed, fold into the wall to allow for cleaning underneath and have heat underneath.

[AgnesNitt]

 A heated room for skaters to wait in prior to competitions.

[kiwiskater]

a carpark attendant who appreciates skaters, warm & friendly - but a mean machine to keep all the creeps away from our cars

[AgnesNitt]

FAt Free yogurt, carrot sticks and celery sticks, and fruit in the snack bar.

[Query]

No fantasies? But I love transporters. Oh well.

Lots of classes aimed at adults, in addition to lots of kid's classes, but not on the same ice sheet with public and freestyle sessions.

Lots of adults to take them - but not too many in each class.

Lots of ice sheets to meet everybody's needs. A private Maryland facility is in the process of adding a 5th (1/2 size?) sheet of ice, if you count the club-run curling rink they've had for a few years as an ice sheet. At a time when many of the local single sheet rinks are struggling. (The figure skating director says having a lot of sheets attracts hockey and figure tournaments and competitions, and gives them the freedom to accommodate surprise events on relatively short notice. Maybe it gives them the money to actively market themselves (which they do), and to create innovative programs (to some extant they do).

Open for public and freestyle sessions (on separate sheets) most of the day.

Lots of activities for family members - we have already mentioned a pool and exercise rooms, but we can add a library, outdoor trails and places to boat, places to shop, etc. It should somehow be possible for parents to keep an eye on their kids while doing something else.

Free ice. (Sorry. Still stuck in fantasy land.)

[Isk8NYC]

A roof sweeper that can remove snow from the roof, protecting it from potential disaster.

Bonus: removed snow can be piled up for winter fun.

Query, as Agnes has said several times - only ONE rink feature-suggestion per post.  Last warning.

[Sk8tmum]

hmmm... onsite daycare for kids of those skating; at a reasonable price, with staff that will occupy them productively and feed them ONLY healthy snacks.

[AgnesNitt]

Healthy snacks include dark chocolate covered almonds. Good for the heart.

[jumpingbeansmom]

On behalf of skate@delaware, I submit a ice lighting system that can project patterns onto the ice for Moves, Dance, and Figures.

Cool idea

[jumpingbeansmom]

Yes! I'll add a hot tub with full bar.

Can I add exercise facilities that parents can pay to use overlooking the rink so we can exercise AND watch our skaters too?

[jumpingbeansmom]

A quiet room with internet access, desk chairs and work tables so waiting parents can get work done or students can study/do homework.

Can we add a few reference books and school supplies to this? (Dictionary, Thesaurus, pens, pencils, sharperner, paper pads etc) for when we or they forget something we need to work?

[AgnesNitt]

Male dancers, figures skaters, pairs partners are treated as minor gods! (so we have more men in the place. Don't want it to become chick city!) Besides, I like skating with men. In my rink the more men the betters. Also, men should always be there to carry my skate bag and help me up when I fall.

[Isk8NYC]

I'm adding a comfortable reference library with figure skating videos, books, TV's and a computer linked to online skating sites.

[kiwiskater]

Include satellite link ups in the library, plenty to go around so that one may use it for social/work/study purposes. That way I can do stuff all at the rink & be on hand to go skating, no driving involved except to go home...

[Kim to the Max]

A smaller studio rink with tinted ice specifically for doing figures.

...the rink at the college I used to work at (where I still coach occasionally) has a smaller rink where the ice is orange (school color). While done for school spirit, you can see your edges clear as day! When I was a kid, the ice was tinted slightly blue for that reason as well.

[Query]

Good acoustics for teaching!

I don't want to hear echoes that interfere with understanding coaches, or hear voices aimed at other students. Sound should travel only along line of site.

A good deal of the problem is that some coaches don't realize that program music should be much softer than their voice, and acoustic engineering cannot solve that issue. (But there can be many small speakers spread above the rink area so the program music isn't too loud near one big speaker. Many rinks already do this.)

I further admit this increases construction cost, and that many sound absorbing materials are fragile, which might make the rink not usable by hockey players (high flying pucks might damage acoustic tile). That might be OK according to figure skaters, but would hurt the economics further.

Nonetheless,  I love the idea.

[Sk8tmum]

A seperate pad for small children's learn to skate: smaller, with bright colours, familiar cartoon etc characters painted on the boards, kid's music suitable for skating playing in the background, LTS circuits painted on the ice, and spots where an adult can comfortably sit to tie little skates, plus, a glove warmer for when their little hands get sooo cold from falling on the ice or practicing getting up of the ice.  Bathrooms easily accessible, with rubber on the floor so that they can get there without taking off their skates, and stalls big enough to accomodate a parent and child comfortably, and sinks sized to allow them to reach to wash their hands without anyone having to lift them up to reach.

[Query]

To complete the acoustics issue, it must be OK to carry personal electronic devices.

This is so coaches and students can carry walkie-talkie headsets to communicate with each other across the rink, and students can carry their own program music with them.

Of course, the rule does not extend to loud devices that other skaters can hear!

(Some rinks outlaw electronic devices, because they worry that skaters who talk on cell phones and the like will run into other skaters. I don't have a solution to that problem, since someone already took away my SF ability to transport evil doers to the penalty box. As long as sessions aren't too crowded - and we've already suggestions here that sessions won't be over-crowded, I think such rules do more harm than good.)

[Query]

LTS circuits painted on the ice

If you mean what I think - that there are little swizzle patterns and slalom patterns and lines and many radii concentric circles, all of different colors for clarity, for skaters to follow, it's a cool idea. I wonder if anyone has tried that sort of thing in a rink dedicated to figure skating.

How about pictures on the wall explaining what is to be done at that point in the circuit? Say, a sequence of pictures showing someone swizzling? If we have unlimited money, they can be electronic pictures, so you can run different classes on the same circuit, and you can show video of people doing the desired skill.

[kiwiskater]

well since we're going for broke... skate hire for those who have their own skates. All securely & personally stored, maintenance covered, blades dried etc and you don't have to drag your skates to & from the rink and ensure you have all the right conditions for them...

[Jennymd]

The rink should be open 24/7 so we can practice at whatever time of day we like!

[Sierra]

The rink should be open 24/7 so we can practice at whatever time of day we like!

I'm a night owl. I will totally be there at 1 am.

Since our rink is so awesome and huge, it's going to beat out other rinks in bidding for Worlds, Nationals and Olys, right? And all the skaters and coaches will get free tickets.