My 5 star review is based on my experience with the Saturday 10am(drop-in group lesson) & 11am-1pm practice session.
A Parking lot surrounds the facility &
their website was informative which pretty much explained everything. Check the FAQ section so you're sure you aren't surprised by rates, skates & dates! BARS!! Lol
The young lady "Taz" at the door was a doll! She was super pleasant to all that entered, provided quarters necessary for the lockers if needed, and wished everyone to enjoy themselves. Very welcoming attitude.
The young man at the skate rental was also pleasant. Even tho I only had 1 question, he guided me in the right direction with a warm smile.
The rink was clean (tho I didn't venture the concession area, the ladies room or anywhere else; too excited!) they provide wrist guards & lockers (I only put a reusable shopping bag with my sneakers inside the locker unlocked & wasn't concerned with theft as the atmosphere didn't have that vibe. I carry a fanny pack & brought my own quad skates/safety gear)
The rink was divided into 3 groups for the lesson; Mendell was the instructor for us BEGINNERS (I apologize if the name is incorrect but it's something like that, lol)
1-SUPER beginner/just free skating
2-BEGINNERS (Me!)- basic techniques
3-ADVANCED (Not Me!) Fancy footwork techniques etc.
He was patient though he does it like he was born with skates on his feet and tried to fit just enough in to get you started. I need more practice because a few times he sounding like "Charlie Browns teacher, y'know "qua qua, qua qua qua lol! However, he did assist in my "help me!" a few times once we were in the skating practice time slot. He also attended to others so I couldn't expect a 1 on 1 for an extended period. SUPER encouraging and sure of himself. You're learning with one of best type of panache.
The young man referee with a whistle, a black & white stripe Footlocker-ish uniform was easy to spot & super busy helping the fallen patrons stabilize to keep fluidity & the floor clear of pileups.
The DJ can clearly be heard instructing patrons of the skating floor rules, maintaining safety if there were violations which happened just a few times. (Wrong direction, no stopping on the wall etc)
The music was touch of older & newer jams but very family friendly. Some classics had me move better than I actually am which resulted in my 1st FALL!! Ha! I found the volume level was fine. The lights/decor were fine also.
The other patrons were extremely nice! Skilled & beginner, younger & older, a few really fast & fancy but a lot more slower & less intimidating. I even asked for help from a couple of the seasoned skaters and they were happy to help me! I also conversed with many of them and they were all non judgmental.
As time went on, more grown-ups & more children with skate mates, (most falling like they broke something!!) occupied the floor so you DEFINITELY had to watch for them. They made me be more attentive to my surrounding which helped me a lot with learning my backwards skating!!!
Clearing the floor was swift, to ready for the next time slot. "You ain't gotta go home, but you gotta get outta here!" type of structure.
In conclusion, I FELL 3x, I got right back up and continued in having fun making progress. I felt safe, and really enjoyed myself. I will most certainly return. read more