Had a great time during the Saturday open skate session from 10:30-11:30. The staff was friendly, wasn't too busy and they had skates for myself / toddler. After the open skate, we hung out in the upper level and watched the next group take the rink. read more

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Are you a dare devil? I tend not to be. In life, I tend to take the safe route...the tried and true path. However, as I get older and wiser, I tend to branch out in my date Devil adventures...ever so slightly. On my bucket list for a date devil adventure is jumping from a plane. I'm not there yet for parachuting out of a plane. Today, was the big day for what I consider a dare devil adventure.... Ice skating. In my head I repeated this mantra.... Let's go, let's go, let's go!!! You got this. So, sheepishly I walk up to the counter and ask how much the entry fee was...$20 including skates... not cheap but not crazy expensive either. Ok. You can do this. I ask if I sit outside before I go on the ice. No problem the skate representative said. The fee included skating to 1 pm today. I had plenty of time to muster up my courage. Then my mind started to swirl and then spin...fast and faster! Next, I was in a full on Exorcist head turning moment. Girlie, you no spring chicken any more. You are not twenty years old. Why is it so cold in here? Why does it feel like ice is flowing through my veins? Remember when you broke your little toe in two places...exercising.... Ugly boot for three months...no heels for 1.5 years. Run Delores run!!! Your birthday is next month. Do you want to flat heels for your birthday. Nooooooooooooo!!! I jumped up and bolted out of Chaparral Ice like I was being chased my hungry pack of wolves. I applaud myself for trying to be adventurous today. However, I'm not quite there yet. Maybe after my birthday.... read more

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We bring our kiddo here to skate every once in a while. Make sure to check online for public skating times because they have a lot of private classes during the day and hockey later on. It's never too crowded on the rink. They sell soda, Gatorade and a few vending machine but the bonus for adults is the fact they sell beer. Disclaimer...:it's cold inside duh, it's an ice skating rink so make sure you dress accordingly! read more

Took my daughter Ice skating there a few years ago, and the Ice was cleaned constantly, had decent smooth Ice and the skates where not the best but certainly better than the long center. read more

Time to ice skate! Not a bad place to go skip, fall, pretend you did it on purpose, then make awkward attempts trying to get back up read more

Owner/manager Mark denied my refund. I initially purchased 2 admissions with old looking shoe rental, but my son said he can go on his own so I decided not to continue since I don't know ice skating at all and not a fan of ice in general. My friend with her child was able to watch kids on ice. I went to ask for a refund at the front desk and was told I have to speak with manager or sent an email to support. It has been 5 days and I am still waiting for refund and their decision. I am a mom on a budget, maybe I would just let it go at different times, but now I can't. I would not recommend any of my friends to go to this pathetic place. Crossover is a better choice for sure! Old amenities too. And look at their indeed ranking. Staff complained about the same issues: combative management and toxic environment. read more

Chaparral Ice - Skating Rinks Near Me - Austin, Texas

We decided to try and skate at Chaparral Ice because many of our friends do. My husband has brought my oldest here probably 3-5 times over the last decade but I personally have not visited. I've heard how busy they could be but I was still amazed when I got there. Anyway, I registered my daughter to skate on 12/27 14:15-17:15 and we arrived at 15:30. Check in was a breeze as I actually had everything in place and my daughter had her own skates. Admission was $14 after tax that was paid online and rental would have been $6 if we needed it. $20 for 3 hours of ice skating seems like a good deal and quite average. The staff was apparently under high pressure because there were so many patrons but they kept their cool the entire time, even managed to greet us with big smiles. They also kindly lend me the micro fleece towel to wipe our skates, thank you! The rink itself was packed and a little dangerous for little kids. My daughter was hit by a reckless kid pushing the red walker thingy, she flew and hit the ground and it was quite scary. Perhaps some guidance on ice would have been nice. Highly suggest younger ones to wear a helmet when skating here! read more

This is the only full time ice skating rink I know about in the Austin, TX area and it seems to be quite popular! The big negatives about this spot is that it seems they are so popular it often seems to get so crowded here you have challenges getting in here to actually ice skate. Every time I've visited here it seems to be very busy so I'm not sure if there are slower times to visit here or not. Overall there should be plenty of ice skating fun to be had here it just would be nice if you could more easily just show up and get started. read more

Glad there is an option so close to me! I like the adult public skate time. It provides ice time at a level that isn't quite as serious, intimidating and expensive as freestyle while still providing a space without having to dodge kids on ice walkers or crazy kids who only go fast and can't control themselves. I wish summer camp wasn't so invasive to the overall experience. I was so thankful when fall came. I love having this cold weather sport down here in Texas! read more

I have brought my son here twice now. Once in Dec 2022 and Dec 2023. A year apart. It's an older place and inside an old mall. Make a reservation online if you can. I like that you can rent out the support rail for 30 minutes at a time. It makes it so everyone can get a chance to have one. It does get crowded during holiday times. They have lockers on the outside you can use to store your items. But take note, they only accept quarters, and once you open it, you need to keep adding quarters. So either bring multiple quarters or put what you want in your pocket. For me, just in case, I added my car keys, cc, and ID to my pocket and left my purse and everything else in there bc I don't have enough to use it once. You can bring your own skates or rent them from there. When we went in Dec 2023, they had a class going on and used one end of the rink for them. Which was fine, but for ppl who wanted to hug the wall and use it for support couldn't, and that was rather crappy. They didn't have a class happening in Dec 2022 when we went. My son LOVE this place. Once he got the hang of using the support, he was all go, go, go. Some ppl there are pros and go really fast and zip by you. Which can cause a crash as the slower ppl get in their "way," and I've seen ppl fall and get hurt by this. I think they should limit the amount of ppl on the ice. It gets really crowded and complex to move around at times. All in all, it's a fun place, and my son wants to keep going back. read more

Chaparral Ice - Skating Rinks Near Me - Austin, Texas

The skating rink itself was nice and the experience was also great. However the cost of this location was higher than what it charges at Cedar Park. Nevertheless it was not a horrible experience overall and I'm glad that I went. read more

Chaparral Ice - Skating Rinks Near Me - Austin, Texas

Their mission statement reads, 'to promote ice skating by offering a fun, safe and service-oriented destination for skaters of all levels'. I am beyond disappointed with Chaparral Ice Northcross in Austin. I skated here a little over a month ago and can't imagine returning anytime soon. Their online registration for public skating is uncomfortably invasive and the condition of their ice is UNBELIEVABLY poor. (Note: their website states they're on track to redo their ice by this summer). First, it's invasive the amount of personal information they require for customers to public skate. Their waiver of liability is also unsettling once you consider how bad their ice rink is. To public skate, you need to register online for an account. There are no paper options. You can register by signing in with Facebook, or, by providing your full name, full mailing address, birthday, phone number, phone carrier and emergency contact. I asked the timid employee at the skate rental desk if they had alternative ways to register. He suggested I use their kiosk. The kiosk was a hidden little stand by the side of their desk. It required nothing more to register than a full name, birthday, phone number and email. The online registration should have been just as easy as their kiosk. I don't want junk emails, junk texts and junk mail. Next, you need to sign their waiver of liability. All ice rinks have one, whether visible for customers on a wristband, paper, or online like Chaparral Ice. Their waiver was uniquely long and very specific about injuries. Has someone had a serious injury here recently? With ice this bad, and encouraging skaters of ALL levels to come here, a child, anyone, could have a critical injury on Chaparral's dilapidated ice rink, but at least someone signed their detailed waiver. If you've made it this far and can finally public skate, you'll encounter a plethora of dangers for ALL levels of ice skaters. A picture says a thousand words. There were deep rooted scrapes, bumps, ridges and minor to significant holes. The photos only scratch the surface, there were much more not pictured. Chaparral Ice should require offroading skates, instead of requiring info like which phone carrier I use. I almost fell on someone in front of me, who fell from his skate getting caught in the ice pothole pictured. They don't want phones on the ice rink for safety, but nowhere was I informed of the unsafe conditions of their ice. Skaters of ALL levels should be aware of Chaparral's ice rink conditions. It was in awful condition even after it was cleaned from the hockey session and just kept getting worse and worse from the public skating session. While the waiver of liability also serves to inform you of the hazard of ice skating in general, I have never seen an ice rink in conditions such as this. This family-owned ice rink almost had me question my growing passion for ice skating. I've never seen an ice rink be cleaned, and still be in poor condition. I didn't mention earlier, but there were alot of figure skaters going fast and doing tricks all over the place, not just in the middle like their rules state. I cannot accurately portray how disappointed, discouraged, and unsatisfied I was after skating here. read more

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I had family in town over the holiday, and our group split up and the girls all went ice skating. My wife told me that a manager followed my teen girl and grabbed her arm asking if she paid, which they did and her band wasn't visible. Later we found out it was the owner named Richard. What a creep! He should be glad I wasn't there with them. read more

Some friends up north are getting into figure skating and taking lessons, and of course FOMO hit hard and I wanted to join them. Went and did a rental skate session just to see how it felt since I hadn't skated since before 1998 when my family moved us all here from Canada. 1, Off the bat, $12 per session is robbery. Anyone who wants to get some serious practice in will be out $150-200/mo easy. My friends pay $3 for theirs. I understand that this is TX and we are not a winter sports center but Jesus this still feels excessive. 2, The guy who helped me get my skates was great; knowledgeable and skilled. Didn't just try to sell stuff to me, he explained what each kind of boot and brand offered and what skill level each would be good for. 3, The rink itself seems to be okay but the rental skates + public skate = rough time. I was cramping for days after cuz I spent my entire time trying to keep my toepicks from catching the deep pockets in the ice. 4, Regular staff around the rink seems to be a mixed bag. When I got my rentals, the guy who helped me was great. The next time I went there for something, I just got a snotty look from one of the younger girls and ended up just leaving cuz she wasn't going to help me anyway. 5, Can't sign up for classes of even see a schedule. No one answering emails. 6, $600 in new skates and gear, all for nothing. read more

Do not sign up for their classes. Their tactics are complete bait and switch! They will tell you what you want to hear upfront, and then change the rules after. We signed up for a learn to skate session series and were told upfront we didn't have to wear helmets, then after registering and leaving we get sent an email about needing helmets. We came back and confirmed again we didn't need to bring any helmets and were told specifically that the rule is ignored and don't worry about it. Even the first 2 sessions the coaches tell us that it's our choice and can continue. Then 3 sessions in we get yelled at by the arrogant and rude skating director, before she storms off. We had no ability to get a refund for the rest of the classes as she just flat out ignored us and stormed off. Take your business elsewhere! Crossover in cedar park is wayyy nicer and much more polite to customers. read more

We brought our children to Chaparral Ice to skate over the holidays for the first time and our daughter loved it so much that she decided to have her birthday party there last Friday, 3/1. The experience planning the party with Mindy at Chaparral Ice was fantastic! Start to finish she was an absolute ROCK STAR! Every detail was covered in planning and the day of the party she and the rest of the staff went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly. They laced up skates, provided a skating lesson for the party participants, helped set-up, and collected shoes and gifts. It was pricy, and there's a HUGE up-charge on the pizza and other food items that they provide, but I recognize that's how the cafe makes it's money. If we did it again we might pay the $50.00 fee to bring in our own food, but short of that I wouldn't change a thing. read more

It was really cool (get it?) and a good price for the experience. I had a fun time with my friend!

Oh, Chaparral Ice. We have such a love-hate relationship. THE GOOD THINGS: - Ice rink is open all year long. - Entry for unlimited skating is $6, which is not terrible. - It's in a fairly nice strip mall. Northcross used to be a VERY thriving mall, but was shut down in the early/mid 00's. A Walmart was installed next door and lots of small shops moved in, which helped reinvigorate the area. If you want to stop for a bite to eat after skating it out, there are several options around. - Free skating classes every week for anyone 6 years of age or older! There's also a free hocky class as well. - Large selection of skating classes ranging from child to adult, for the recreational skater or the pre-professional skater. Relatively cheap prices (group classes are $130 for an 8-class session, or roughly $16 for a 1-hour class). THE BAD THINGS: - Good luck trying to actually skate on the weekends. HUGE crowds. Usually there are group lessons going on, some private lessons, and lots of newcomers (couples on a date, family introducing a child to the ice, groups of friends trying something new). For an amateur like me who has taken about 6 months of group lessons and now just wants to practice some crossovers and three-turns, this is disaster. There is no free space anywhere. It is hard even to just skate around the perimeter without nearly crashing into someone (usually a child who is stumbling along or a group of giggly teenage girls clinging to each other for dear life). - If you're renting skates, good luck finding a pair that isn't horrible. The blades usually need sharpening, but even worse is the fact that the leather on most of them has been stretched out by years and years of use, so no matter how tightly you laces them up, they will still bunch up near your ankles and not provide adequate structure.... which leads to poor stability when trying to skate, which often leads to skating on your edges when you shouldn't be.... which leads to falling down. - The ice is bad :( It is so easily nicked, especially with the large crowds, and while the zamboni helps, it just gets damaged again. I'm not sure why - might have something to do with the depth of the ice? The temperature? I'm not a skater so I have no idea. So there you have it. We're stuck with Chaparral Ice because they are the only rink in Austin. There are lots of cons but it's better than nothing, and I'm grateful that in swelteringly hot Texas, I can still enjoy the coolness of the ice. read more

Chaparal Ice is just OK for me. The people are totally friendly here, and while they are not totally broken, but they do need to make a couple of improvements, namely; 1.) LACK OF SPACE for changing, etc. 2.) eliminate the waiting in line to check in. Here check in is manual, and person needs to HAND WRITE a sticker that is then put on your kid. On no. 1, they need to figure out how to keep people from putting their 'stuff' right in font of the communal benches. The definition of communal benches is defied here because most people who come here apparently believe that "Hey, if I put ALL MY KID's SKATING SCHWAG RIGHT HERE.....then NO ONE ELSE CAN USE IT!" For those of us who play by the rules of common decency, I find this to be a big nuasance. On no. 2, these people need catch up to the technology of AT LEAST the last 20 years and get a barcode on membership cards (to allow people to scan in) - and then auto-print a sticker that shows you paid for you or your kid. This operation may be profitiable, but they are certainly NOT going to win any awards for Customer Service/Experience! read more

Chaparral Ice - Skating lessons! - Skating Rinks Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Website doesn't work and not a single person picks up the phone. Horrible experience. Could not get help at all

Bought a new hockey stick here. Pro shop is knowledgeable and friendly. I'll be back.

This is a review for the Adult 1 Learn to Skate class. The pricing is reasonable. $131.25 per session (7 classes), and an extra $5 off if you register early online. This price includes 7 25-minute classes + 4 free admissions/skate rentals. After you use your free admissions, you can get $5 admission + skate rental, and it's buy one get one free so if you bring a friend, only $2.50 each! Now for the classes themselves... My favorite instructor is Karen! She's funny and really good at teaching. She gives good pointers. The classes for Adult 1 are way too big. I signed up for the Tuesday evening class, but I did a make-up class on a Wednesday and it was also big. And in an email the program director sent us, she said the Saturday class was the largest. Even though they have 1-3 instructors for the Adult 1 class, only one teacher talks so good luck if you're not standing right in front of her, because it's hard to hear. Since the class is so big, the teachers tend to focus on the student in the class is struggling big time, like can barely stand up on the ice, so it's pretty frustrating for the other students because they don't get help/attention/instruction. I did notice that the higher up leveled classes were a lot smaller though, so maybe they should split up the Adult 1 classes even more? They stick to a really strict 25-minute class schedule so if one student is holding the class up, it really wastes a lot of class time. Again, this is just what you get when you do group classes instead of private classes. Note: The classes got smaller as the sessions went on because it seemed like some people dropped out. Just like with any school, no matter how great, there will be good teachers and there will be bad teachers. So far we've had about 5 different teachers (they rotate). It's really annoying when the teachers give opposite advice! For example, I was having a lot of trouble with forward swizzles. One instructor told me to squeeze my inner thighs as hard as I could to try and bring my feet back together. Another instructor said, while demonstrating forward swizzles, that she was barely using her leg muscles! All of the advice they gave me did not help. They did not realize my actual problem, which was that I wasn't using the inside edge of my skates. I figured that out by watching several YouTube videos on forward swizzles. I feel like most instructors should be able to properly identify what your problem is, especially for what is considered an ice skating basic?? Some of the instructors are good at skating but not very good at teaching. They'll demonstrate a move that we're supposed to try, and then let us practice it. Then, they tell us we shouldn't be copying them because their version is more advanced. Let's use the forward swizzle example again. They do super wide ones that are more advanced, and don't tell us until way later to try really small ones first and then build up to bigger ones. The actual scheduling of the classes is not great either. You can't practice before or after the class because they immediately kick you off the ice for the next round of classes to start. It would probably be more helpful to be able to practice right after class is over. I know this was the case for Tuesday and Wednesday classes, but maybe not Saturday classes? These are probably all problems specific to the Adult 1 class. I think things will improve the higher the level you go. I just signed up for Adult 2 and I think it will be a better experience! read more

Chaparral Ice - They have WiFi! - Skating Rinks Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I recently went to Chaparral in Austin and was rather disappointed. . . . So very many reasons too! Where to begin? (one star for being available ice, one star because if all you want is to escape the outdoor heat and say you had been on the ice- here ya go!) The ice is in bad condition. The zamboni helped- but they would need to run it twice as often to maybe have 'good' ice due to the poor conditions. Sadly that wouldn't help the sad overall feeling. Honestly the whole place is kind of run down and sad. It's crammed into what seems like a small hole in the wall. The lighting is very poor and dim. I've been to much nicer ice rinks - but sadly this seems to be the only public skate in Austin. As such it seems to me the management may feel they can get away with ' whatever ' because - who would know the difference? (and where else can one go?) An example of this is that the skates our group rented seemed not to have well maintained blades. The girl at the counter seemed bewildered when a member of our group inquired about a replacement pair and stated that the blades needed sharpening. (The girl suggested the individual just needed to signnup for lessons, not that the pair of skates in question were nicked and lacked good edges) We are well aware that rental skates always pale in comparison to ones personal skates- and were not looking for much , just not teaspoons strapped to boots. (For reference the skater in question is a proficient experienced skater who non longer needs to retain personal equipment.) Also there are no employee's clearly on the ice monitoring the activities. The single file line through the only entrance, which was partially blocked off was inefficient and slow moving. When a member of our group needed to retrieve an item from a vehicle she had to wait in the long line again as the right side of the door was blocked off . (Had it been myself, i would have just rearranged the blockade and walked through as we had already paid and donned wrist bands but she was too polite for that.) The whole set up is poorly and inefficiently concocted. I realize that Austin is not a hotspot for figure skaters, or hockey players but frankly this rink is just sad- and if this is an Austinites only exposure to ice skating it is no wonder it lacks popularity in Austin (climate aside). I would hesitate in placing someone in lessons at this location- because unless the ice is significantly & miraculously different during private ice times, it is unlikely one would achieve optimal results. There's my raw .02 read more

Just as others have stated, they will NOT honor the $4 off coupon which is on Yelp. They claim that they cannot get Yelp to take the coupon off their site. Also, website says "Kids 5 and under skate FREE on our Monday-Friday afternoon public sessions with paid admission (excluding holidays and summer vacation months)." We went on a Friday (non-holiday) and they charged for my 5 year old. Shady pricing practices. read more

Had a great time with my girlfriend. It was just REALLY busy when we went and it was a little nerving to maneuver around all the little kids. Since it was busy though, there was free entertainment... HAHA I also went for a private party with my fraternity and a sorority. We place broomball and it was pretty fun. A good social place for sure. read more

This rink is on the end of a strip mall and can be hard to find if you have never been here. While I don't think the rink itself is temporary, it sure has that feel to it. The ice is thin and worn, which is unfortunate for anyone who takes classes here. Really it's all Austin has to offer, but I've seen and skated much nicer ice. There isn't a concession stand, which is kinda lame for the kids. I will say that it's nice to have figure skates as rentals instead of hockey skates. My daughter skates much better on those. There is a nice fire place in the middle, but the entire wait area is about 45 degrees, so dress warm if yo aren't skating. Since it's the only choice we get.. We will come back in a bind, but prefer the ice at north woods in San Antonio. read more

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The opposite of chic fil a customer service is what you'll find here! The lady at the front window made it seem like it was such an inconvenience that my daughter and I wanted to do the public ice skate. She was not very welcoming and seemed irritated that I didn't register online already even though I had made an account beforehand the website is just very confusing. To make it worse once we got in the lady who helped get our ice skates didn't say a word to us just stood there dull until we said our sizes. Even after saying thank you she said nothing back. I eventually realized I needed a bigger size so went back to ask for a 9. I said thank you and not a word so I purposely said it again and no eye contact not a word back. It's so sad when people have jobs and can't even fake being friendly for the sake of their shift. Even more so because we are all in masks and I can't even see a smile like at least say friendly things in response I can only imagine her facial expressions under her mask. My daughter still had fun but it was an awful experience dealing with the people who work there read more

I'm not quite sure why the rink has such low ratings. I went for the first time since I was little last weekend and this weekend. Being as its winter AND the winter Olympics are going on, I feel like it has been especially busy on the weekends. I'm socially anxious and I'm not too fond of children; even with 50 people on the ice at one time, a lot of them children, I still feel like it was worth the money to go. Tips: 1.Definitely get there early. Be one of the first in line, and the first on the ice. Its just not worth it to stand in the long line in general, and the ice becomes choppy after the first half hour. 2.Bring two quarters for a locker, and dress out quickly. Those are really the biggest cons of the rink: the line takes too long to move and there isn't enough space near the lockers. Otherwise? 1.Guys...y'all are giving Texans a bad name. I know we aren't used to the cold but c'mon. Duh, don't wear shorts to the rink unless you want to be cold...or scratch up your knees. But honestly, if you aren't working up a sweat on that ice then you aren't really skating. 2. Bring high socks. One its cold, two if you lace your boots properly you will need the coverage. 3. The rental skates are street size. I get the same size as my regular shoe. read more

For what it was, it was pretty good. I came here on a date with a guy who REALLY wanted to ice skate. We found this place and at the time they had a deal where if you checked in on Yelp, you could rent two pair of skates for the price of one. It was a good deal and the price to skate wasn't bad considering you had unlimited time. The rink was large and there was plenty of staff to assist. The bad side was the was very little room to sit if you were tired, and if you needed a locker you needed to have quarters on you. So bring quarters. This place also gets pretty crowded so the ice needs to be smoothed down more frequently than it is. It was fun though and if I lived up north like I used to I would go more often. Oh! And being a jacket! It gets cold! read more

The Best and only place in Austin to ice-skate! If you come on a work day, the public sessions are not crowded at all and some times we were lucky enough to have the ice for ourselves!!! The new owners have remodeled the rink and added lots of convenient features that make waiting for your child easier:) Highly recommend! read more

If you have young kids don't bother going here. If they don't already know how to skate don't bother. They have equipment that would help but won't let you use it. They'll quip back that you should take lessons after they've already taken your money. Oh and no refunds. I'd rather go roller skating at Skateland where they actually have customer service. If I could give less than one star I would. read more

I've been wanting to check this place out for years now. Being more south I kept putting off the trip; Austin traffic is the worst... Anyway... I finally made a trip up due to a coupon I had lol. I brought my son to go ice skating for his first time! Pros: - nice size rink (much bigger than the one at central market) - staff was on ice to ensure safety Cons: - a long line at the door - pretty crowded inside with little seating - tiny lockers (bring quarters) - vending machines need restocking Overall I wasn't impressed, I do have a couple suggestions though: - get bigger lockers - more seating areas please - for beginners, to keep them off the walls, you should give them a skating aid (made of PVC) read more

This one is located at Northcross Mall. It's a bit trickier to find because it's not in obvious view and you have to drive around to the back. Only one rink of standard size. and there were kids EVERYWHERE. ahhh i guess it's a given though. way too crowded. $10 for admission and rental. barely any room to sit and put skates on, barely any sitting space to rest during your visit. they were mainly folding chairs put out. plus the ice was FULL of large holes and was not smooth at all..even after resurfacing. Asian Invasion 2008: all my cousins and I dressed up as superheroes and villains. of course more stares and comments and whatnot. hahaha we usually get positive comments about our creativity or ability to go out in public and not feel humiliated. this time, we had rude people. specifically the girls who are "good" at skating and twirl around in the center of the rink. they would skate up to us and tell us how we're not real superheroes and how we're stupid. HELLO?? these are 15-22 year olds you're talking to who know how to relax and have a good laugh. you however probably spent a good deal of your life waking up at 3am to skate and the only way you can make yourself feel better is by putting people, who actually enjoy what they're doing, down GG. read more

As with every shared resource in a city, you have to be very opportunistic and time your visit so you get the best experience. Here are some user tips from a regular weekend user: 1. If you want to avoid the crowds, go on weekdays during the public sessions (this is not possible if you work office hours) or weekends earlier in the session. The public skating times are posted on their website (hours shift slightly so always check before going). The lines always seem to form on the weekends after lunch time. So go early. 2. Find out when the ice is cleaned (just ask the front desk). The Zamboni takes 15 minutes to clean the ice, so you can lace up as it is cleaning. Then, hit the ice the VERY moment it is cleaned, so that you won't have to suffer the dirty ice that people speak of. The ice gets dirty very fast as the kids love carving it up the moment it is cleaned. Within the first 10 minutes after it is cleaned, the ice is already very rough. 3. Especially in the summer it is not crowded and it is the perfect place to camp out when Austin is over 100F. In the winter it gets crowded as people start getting into a holiday winter mood. 4. Adult beginner lessons: the teacher is very supportive of adult beginners and you can practise as much as you like before or after lessons during the public skating sessions. There are enough beginners of all ages and levels (after all this is Texas not Canada) so you won't feel awkward. This is not a luxury place, but it's not a snobby place either. Do I wish that we had a luxury ice-rink a la Rockefeller Center in Austin? Yeah. But it's Austin. And if you have your own skates, it's only $6 to get in, so you get what you pay for. And Rockefeller Center is even more crowded. This is definitely better skating than the tiny crowded rink at Whole Foods headquarters! read more

Well, it looks like several people have had not so great experiences here. Some of them are well founded while others are well... what would you expect. Don't get me wrong, the kids going the wrong way can be a bit annoying and the figure skaters really should stay in the cones, but it is what it is. I mean come on they're kids for crying out loud. The skate guard could be a little more strict about it, but they'll just keep doing it. I speak from experience, I used to be one... a skate guard that is. Now about the Zam not coming out enough, I don't know. They're pretty decent when I go (Saturday and Sunday). There are times when it's close enough to public skate closing time that they just hold off until it's over, but I've only felt it was too bad to skate once, maybe twice. I can't really speak to the rentals myself as I have my own skates. The people I go with seem to do ok though and well they are rentals. From my experience the biggest problem with rental is the lack of correct wearing of the skates. Most people just haphazardly throw them on like their flip flops or ask for sizes way to large for them. Now for the cold... it's an ice rink! It's not going to be warm and toasty, unless you'd rather be swimming. Yes, you should dress warmly, gloves, coat, long pants, etc. Over all, it's really not that bad. I enjoy my time there every weekend, and openly invite others to join me. You should give it a try. read more

Unless you want the inside of your rented ice skates to (literally) peel a deep layer of skin around your inner ankles, wear LONG, THICK socks. I've learned my lesson. I got here at 3p and skated til they closed off the rink (5:30p). It was never ice-resurfaced until they were ready to prepare for the children's hockey game. Unsafe conditions for the other skaters, in my opinion. There shouldn't be such a long delay in rink maintenance. My hands were so red from the blistering cold that I thought I would get frostbite. I haven't gone ice skating in a while, though, so I'll assume that's normal. But a word to the wise- wear gloves. In fact, dress as though you're about to shovel some snow. You can thank me later. read more

The party coordinator (Mindy) was so super helpful in making my daughter's 8th birthday party a huge success! We arrived early to set-up with no hassle and were allowed to keep our space until public skating hours were over. Mindy was very accommodating, even plugging in our coffee maker for hot cocoa in her office! The ice has been newly replaced and the rink looks great! The instructors were very patient with our group of inexperienced skaters and made it enjoyable for everyone! Great place for a fun day out on the ice, an even BETTER place for a summer birthday party. read more

It had been years and years and years since my last time ice skating, but over the summer once the new location opened up we went 3 or 4 times in a few months. Its something that just is fun to do, doesn't feel like exercise until an hour in or more, but worth every minute when its hot and sticky out. About the place though, lets get to that, new rink, new equipment, excellent surface, the only probably I had was there was no seating on 3 sides of the rink, so you cant just go sit and watch people skate or watch hokey games ect. So if there was 1 think I would change would be to have seating all around the rink. read more

Service was unhelpful and bad. Make sure you check their website for business hours NOT google. Their staff judges you based on your skill level of skating. Not to mention their rude tone and sass. I would not bring my children into this toxic environment. I would not recommend! read more

I decided to go because I had a Groupon for two people for 17 dollars which is a great deal. The rink is average sized, but it can get a bit crowded. It's probably best to go on a weekday where there tends to be less people. It's a lot of fun for casual skating! read more