Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Skating Around On A Large Oval

Over in Brewer Park here in Old Ottawa South, a minute's walk from my front door, I've noticed preparations underway to get the long outdoor skating oval ready for skaters, such as this fellow from last winter. Neighbourhood volunteers look after the ice, as is generally the case with any flooded ice surface in parks here (often used for outdoor hockey games across the land, because, well... we're Canadians, and that's what Canadians do, along with knowing how to make love in a canoe). What sets this skating oval apart is that it's the same regulation size as the skating ovals you'll see for long or short track speed skating in the Winter Olympics, a very rare thing for an outdoor skating surface. 


We're also waiting on the Rideau Canal to be ready for skating. There have been the footsteps of people on the surface, but it'll still be a few days at least. We certainly do have the cold temperatures for it, of course.

Mind you, I've never learned how to skate, so it's kind of a moot point.

48 comments:

  1. I,m spoiled and like to skate on artificial ice. I skated on the Olympic Oval in Calgary a few times that was treat.

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  2. You never skated? We did as kids but I don't know that I would fair very well now. Fall on my arse, I would.

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  3. So you didn't/don't play HOCKEY???????!!!



    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    <3

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    1. The grand Canadian myth! The young people play hockey, but many Ontarians play soccer! My kids were soccer kids. We don't really follow hockey, except for the big international games!

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  4. Oh boy am I jealous of your weather right now! This looks lovely. Skating always looks so fun theory but any time I've tried (in our indoor skating rinks - much less pretty than your outdoor ovals) I've spent most of my time falling on my butt.

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  5. Today we celebrate a festival in Spain the Three Kings, I think you in Canada don´t have this festival. Here in Madrid we have no snow, it is difficult to skate without it. To skate we must to go to the mountain.

    Tomás.

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  6. It's never too late to learn to skate. I was over 30 when I started and played hockey in our women's league here for many years until health issues forced me to quit a few years ago. Love that oval track. They did that here for a while, but now it's just hockey rinks outdoors.

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  7. You never skated in such a winterly country? Amazing.

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  8. Would this be a place where would-be Olympians do some training. Fun track. You could get up a head of speed here!

    You're gonna need to explain that "making love in a canoe" bit and why that's a Canadian thing! :)

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  9. what???? you don't know how to skate?!! it's really pretty easy, slap some skates on those feet and go!

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  10. i don't know how to skate. would enjoy learning. i could never ski either. i had a friend try to teach me ... & i would always end up on my butt. ha. ha! same thing with roller skating. no fun. i guess i need to stay on my bike. ( :

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  11. It appears you've shocked your readers with your revelation about skating (and canoeing).

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  12. These temperatures should move the canal along! But the fluctuations are so bad.

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  13. Hubby gave up Catholicism for Lent 40 years ago! We have the same fears!!!!

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  14. Wow! That looks great! I finally took some skating lessons when I was 40 something, and loved it. Skating became one of my favourite sports, and I worked at the U where you could skate every lunch!

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  15. Did you happen to catch the Winter Classic?

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  16. Can't skate,can't ski...but I'm sure that canoe question was on our citizenship exam!
    Jane x

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  17. You should try skating with that oval so close to you! I used to skate all my life until about 12 years ago. My feet hurt so much that I went back inside never to don my skates again. Too many aches and pains to try again now. LOL It sure is cold here with a windchill of -30!

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  18. @Red: that would be a treat!

    @Whisk: when I was a child and we had skates at school for the odd school trip to a rink, the first time I fell on my butt and thought, "that's it, no more."

    @Cloudia: nope!

    @Aimee: the snow's set in quite nicely here now, under a layer of ice, for good measure.

    @Tomas: no, I've never heard of that festival.

    @Elaine: this oval tends to be unique. Mostly these outdoor places are for hockey rinks, though there are the odd smaller ice skating surfaces in parks too. Mostly skating ovals are inside affairs.

    @Marianne: that doesn't stop me from walking the surface of the ice when the Canal opens up, of course.

    @Lowell: they would tend to train in interior skating ovals. And we can't explain the Canoe method. That's a strictly inside knowledge sort of thing!

    @Tanya: I see I've stunned my readers!

    @Beth: I do enjoy cross country skiing.

    @Sharon: yes, I knew I'd get some comments!

    @Jennifer: hopefully we don't get anymore fluctuations now.

    @Gnome: there's also an arena in this park where skating's available all year.

    @Birdman: I didn't, but I do like the idea of that game.

    @Jane and Chris: I must also admit that I never go into Tim Hortons.

    @Pam: we have had much the same level of cold here.

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  19. i like your confession. :) i've never ice skated either. roller skating was enough of a challenge. :)

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  20. I can't skate either, but I would like to try sometimes...

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  21. You never learned to skate and you haven't been exiled from Canada?

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  22. The best thing about ice skating is the hot chocolate when you are done.

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  23. Knowing how to skate is not so important as knowing when to take interesting photos (as you do), at least that's what I think. ;)) The skaters ought to be out soon!

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  24. I have always thought it so cool to be able to skate on frozen lakes. My ankles were always too weak for skating but I sure love watching people skate.

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  25. @Tex: I hadn't quite thought of it as a confession, but I guess it's a fitting description!

    @VP: I get enough enjoyment watching others do so.

    @Norma: not yet, but some of my remarks about the Dark Lord of the Sith in the Prime Minister's Office might get me there!

    @Kreig: on the Canal it has to be thirty centimetres thick before they let people on.

    @Judy: oh, yes!

    @EG: they should be!

    @Denise: frozen lakes tends to be a common thing north of the border in winter, as long as you can trust the ice.

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  26. the Dutch would love the ice you have in Canada! But I can't skate either..

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  27. So you are a real Canadian, right? :-)

    Not that you'd want to learn now, how's the leg?

    If you ever get the chance to take pics of canoes, please include... lol, sorry couldn't resist that. Now I shall have a reputation...

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  28. Now ice skating might be one thing I wish we had down here! The only time I ever did it was in a rink!

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  29. Coming from a big city, to a small island, something I miss indoor and outdoor ice skating. I don't miss the bruises or cold wet jeans though.

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  30. You love winter and you can't skate! I'm shocked! ;-)

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  31. I would love to be able to watch the outdoor skaters! I haven't ice skated in years, so I would be afraid to try it now.

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  32. I once was good at roller skating, but there was nowhere to ice skate.

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  33. @Marleen: I know a number of Dutch people come over for the skating on the Canal.

    @Ciel: getting better. I'm off the meds now, and not limping. I'll have to keep an eye out for a canoe!

    @Cheryl: we have no shortage of rinks!

    @Jane: that can happen.

    @RedPat: yes, it's a shock!

    @Lois: there will be skaters yet to come in these pages through the winter!

    @Mari: not in your part of the continent!

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  34. I would like to skate here...

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  35. It's never too late to learn William :)

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  36. I'm a bit jealous seeing the ice and the skater. First of all because I have always loved skating on the Frisian lakes and canals, it's hard that I can't skate anymore nowadays.
    But I'm mainly jealous because of your winter weather. Overhere temperatures are still high, but this morning I could make a first shot of a very thin layer of ice. It won't last for long, in the coming days we'll heve stormy weather with temperatures of about 12 degrees C. ... :-(

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  37. You definitely don't need a tent to ice skete out there! :-)

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  38. This wintry weather should please you, but if Canadians skate/play hockey and you don't skate, does this mean you're not Canadian?? ;-)

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  39. Odd to see a skate oval instead of a hockey rink. I always wondered where speed skaters learned their craft.

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  40. It is high time to learn how to skate. It is fun.
    But, however, my last skating is for 20 years...

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  41. Making love in a canoe? That could be a dicey venture...

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  42. I can roller skate and skateboard. That's it!

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  43. @Randy: for those who skate, yes!

    @Karl: this is a big oval.

    @Grace: I imagine I never will learn.

    @Jan: a lot of Dutch people come to skate on our canal.

    @Jose: no, the weather is cold enough to skate outdoors.

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  44. @Kay: I'm pretty sure my love of winter compensates for the lack of skating.

    @Jack: some places have interior speed skating ovals for that sort of training.

    @Orvokki: I imagine I'll never learn.

    @Pat: it takes a bit of planning things out. :)

    @Shelly: I can't!

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