So my skating club sent out a notice with rules about wearing a vest and signing up in order to get your music played.
This is a delightful change of pace from all the rinks around here. Sometime last year vests disappeared from all the rinks I skate at, even the ones that had enforced their use. As I've said before, being a visitor to a freestyle requires both
psychic powers and the observational skills of Sherlock Holmes.
When I visit a rink, I like to see this.
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| "I'm ready for my music, Coach!" |
So, after the big announcement about vest wear, I showed up for freestyle at my rink. And yes, you know what happened.
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| Find the one in program |
Our poor club president. She's fighting an uphill battle on the vest thing.
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| There, there. Sympathy shoulder hug. |
On the good side, between the club president and our lovely skating director, on ice etiquette is so well enforced I've never seen an accident.
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| We watch out for other skaters |
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| We know the rules for right of way |
We're polite too. No matter what happens.
What a great idea, that vest. Our rink does nothing like that. But then again, freestyles are usually not terribly crowded. At least the morning ones. AND our right of way is a little different. If you're in a lesson, you trump skaters skating to their music but not in a lesson. I guess we figure the ones paying for a lesson deserve right of way over those not.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, not all the little skaters are aware of right of way. Some of them are rude little buggers.
We had vests; a club member purchased it with her own money. One by one, the vests disappeared. One skater found out the colors of the vests and actually wore sweaters in those colors so everyone would assume she was on program and get out of her way.
ReplyDeleteWhen I monitored/skated, I would try to enforce the vest wearing. One skater protested and the coach said she didn't have to wear it. Unfortunately, I was still standing there. I told the coach that if the skater got hurt or someone got in her way, the music would not be played again. When she protested, I reminded her that she and her student were guests on the session and that could be canceled at any time. Skated away with a smile.
First time I ever did the vest thing was in Oberstdorf, didn't seem to make that much of a difference, certain people always seem to be oblivious. Since I train with pretty much the same people throughout the year we all know each other's music and choreography enough to keep skating yet stay out of their way.
ReplyDelete