An Afternoon on the Ice
- Skating -
 Ever just taken an afternoon and relaxed? Has it ever been an "active" form of relaxing? Ice skating is a really good way to lose yourself in the moment and forget the rest of the world exists. On the afternoon of March 7, 2002, the Charlottesville Ice Park was not crowded at all, it was quiet, the music was pleasant, and the ice was cold.
So how was my time on the ice, you may ask? I didn't skate. First of all, for safety reasons, the Ice Park does not allow cameras on the ice. Secondly, those of you who know me in person know how much of a klutz I can be, and if you've ever seen me on skates, trust me, it's not a pretty picture, as I'm all wobbly, all slippy and slidey, and bladed skates make my ankles hurt. So I just photographed around the perimeter. Still, enjoy yourself - lose yourself in the moment and watch as we watch these people skate their worries away...
Welcome to the Charlottesville Ice Park!
From young to old, the ice park is fun for all.
The ice park even has a small area set up to make some maneuvers around, judging by the cones.
Note the helmets - even if you're going to be just taking a leisurely skate around the park, please make sure you have something to keep your head in one piece in case you fall...
This woman dressed like a figure skater, complete with skirt and stockings, and was a darn good skater on top of that.
 
This girl was not only a good skater, but also was really casual about it, as she glided across the ice, hands in pockets, enjoying the time immensely.
Ice skates create a beautiful sight all their own. Watch as feet on skates glide over the ice so gracefully...
In the ceiling of the Ice Park, enjoy fanciful illustrations of skating.
Further up, a vast network of lights creates the desired effects. Note that since this was a nice day outside, the Ice Park was lit mostly by natural light, and thus a minimal amount of artificial light was in use.
Large windows like these not only provide light, but also provide for marvelous views of Downtown Charlottesville, in this case the Omni Hotel just across the way.
Besides being a public skate park, the Charlottesville Ice Park also serves as a hockey rink for the University of Virginia, as well as amateur hockey.
After a relaxing afternoon of skating, the ice is starting to get a little scraped up, meaning it's becoming time again to resurface the ice.
And now, it's time to resurface the ice, and so everyone needs to clear the ice. |
