Pond skating?

twinskaters · January 11, 2015, 07:26:09 AM

Last year people were skating on a nearby pond that froze over, and it's in a particularly picturesque spot. Neither my girls nor I have ever done it, and I was thinking about it this morning, because it's been so cold lately.

But if we do this, are we basically going to trash our blades? Is it worth it? We are all in pretty low level blades but still need them to skate.

Bill_S · January 11, 2015, 08:25:06 AM

Your not going to completely "trash" your blades just skating on pond ice. You'll just have to move up your sharpening schedule somewhat, especially if you skate a lot near the shoreline where there may be some sand. If you stay away from the edges of a clean pond (and why not?), the debris is greatly minimized to help maintain your edges longer.

I used to skate outdoors all the time in the 70s (actually, I didn't have a choice). It's great fun, and so much more liberating than a rink. Smells a lot nicer too!

Here's me skating with a friend back in the 70s on a pond near my childhood home, and I have the fondest memories of skating on natural ice - especially at night if there was a bonfire on shore and stars in the sky.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat if ponds would actually freeze around here.

lutefisk · January 11, 2015, 10:40:22 AM

I'm saving my old boots/blades in the hopes that we'll have pond skating here in Maryland this winter. Could happen!

twinskaters · January 11, 2015, 12:07:56 PM

Quote from: Bill_S on January 11, 2015, 08:25:06 AM
Your not going to completely "trash" your blades just skating on pond ice. You'll just have to move up your sharpening schedule somewhat, especially if you skate a lot near the shoreline where there may be some sand. If you stay away from the edges of a clean pond (and why not?), the debris is greatly minimized to help maintain your edges longer.

I used to skate outdoors all the time in the 70s (actually, I didn't have a choice). It's great fun, and so much more liberating than a rink. Smells a lot nicer too!

Here's me skating with a friend back in the 70s on a pond near my childhood home, and I have the fondest memories of skating on natural ice - especially at night if there was a bonfire on shore and stars in the sky.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat if ponds would actually freeze around here.

LOVE that photo! What a treasure!

Thanks for the info. I don't know why I got it into my head that it would be awful for the blades beyond what sharpening could fix. Of course we all just got sharpened, but those are the breaks. I don't even know if we'll make it, but now I am glad to know it's not an issue.

Neverdull44 · January 11, 2015, 01:37:05 PM

Beautiful picture!

rd350 · January 11, 2015, 07:15:18 PM

Gorgeous photo! I used to skate on a pond in Connecticut and it was so great. You are right about the smells! I hate the harsh smell of sweat when you enter some rinks. Eww

Also right, you'll just need to up your sharpening schedule.

twinskaters · January 15, 2015, 10:10:25 AM

OK, I am excited! I had to be out near the pond this morning so I drove there and walked up to the pond. It's part of a nature sanctuary on the grounds of a church, so it's open to the public. I saw that it had definitely been skated on recently, and then I ran into a man who works at the church, who was so friendly and encouraged skating, plus gave me a few pointers. Perfect timing! I am going to make a thermos of hot cocoa and pick the girls up from school at 3:30 with skates, cocoa, and extra layers in the car! It's a beautiful sunny-but-cold day. Will try and get my own happy nostalgia photos.

Bill_S · January 15, 2015, 11:19:25 AM

Oh, I'm SO jealous!

Please let us know how it goes. (I imagine the first observation will be how different the ice feels.

)

rd350 · January 15, 2015, 02:58:31 PM

Me too jealous! Where in L.I.? Have fun!

davincisop · January 15, 2015, 03:02:28 PM

So jealous

That's something that I want to do one day. Ideally on Tenaya lake.

Loops · January 15, 2015, 03:37:05 PM

Quote from: davincisop on January 15, 2015, 03:02:28 PM
So jealous That's something that I want to do one day. Ideally on Tenaya lake.

Me too.....on a clear night with a full moon in the Adirondacks.

twinskaters · January 15, 2015, 06:41:10 PM

Quote from: rd350 on January 15, 2015, 02:58:31 PM
Me too jealous! Where in L.I.? Have fun!

There's a pond at St. John's church in Cold Spring Harbor. It's also a nature sanctuary. I wish I could take you all with me because it was so fun! We had it to ourselves at first, then a bunch of guys came with pucks and sticks. But someone had cleared the snow so there were a few "rinks" and we all coexisted happily. Skated about an hour. The only bad part was right at the end one kid caught a toepick and bashed her knee (just bruised but there were tears) and the other put a foot through the ice right at the shore, because the rock people use to get in and out wobbles so it doesn't freeze hard. I hope that skate is dry by tomorrow afternoon's lesson!

Either way, this was the best surprise school pickup ever and my kids think I'm awesome. :-)

(I do have actual pics of my kids' faces, but feel a little skittish sharing them here right now...)

Bill_S · January 15, 2015, 07:29:57 PM

Wonderful! It looks like a winter wonderland with the quaint church at the edge.

Your children now have a memory to savor for the rest of their lives.

twinskaters · January 15, 2015, 07:34:53 PM

Quote from: Bill_S on January 15, 2015, 07:29:57 PM
Wonderful! I looks like a winter wonderland with the quaint church at the edge.

Your children now have a memory to savor for the rest of their lives.

And so do I! I wish I had gotten one of the hockey guys to take a pic of all three of us, but they snapped one of me and I took a selfie (with no stick, LOL). Thank you for encouraging me to go!

rd350 · January 15, 2015, 08:07:28 PM

Looks fun! I'd meet you sometime.

I have a business - you can find me online easily, LOL!

Live2Sk8 · January 15, 2015, 09:26:26 PM

Looks like it was so much fun! What a beautiful setting.

Christy · January 15, 2015, 09:37:37 PM

That looks like fun. I've had the opportunity to skate on a couple of ponds close by but was put off many years ago when I considered skating on local canals until someone told me that a few years earlier they fell through the ice

Maybe I'll give it a go.

twinskaters · January 15, 2015, 10:05:49 PM

Quote from: rd350 on January 15, 2015, 08:07:28 PM
Looks fun! I'd meet you sometime.

I have a business - you can find me online easily, LOL!

Apparently not easily enough, since googling your screen name just tells me you're a Yamaha bike.

I'd meet you if you feel like coming out this way. Even pick you up at the LIRR if you're not driving.

rd350 · January 15, 2015, 10:10:21 PM

LOL wow that is/was my Yamaha motorcycle!

My biz is biscuitsbylambchop.com - all the rest you can find from there! : ) And my name is Annette Frey.

I would probably just drive.

twinskaters · January 15, 2015, 10:19:26 PM

OMG, such cute doggies! And I'm a cat person so you know they're extra cute!

I will have to mention it to some friends who I know have doggie digestion issues.

I'm Betsy. 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.

Bill_S · January 15, 2015, 10:21:41 PM

Quote from: rd350 on January 15, 2015, 10:10:21 PM

LOL wow that is/was my Yamaha motorcycle!

Chasing this a little further off-topic, your screen name has reminded me of my older motorcycles. I assumed that it was merely a coincidence.

FWIW, I still own two Yamaha RD400s plus a different one, but they have been in a storage locker since the 80s.

Small world!

twinskaters · January 15, 2015, 10:25:18 PM

Somehow figure skating and motorcycles seem compatible. Wind in the hair and all that.

BTW, reaction from some of my Facebook friends to my pond skating pictures is fascinating. A lot of faintly judgmental "I would be too scared to do that with my kids, what if the ice is too thin?" Suddenly the biggest chicken on the block is seen as a risk-taker!

Bill_S · January 15, 2015, 10:32:38 PM

They are just jealous!

twinskaters · January 15, 2015, 10:34:13 PM

Quote from: Bill_S on January 15, 2015, 10:32:38 PM
They are just jealous!

And wimpy.

rd350 · January 16, 2015, 01:04:35 AM

Oh Bill now I'm jealous! I don't have any motorcycles now! I had a 1975 RD350 (a Honda CB650 for about a minute before that but the center of gravity was in the stratosphere and I dropped that clunker about every time I stopped!), husband had a 1984(?) RZ350 Kenny Robert yellow racer version, we had a 1974 Suzuki GT750 with a sidecar for the dog (video on my website but IN the side car rig) - yay for 2-strokes!, and husband had a 1975 Sportster. My bike was mint!

Betsy, that's funny about the biggest chicken on the block! Okay, we will have to plan on it. How far from the city is it? I know I have to come out to LI in a few weeks for something....

Yeah definitely some synergy between motorcycles and skating! On many levels. Wind in hair, balance, risk.

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Pond skating?