The old-fashioned holiday traditions of festive lights, carolers, Santa Claus and hot cocoa are incomplete without an ice skating rink on a frozen lake.
Ice skating is a fun winter sport that many people enjoy. But if you live in Austin Texas it may be difficult, usually impossible, to find a frozen pond to skate on. Luckily there are some indoor venues that have their own ice and are open to the public. Today we are going to learn about the top places for winter ice skating in Austin, TX.
Ice Skating in Austin
The following are a few notable places in Austin that families dream of snow and ice skating.
Chaparral Ice
This family-friendly ice skating venue has something for everyone! No matter what age group you are in or how long you have been skating, Chaparral Ice has a program for you. They offer ice skating classes for all skill levels and they teach using Learn To Skate USA curriculum. For those of you that simply want to spend some time on the ice without the guidance of an instructor, you can attend their public skating hours. Each year over 44,000 people take advantage of public skating making this venue one of the most popular in all of Austin. https://www.chaparralice.com/
The Pond Hockey Club
When it comes to fun on the ice you can’t go wrong with The Pound Hockey Club. This ice skating rink was designed to resemble an actual pound which makes it a truly special place. The venue not only allows you to get on the ice but they also have classes that will teach you how to skate. In addition to learning how to skate, you can also learn how to play hockey which is always fun! The Pond Hockey Club is a great place to take your children and they will have many fond memories of being on the ice! This venue has been open to the public since 2013 and has been growing in popularity ever since. Many kids from the city have come here to learn the sport of hockey and the instructors are very helpful. So if you want to go ice skating or learn how to play hockey this just might be the place for you. https://www.pondhockeyclubaustintx.com/
Circuit of the Americas
They say everything is bigger in Texas and the Circuit of the Americas isn’t playing around, back for the second year, Winter Wonderland at the Circuit. Bring the family out to skate at what is said to be Texas’ largest outdoor Ice Skating Rink. In addition to copious amounts of ice skating, this year will feature the Tunnel of Lights, Trips to the top of the North Pole, Carnival Rides, Camel Rides, Singing Trees, a Petting Zoo, Santa’s Workshop, a Live Music Stage and much more holiday fun for everyone! Ice skating is open weekends nights till December 30th. Ice skating at Winter Wonderland will be a crowd-pleaser for the whole family! http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com/winter-wonderland
Eisbahn Fredericksburg
Pack the car, bring your family and friends and join Heritage families at Eisbahn. Only a short drive outside of Austin you can experience Eisbahn(“ice rink” in German), returning to Marktplatz in downtown Fredericksburg for its 10th consecutive year. If you’ve never visited the small town of Fredericksburg, this is the best time to do it, the town square is transformed with beautiful light-filled trees, a 26-foot tall hand-carved wooden Christmas pyramid, and ice skating, fun for people of all ages! Eisbahn is open the Friday after Thanksgiving through New Year’s weekend. http://heritageschool.org/eisbahn/
Whole Foods Market Downtown
Last but certainly not least on our list of top places to enjoy ice skating in Austin is Whole Foods Market. This large grocery store has more to offer than just food and during the winter they turn their rooftop into an ice skating rink! Whole Foods has truly outdone themselves with this skating venue and it is a must see if you are in the city. Located in downtown Austin the rink sits on top of their building and is a sight to see. Each year the residents of Austin wait for this magical wintertime event to take place and when it does hundreds of people show up. The ice skating rink is only open in the month of December and on New Year’s day so make sure that you come before it closes. This is a great place to bring the entire family and the downtown area during the holiday season is turned into a truly magical place! https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/events?store=1995691
General Information on Ice Skating
Competitive Ice Skating
Ice skating is a sport that requires grace, balance, and extreme focus. Although it is beautiful to watch, even small mistakes can mean the difference between whether or not a skater achieves success. Skating requires an incredible amount of discipline and a desire to work hard. Figure skaters compete in levels of contest starting from the beginner level to Olympic, and competitions divided into subcategories as local, national, and international. It is important to note the difference between professional ice skating and competitive ice skating. Although both require a high level of skill and typically the same amount of hard work and effort, there is a distinction between the two when considering skating as a career.
Professional Figure Skating
The regimen of a professional figure skater is an arduous one. In order to master the wide array of jumps necessary in order to perform such as the toe loop, salchow, loop, flip, lutz, and axel requires a lot of practice in order to get right. Being able to perform these tricks in a competition setting in front of judges and often a large crowd means endless repetition to be able to accomplish under pressure. Most professional figure skaters practice every day of the week in order to maintain their level of excellence. A solid work ethic is crucial to pursue figure skating at any level.
When asked in an interview about her day to day routine in preparation for the Sochi Olympic Games, professional figure skater Meagan Duhamel explained that she began each day in the rink at 7:30 every morning. She then proceeds to practice for three hours. In addition to the time she puts in on the ice, she also has regular sessions with a choreographer to perfect her routine, as well as Pilates or stretching classes in order to improve her flexibility and movement. On the days she wasn’t doing these, Duhamel would have strength training. This is just one example of a professional figure skater’s particular program.
