Though the recent warm spell may make winter seem a little less fierce, there's still plenty of fun to be had during the season. Winter offers a chance to enjoy the cold with a pair of blades and some spare time to ice skate.
Tim Gates, a grad student who laced up a pair of ice skates this past weekend said, \It's a fun winter activity, something out of the ordinary to do on a Saturday afternoon.""
Though Gates only goes skating once a year, he said he looks forward to it when can make it to the Shell.
Next to Camp Randall, the Shell offers skating six days a week and accommodates most students' schedules. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday from noon to 1:10 p.m., the rink is open to students, with additional hours from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Those times tend to be more accommodating since few students make it during mid-day hours.
Thursday nights bring out bigger crowds and frequently the rink is filled. From 11:15 p.m. to 12:45 a.m. most skates are rented out and the ice is swarming with people.
Bailey Wundrow, a student supervisor and Zamboni driver at the Shell, said, ""I used to work that shift, but not anymore,"" she said. ""It's pretty entertaining.""
Though Wundrow drives the Zamboni between recreational skating and the leagues that use the rink, she doesn't get on the ice much herself, preferring to stick to the ice machine.
For people who are trying out the ice for the first time, Saturdays from 1:45 to 3 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. offer more space for the first time. For Zylkia Martin, a graduate student from Puerto Rico, that's a relief. She strapped on skates for the first time Saturday and decided what she needed to do.
""My goal is to go around the rink once while holding the wall, or maybe be able to stand without holding the wall,"" she said.
Martin managed to make it through the afternoon without too many bumps and bruises and did step away from the wall from time to time. Though shaky on her feet, she was glad to use the Shell.
""It's pretty good the university has these facilities,"" she said.
The facilities at the Shell are certainly student-friendly, requiring only two dollars to use rink (with student ID) and another two dollars to rent skates. The availability of skating brings in a lot of beginners but also has its share of veterans of the rink.
Marta Alvira-Hammond, a junior, is a skate guard at the Shell and has competed as an ice skater internationally. She first skated at the age of four and eventually joined with the Ann Arbor Hawkettes.
Marta patrols the ice, helping novice skaters gain their footing and showing what's possible with a little practice. She skated with speed and grace, often pulling off tight turns that drew impressed looks from most of the other skaters.
While the beginners were in awe of her abilities and clung to the edges, Marta said skating seemed natural to her.
""It came really easily to me and I really like it,"" she said.
Dave Supple, associate lecturer in kinesiology, sees all sorts of embarrassed beginners as he teaches ice skating at UW. Though he enjoys watching novices in the Shell, he tells his students to go elsewhere.
""I always try to encourage students to skate outside at the Madison parks because that's a really fun opportunity, especially for people who aren't from Wisconsin,"" he said.
While the Shell is certainly convenient, the City of Madison offers plenty of other places, like Warner Park, 2930 Sherman Ave., and like Elver Park, 1236 McKenna Blvd.
This year has been particularly generous to ice skaters all around town. Fritz Kroncke, recreational services supervisor for the parks division for the city, said the weather has been on the skaters' side.
""We did open earlier this year than we normally do,"" he said. ""We actually started business at our skating shelters Dec. 24. Even though it was a really warm fall, all of the sudden we got really cold temperatures around the 10th or 15th of December. ""
Though December was desirable, January presented more challenges. Rain in the middle of the month certainly didn't help things.
""We got some sloppy, wet conditions and we lost some business in that many people didn't want to skate but we kept our facilities operating,"" Kroncke said.
With temperatures hitting the upper 30s and higher consistently in the past week, some people may be cautious about venturing onto some rinks. Kroncke said he keeps safety in mind at all times.
""We will try to keep the rinks open as long as it doesn't become a hazard and barricade off the areas that become unsafe or hazardous,"" he said.
Only one park has had a skating area that was unusable. A broken water main has closed the hockey rink at Vilas Park, 1339 Vilas Park Dr., and made many people go elsewhere.
Goodman Park, (formerly Franklin Field), 1402 Wingra Creek Way, has been busier by as it picked up former patrons of Vilas Park. Goodman Park has traditionally had some of the best ice in town.
Another park close to a lot of students is 44 acres of grass and lagoons that becomes ground zero for the outdoor skating crowd. Tenney Park, 1440 E. Johnson St., brings in the biggest crowd of any place in town.
""Tenney Park is absolutely the busiest park-the busiest by far,"" Kroncke said.
Wedged between Marston Avenue and the Yahara River, Tenney offers substantial skating areas, with plenty of bridges to duck beneath and corners for games of pick-up hockey.
Though this winter may winter may seem unseasonably warm, the middle of February marks the finale of the skating season. Bill Schott, the west side maintenance supervisor said the elements will quickly finish off the season.
""We'll probably have the rinks go until Feb. 15, when the sun gets in the sky at a certain angle and it doesn't matter how cold it is, the sun just eats away at the north side of the rinks,"" he said.
Even with the last days just ahead, Schott is pretty pleased with this winter's skating offerings.
""It's been better this year than the last three or four years,"" he said.
