Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be performed on naturally frozen bodies of water, such as ponds, lakes, canals, and rivers, and on human-made ice surfaces both indoors and outdoors.
Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River, in northern Prince George's County. Founded as a mill town in the early 19th century, Laurel expanded local industry and was later able to become an early commuter town for Washington and Baltimore workers following the arrival of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1835. Largely residential today, the city maintains a historic district centered on its Main Street, highlighting its industrial past.
The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is North America's first covered speed skating oval; it was built for the 1988 Winter Olympics and opened 37 years ago on September 27, 1987. Located on the University of Calgary campus, it is the official designated training centre for Speed Skating Canada and the Elite Athlete Pathway. This oval includes a hockey rink, a short track speed skating rink, a 400m long track rink and a 450 m running track.
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or an artificial sheet of ice where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The growth and increasing popularity of ice skating during the 1800s marked a rise in the deliberate construction of ice rinks in numerous areas of the world.
The Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval, formerly the John Rose Minnesota Oval, is an outdoor ice rink in Roseville, Minnesota, United States. It is claimed to be the largest artificial outdoor skating surface in North America. The facility was constructed from June to December 1993. It was the subject of a $3.9 million renovation project which was set to be completed before the opening of the rink's 29th season on November 18, 2022. It is the home of bandy in the United States and is used by the United States men's national bandy team and the United States women's national bandy team.
The Pettit National Ice Center is an indoor ice skating facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, featuring two international-size ice rinks and a 400-meter speed skating oval. Located adjacent to Wisconsin State Fair Park, the center opened on January 1, 1993, and was named for Milwaukee philanthropists Jane and Lloyd Pettit. Pettit National Ice Center Inc., a non-profit organization, has operated the site since the facility opened.
Minsk Arena is the main indoor arena in Minsk, Belarus. The Minsk-Arena complex includes the main multi-purpose arena with an open multi-level parking lot alongside an interconnected 2,000-seat velodrome and a 3,000-seat speed skating rink.
The Victoria Skating Rink was an indoor ice skating rink located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Opened in 1862, it was described at the start of the twentieth century to be "one of the finest covered rinks in the world". The building was used during winter seasons for pleasure skating, ice hockey and skating sports on a natural ice rink. In summer months, the building was used for various events, including musical performances and horticultural shows. It was the first building in Canada to be electrified.
Sparta Amfi is an indoor ice hockey rink located in Sarpsborg, Norway. The 3,900-spectator venue is the home of Sparta Sarpsborg and Sarpsborg Skøyteklubb. The arena opened in 1963 as the first indoor ice rink in Norway. Major upgrades were carried out in 2006 and 2012, and a second rink opened in 2007.
Pond hockey is a form of ice hockey similar in its object and appearance to traditional ice hockey, but simplified and designed to be played on part of a natural frozen body of water. The rink is 50 to 80 percent the size of a standard NHL-specification rink, and has no boards or glass surrounding it; usually only a barrier of snow keeps the puck in play. In addition, because there are no protective barriers behind the goal to contain high errant shots, the top of the goal is lower, in fact only slightly taller than the width of a puck, and the game does not have a formal goalie. Because of these differences, pond hockey places more emphasis on skating and puckhandling ability and less on shooting and checking. Non-competitive pond hockey is played with improvised goals, rinks of a variety of sizes, and no boards or snow barriers. There can only be 4 players playing per team at a time but have many subs to sub in.
Lasker Rink, dedicated as the Loula D. Lasker Memorial Swimming Pool and Skating Rink was a seasonal ice skating rink and swimming pool at the southwest corner of the Harlem Meer in the northern part of Central Park in Manhattan, New York City. Designed by the architects Fordyce & Hamby Associates, it operated from 1966 to 2021. Lasker Rink was demolished after its final season of operation and is to be replaced by a new facility known as the Harlem Meer Center in 2025.
Planet Ice Arena Milton Keynes is a 2,800-capacity multi-purpose ice rink/hockey rink located in Milton Keynes, England, as part of the Leisure Plaza complex.
McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink or McCormick Tribune Plaza is a multi-purpose venue within Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. On December 20, 2001, it became the first attraction in Millennium Park to open. The $3.2 million plaza was funded by a donation from the McCormick Tribune Foundation. It has served as an ice skating rink, a dining facility and briefly as an open-air exhibition space.
The Richard J. Codey Arena at South Mountain is an ice hockey and ice skating arena in West Orange, New Jersey as part of the South Mountain Recreation Complex. The arena is named for former Governor of New Jersey Richard Codey. The Codey Arena is owned and operated by the Essex County Department of Park, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs.
The Amelia Park facilities are located in Westfield, Massachusetts, United States. The Amelia Park Ice Rink is the only ice rink in Westfield. The main building is a 47,000-square-foot (4,400 m2) facility, a figure skating lounge, three party rooms, a skate rental and sharpening area, four locker rooms and a food concession area. A 65' x 170' outside inline skating rink is located next to the main building. The $6 million facility was created by Albert Ferst in memory of his late wife, Amelia. The facility houses activities and events, such as open skating times, hockey games for Westfield State University, St. Mary's High School, Westfield High School, and Sled Hockey Games. Gardens span 3.1 acres (13,000 m2) and are located across from the main entrance of the arena.
The University of Illinois Ice Arena, also known as the Big Pond, is an ice arena and recreational sports facility in Champaign, Illinois, and owned and operated by the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. The arena is the home for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's and women's college ice hockey teams competing in the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The men's ice hockey team competes at the ACHA Division I level as a member of the Central States Collegiate Hockey League and the women's team competes independently. Illinois also has an ACHA Division II team that plays in the Mid American Collegiate Hockey Association. Additionally, the facility is the home of the Illinois synchronized skating Team, the Illinois Intercollegiate Figure Skating Team and several skating clubs such as the Champaign Regional Speed Skating Club, Ice Cubes Youth Synchronized Skating and the Champaign-Urbana Youth Hockey Association.
MedStar Capitals Iceplex is the practice arena of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League. The highest ice rink above street-level in the United States, it is located on the eighth floor atop the parking garage adjoining the Ballston Quarter in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia.
The Potomac Curling Club is a curling club started in 1961 and currently curling in Laurel, Maryland. Operating out of the National Capital Curling Center, a dedicated curling ice facility at The Gardens Ice House operated under a long-term lease since 2002, the group maintains four sheets of dedicated curling ice, the only dedicated curling ice in the Washington, D.C., area. The club operates during the main curling season, although social events for the membership occur during the summer.
The North Avenue Ice Palace in Baltimore, Maryland, United States was one of the first examples of an indoor artificial ice rink in North America. It was located on North Avenue between Charles Street and Lovegrove Alley and extended north to 20th Street. It was constructed by the Arctic Skating Company, managed by Gerald T. Hopkins, Jr. The ice rink was used for pleasure skating and ice sports, including early games of ice hockey.
The Centene Community Ice Center is a multi-purpose facility in Maryland Heights, Missouri in greater St. Louis. It is located off Highway 141 near Hollywood Casino St. Louis and the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. Built at a cost of $83 million, the complex opened in September 2019. It is co-owned by the city of Maryland Heights and St. Louis County, and operated by Oak View Group.
