"Ice" Skating Rink Opens

While my family was skating at the new >Rockville Town Square Ice Rink, every passerby stopped at the railing, stared at the white surface then reached a hand forward to touch it. The rink isn’t frozen water, it’s synthetic. One of my sons commented that I was calling it synthetic but really it’s plastic. It is plastic.

I had been told that a soapy substance is sprayed into the air so that it settles onto the “ice”, which is a highly slippery substance. At first I was disappointed because you can’t glide very far. Eventually I figured out how to move so that it appeared as if I was ice skating. You put more pressure on the ball of the foot and keep the skates straight. Since you can’t cross your legs to turn corners, you wind up going in straight paths. When I saw one parent looking very professional skating around at an impressive high speed, I thought perhaps I just needed to practice more. When he took a hard, loud fall, I thought otherwise. The surface does trip you up occasionally.

The rink is perfect for little toddlers who don’t know how to skate because it’s not slippery. They can keep their balance and walk around, so you don’t need to constantly bend over to hold them up. People who hadn’t skated in over 20 years were moving around without a fear of falling. If the last time you skated you were seven, you can do this. You have to constantly work to keep moving, which is great exercise. The surface isn’t cold when the kids fall and clothes don’t get wet.

People waited at the fence to ask about the experience. The shredded ice looks real and small handfuls were passed around. One boy on a skateboard rode across the rink until he was told to leave. Being in Rockville Town Square with the tree and Menorah lit creates a festive atmosphere, so it’s fun to be in the center of it all skating.

I couldn’t do a triple salchow on the synthetic surface, but I couldn’t do one on a regular rink either. If you really want to ice skate, you should visit Cabin John. If you want to experience something new while enjoying time together with family and friends, you should give it a try. As I told my son, “An hour ago you couldn’t say that you had skated on plastic, now you can.”

Until Sunday, January 4, 2009, the rink will be open Monday through Friday, noon- 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and the parking garages are free in Town Center. Beginning Monday, January 5th through March 2009, the regular operating hours will be Monday through Friday, 3-10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children. Skate rentals are $2. Tickets and skate rentals are available at the Skate Shack at 100 Gibbs Street, between Acqua Nails and Town Square Jewelers (where Moe’s Southwest Grill used to be).

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