Date: 12/28/2008 - 02/02/2020 Time: 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
Where to ice skate, play hockey in California
Family Fun....fun dates....ICE SKATING! Her's a few places to go in So CAl! Whether you’re looking for a way to pry the family off the couch in the dead of winter, need an alternative to the X-Box for the kids, or are looking for a fun date idea, skating is it!
If it’s been awhile since you hit the ice – or are a complete novice – experts offer these suggestions.
Keep your head up and your knees bent. This is probably the best piece of advice you’ll get, since it keeps your weight forward. Leaning backwards is the surest way to take a spill. Also, if you do fall, its far better to fall on your hands versus your head.
Get comfortable taking small steps on the ice. Eventually, you’ll be able to glide on each step. Work on transferring your weight from one foot to the other, pushing your weight through the balls of the foot.
Children as young as three or four can start learning the basics of skating. Kids of all ages need proper safety precautions, like a helmet (hey, that ice is HARD!). Kids who are just learning to skate may find it helpful to push a chair around the ice (within a supervised class, of course).
If all else fails, relax -- it’s perfectly fine to hang on to the side of the rink.
Our Inland Empire Fun list of So Cal ice skating rinks:
Center Ice Ice Skating Rink
201 S Plum Ave
Ontario, CA 91761
(909) 986-4231
www.centericearena.net
Ontario Ice Skating Arena Ice Skating Rink
1225 W Holt Blvd
Chino, CA 91762
(909) 988-1898
www.ontarioiceskatingcntr.com/
Ice Town Ice Skating Rink
10540 Magnolia Ave
La Sierra, CA 92505
(909) 637-3070
www.icetown.com/
Citizens Business Bank Arena
4400 E Ontario Center Parkway
Ontario, California 91764
(909) 244-5500 Main
(909) 244-5600 Box Office
www.cbbankarena.com
Ice Castle Intl Training Center Ice Skating Rink
401 Burnt Mill Rd
Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352
(909) 337-5283
Anaheim Ice Ice Skating Rink
300 West Lincoln Ave
Anaheim, CA 92805
(714) 535-7465
www.anaheimice.com
Honda Center Ice Skating Rink
2695 East Katella Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92806
(714) 704-2400
www.hondacenter.com/
Yorba Linda Ice Palace Ice Skating Rink
23641 La Palma Avenue
Bryant Ranch Center
Yorba Linda, CA 92887
(714) 692-8776
www.ylicepalace.com/
Iceoplex Ice Skating Rink
555 N Tulip St
Escondido, CA 92025
(760) 489-5550
www.isoplex.com
Glacial Gardens Lakewood Ice Skating Rink
3975 Pixie Street
Lakewood, CA 90712
(562) 429-1805
www.glacialgardens.com
Ice Chalet Inc Ice Skating Rink
4545 LA Jolla Village Dr # E23
San Diego, CA 92122
(858) 452-9110
www.icetown.com/
Ice Station Valencia Ice Skating Rink
27745 Smyth Dr
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
(661) 775-8686
www.icestation.net/
Iceland Ice Skating Center Ice Skating Rink
14318 Calvert St
Van Nuys, CA 91401
(818) 785-2171
www.valleyskating.com/
Ice Chalet Inc Ice Skating Rink
550 Deep Valley Dr # 130
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
(310) 541-6630
www.pvicechalet.com/
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Ice skating is a popular wintertime sport. Gliding with grace and speed across the glasslike ice has great appeal to many and this vision of physical prowess at its best attracts many people to the ice skating rink each season. Unfortunately, that beautiful grace and blazing speed comes from countless hours of practice and more than a few bruises on your posterior. Learning to skate can be an enjoyable and rewarding process even though it often requires countless numbers of falls and second tries.
While ice skating can take place on frozen lakes, ponds, rivers and marshes, beginning ice skaters should begin skating at an ice skating arena. These public ice skating rinks have many safety features like walled borders and a smoothly maintained surface. Ice skating rinks are often maintained at a temperature of 19° F to provide the optimal level of surface tension and friction on the ice. This ensures a smooth glide for ice skaters. There are a few basic tips that can help beginning ice skaters pursue the ultimate smooth gliding experience with less discomfort.
Tips for Beginning Skaters
• Invest in ice skating lessons for your children while they are young. Children as young as three years of age can learn to skate. Beginning early helps kids develop a better sense of balance and muscle control than if they start at an older age.
• Bend your knees. Not only does this lower your center of gravity and improve your balance, it gives you better control of the movement of you skates.
• Wear protective gear every time you are on the ice. Helmets, gloves, and elbow and kneepads should all be worn to protect you from hard knocks on the ice. While those dainty little ice-skating dresses look nice, they do not protect you from scrapes and cuts from the ice and your own ice skate blades should you fall. Beginners should dress in full coverage clothing such as leggings for safety.
• When you fall, tuck in your hands and legs to prevent other skaters from running them over.
• Learn to stop on the ice before you attempt to glide. If you begin to pick up speed and your only means to stop your momentum is to run face first into the wall, you could be seriously injured.
• Practice, practice, practice! Ice skating takes great balance, grace, coordination, and physical strength and these attributes take long hours on the ice to acquire.
A Closer Look at Ice Skates
The very first ice skates can be traced back to the ninth century and were made from animal bone. The earliest skate artifacts were found in the bottom of a lake in Switzerland and are estimated to date back to 3000 BC. They were made from the shinbones of an animal and were attached to the feet with leather thongs.
Later in history, ice skates evolved into wooden varieties with iron rails strapped to platforms. They eventually became iron creations that could be strapped to shoes. They developed into the familiar bladed boot we have to today.
Ice skate manufacturers continue to push the envelope by striving to develop newer prototypes that are lightweight, supportive and razor sharp on the ice.
Ice skating rinks usually offer skate rentals. This is a great option for beginning skaters, but more experienced skaters generally prefer to purchase their own ice skates. Buying a pair of quality ice skates can be a significant financial investment. Getting a few tips about choosing the right skates can help you spend your money wisely.
Tips for Purchasing Ice Skates
These skate buying tips from USA Hockey Magazine will help you select a great fitting pair of quality ice skates.
* Ice skates that fit properly will be between one and one and a half sizes smaller than your regular shoe size.
* Wear thick socks similar to ones that you will be wearing while skating when you try on the skate. Press your foot as close to the front of the skate as possible. If the skate fits well, you should be able to insert one finger between your heel and the back of the skate.
* Proper lacing is required to fit your skates. Slide your heel snugly against the back of the boot and pull the first three eyelets near the toes to tighten the laces. The next four eyelets should be pulled lightly to take up slack, yet allowing room for the arch of your foot to flex. The remaining eyelets are pulled tight and the laces should be double knotted to secure the tension. The distance between opposing eyelets should be no more than one and a half to two inches across. If the distance is greater, you need to select another skate.
* Walk around the store with the skates on for 10-20 minutes. The skates should not allow your feet to move inside the boot when walking.
* Always wear your skates for several hours off the ice before attempting to skate with them for the first time. Some stores offer to heat your skates in a break-in oven that reduces the amount of time necessary to break in the skates properly.
Skating for Pleasure or for Sport?
Many people enjoy the thrill of ice-skating as a recreational hobby. They may spend a few hours on the weekend gliding across the ice for fun, but they do not strive to develop the hobby into a serious sporting activity.
The sport of figure skating requires complex dance-like maneuvers on the ice, quick turns and long leaping jumps across the ice. Figure skating routines can be very physically demanding and the complexity of the components of the routine add an increased risk of injury to the enjoyment of ice-skating.
Those who are serious about the sport must invest large amounts of time and finances into training for a competition. They often follow strict diet and strength training programs to prepare their bodies for the rigorous physical demands of figure skating.
Choosing between recreational skating and figure skating for sport is an easy decision for most people since great amounts of skill and dedication are required to become a serious figure skater.
