From: jkaplenk@lucpul.it.luc.edu (Joe Kaplenk)
Subject: Re: Music at Public Skating Sessions
Organization: Loyola University Chicago
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 21:16:55 GMT

In <1993Jan6.005246.36113@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> fc03@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Frederick W. Chapman) writes:

>A Bipartisan Question -- for Ice AND Roller Skaters...  :-)

>Due to inceased demands of job and school, I find that I no longer
>have time to skate during figure skating sessions during the week, and
>instead skate during public skating sessions on the weekends (which
>aren't so bad).  I notice that my ice rink doesn't play any particular
>music during public sessions -- just whatever is on the average rock
>radio station.  In contrast, the few times I have gone public skating
>at a couple of roller rinks in my area, the roller rinks played dance
>party music, which (if you like to dance -- and I do), seems much more
>conducive to skating.

>certain kinds of music, etc.  I think that my rink is missing the boat
>by not making a modest effort to choose decent music for public
>skaters (and I will probably make a suggestion to the owner).

I am an ice skater that has recently added roller skating to my 
actvities and also worked as an ice guard. I've noticed the same thing 
about lousy public skating music on ice. As a guard we weren't setup
or allowed to play anything but the radio station music. We would
have had to bring out a tape deck to the announcers booth to play
tapes and then would have had to fight people for which music to play 
and would have to continually chase away the rink rats from the 
booth.

The other staff at the rink just couldn't handle playing the music. They
were too busy with other things. It was just easier and policy
to play the station music. I suppose that if there were enough
complaints they might consider other alternatives, but usually
it was just to change the station.

Roller rinks tend to have as lot more fun music. They also can change
around format easily. They can go from couples, to backwards skating
to other formats very easily. This is because they can clear the 
floor very quickly. At ice rinks there is typically only one 
exit and entrance open at a time for people to get on and off the ice. As a
result there would be a big pileup at the exit if there was a 
change from all-skate to couples only, as there might be in 
roller skating. 

As a guard we would change directions half way 
through the session and this would cause confusion enough.
As I see it, the reason for limited exits is because of the difference in
architectural design and user needs on an ice rink compared to a roller rink. 
On ice tall barriers and limited access are necessary for hockey games and ice
skating competitions. It also requires high and extensive seating thus 
making easy exit more difficult.

If  I were ever to become involved in designing  an ice rink I 
would like to bring some of these ideas to ice. I think it
could liven things up. In a dual rink setup it would not be
necessary to have high barriers and large seating on 2 rinks, this
would make it easy to clear the ice in a format change during public
skating. 

Anyone got a few million to spare?

I did hear of an ice rink in Minneapolis that has live organ music. I
think it is the one on campus at U of Minn. 


-- 
Joe Kaplenk,
jkaplenk@lucpul.it.luc.edu
312-764-1212 home, fax at home 312-465-0406
Newsgroups: rec.skate