Pond skating?

[fsk8r]

If you plan on coming out, I can drive over there ahead of time to make sure it's all good. Nothing worse than hauling out from Manhattan to look at cold water with chunks of ice.

That's how they used to do it in the 18th and 19th Century. Someone would check the ice and then send postcards to the club members to let them know skating was on. The postal service was pretty good back then. You could post the card in the morning and it would get across the city by the afternoon!

[lutefisk]

OK, this is probably going to tip the forum's off-topic balance point but here's my MC contribution: http://mid-atlanticmusings.blogspot.com/search/label/R%C3%B6dqvarna

[Bill_S]

She's a beaut! Tipping OT even more, my third motorcycle (alas, it's also in storage) is a Swedish Husqvarna - the off-road variety.

[Bill_S]

I feel guilty now, so I have to tip it back on topic a bit. Here's a satellite map of the longest outdoor skate that I did (probably early 70s). It was easy getting to the beach area of Dillon Lake near Zanesville, OH (wind to my back), but it was a BEAR getting back. I had figure skates on, but I had to bend into the wind like a hockey player to return. The wind was so strong that it about canceled out each forward stroke.

I got a true workout.

[rd350]

OMG that bike!  Reminds me (a little) of the Indian my friend restored!

[twinskaters]

Well, it's raining and supposed to hit near 50 today. Pretty sure pond skating is out until the next polar vortex!

[skategeek]

We've got black ice here, and not the skating kind.  You know it's bad when NJ Transit shuts down bus service statewide.

[twinskaters]

Yeah, black ice here, too. But from the Facebook posts it sounds way worse in NJ and Philly. It's raining hard now. If the pounding water doesn't drain and it goes below freezing overnight, we might be able to skate in the backyard.

[skategeek]

Yeah, black ice here, too. But from the Facebook posts it sounds way worse in NJ and Philly. It's raining hard now. If the pounding water doesn't drain and it goes below freezing overnight, we might be able to skate in the backyard.

My driveway and yard slope, unfortunately.  Dreaming of demolishing the deck so I could use the little patch of patio underneath...

[twinskaters]

My driveway and yard slope, unfortunately.  Dreaming of demolishing the deck so I could use the little patch of patio underneath...

I think this belongs in the "you skate too much..." post! Ours slopes at one end and we have a lot of trees. We just had to have one taken down (hollow oak cracked. Terrifyingly close to the house) and I am unsuccessfully trying to convince husband there's space for a rink. But wow, right now there's a lot of water building up because the ground is so frozen. Eek.

[rd350]

I heard the same that it's really bad ice wise and the LIE is shut at the Midtown Tunnel but walking in the city you would never guess!

Rink in the yard would be beyond amazing!!

I was thinking of skating at Great Neck (adult night) tonight but thinking it's not a good driving idea right now.  I only skated 40 minutes (once) this past week.  That is unacceptable!  Was that sick.

[Loops]

I just have to say you ladies are making me a bit homesick.  My dad is from Great Neck (three generations lived there, actually!), and my grandparents retired out to Locust Valley.  Every time we'd go up to visit, we'd go skating so my grandparents could see what I was up too....the Colosseum and Beaver dam  mostly (awesome outdoor rinks there back in the 80's).  Except for the odd flight into/out of JFK, I haven't been back to LI since my grandfather died just after 9/11.  I miss it so much!  Enjoy what you have!

[Query]

My personal experience is that if there is dirt on or in the ice, that can dull your edges a lot. But if the ice is clean, it only takes down the edges a little faster. Be sure to use blade guards up to the ice - maybe even remove them while you are on the ice.

The ice will probably be rougher, less level, and (if the pond is cold enough to be) harder than indoor ice. So you want sharp blades, which will cut through everything. Borderline edges don't work very well on outdoor ice.

You can search for various people's safety guidelines, e.g. https://www.google.com/search?q=inches+ice+safety+skating&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb. Some people tell how many inches there are of ice by drilling a hole in the ice. But if the temperature has warmed up to within a few degrees of freezing, the ice may not be safe even if it is thick enough. Be safe.

[rd350]

Good memories @Loops!  Come out and skate with us on the pond!

I admit pond skating is a bit scary as far as knowing it's safe.  In Connecticut, where I used to do it, they tested the ice and posted signs daily!  Of course I was a teenager then and probably would've risked it anyway.

[twinskaters]

Had to follow up that pond skating does indeed require one to step up the sharpening! I am pretty sure I fell because of my lack of edges on Wednesday, and when I took all 3 pairs to be sharpened today, I got a "wow, these are really dull" comment and had to 'fess up to the pond-y fun. Still totally worth it for the experience.

[rd350]

Oh interesting.  My fitter even recommended I don't wear my new skates on an outdoor rink, but where my old ones and only wear the new ones in indoor ice!  I'd imagine the pond is much more of an issue.  I would wear my old skates.

[twinskaters]

I would agree with that. If I had old skates, I would wear them there, too! I don't think either of my girls can fit into the one old pair I have left from them. Size 13, while they're on size 2.