Los Angeles kids can skate to Olympic-sized dreams at local ice rinks
Los Angeles kids can skate to Olympic-sized dreams at local ice rinks
Salchow, lutz, axle and toe loop don’t have to be words firmly entrenched in your vocabulary for you to be inflicted with Olympic fever these past few weeks. One look at the glittery outfits of the ice dance and figure skaters, and my 3 ½ year old has declared her first—of many I’m sure—grown-up professional aspiration. Even without children announcing their fondness for the Olympic ice skating sports, we bet that more than a few parents are also dreamily off in the gold-medal futures of their kids. We talked to some local Ice Skating Rinks to see if Olympic fever has been warming their venues (and pocketbooks) and got the deets on how you can take your kids (and yourselves) for a whirl on the ice.
Iceland
The oldest ice skating rink in the Valley, Iceland boasts a history of old-school Olympic-sized patrons, including Brian Boitano, Christopher Bowman and Sonja Henie. And according to community relations manager Martha Avtandilian, this very skating rink is where legendary Linda Fratianne mastered her triple toe loop and double axle. For those who don’t know, Fratianne was the first woman figure skater to land two triple jumps in a competition. (MORE)
Pickwick Ice
Pickwick Ice in Burbank is no new comer to L.A. as it will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. The National Hockey League-sized rink (just a tad narrower than Olympic size) has been serving the community well, including United States Olympian Mirai Nagasu, who assistant manager Sean Bachand says had been practicing at Pickwick Ice for four years until her move last October to Toyota Sports Center with her new coach Frank Carroll. (MORE)
Culver Ice Rink
Olympic-sized Culver Ice Rink in Culver City didn’t name drop any past or present Olympians, but they have been busting at the seams nonetheless this Olympic season. “All of our classes are at capacity,” says Shannon Takahashi, Skating School and Youth Hockey Coordinator. Fifty-five classes that normally enroll 400 students are currently teaching twice as many ice skating fans. Public skating sessions on the weekends are equally twice as busy. (MORE)







Olympic-sized Culver Ice Rink in Culver City didn’t name drop any past or present Olympians, but they have been busting at the seams nonetheless this Olympic season. “All of our classes are at capacity,” says Shannon Takahashi, Skating School and Youth Hockey Coordinator. Fifty-five classes that normally enroll 400 students are currently teaching twice as many ice skating fans. Public skating sessions on the weekends are equally twice as busy.
The oldest ice skating rink in the Valley, Iceland boasts a history of old-school Olympic-sized patrons, including Brian Boitano, Christopher Bowman and Sonja Henie. And according to community relations manager Martha Avtandilian, this very skating rink is where legendary Linda Fratianne mastered her triple toe loop and double axle. For those who don’t know, Fratianne was the first woman figure skater to land two triple jumps in a competition.
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