Skating

[cooldude_1983]

Anybody knows of any Skating rink in Jyvaskyla?

Pointers to the same would be helpful

thanks!

[Karhunkoski]

I think skating is something that people usually do in the winter season when the lakes are frozen.

You could always try asking at:

JääHalli

Rautpohjankatu 10
40100 Jyväskylä

[Jukka Aho]

I think skating is something that people usually do in the winter season when the lakes are frozen.

If done on frozen lakes or rivers, that would mostly be tour skating, I think.

Municipalities usually have a sports department which maintains outdoor (open air) ice-hockey rinks in the wintertime. For example, there’s a couple of football fields next to the nearby school which will always be turned into (free access) ice-hockey rinks for the winter months. In another place where I used to live there was a series of adjacent tennis courts that got the same treatment.

In other words, it doesn’t need to be an expensive indoor hall, but those freely accessible public rinks are, of course, only available in the wintertime.

As for happy commercial merry-go-round Coca-Cola ice rinks that play music, feature colorful spotlights, offer skates for rent, etc. – that has been a recent fad in some larger cities, but only during wintertime, I think. Ice rinks tend to be first and foremost for ice-hockey (and perhaps related sports, such as ringette) in this country.

[cooldude_1983]

I think skating is something that people usually do in the winter season when the lakes are frozen.

Oops I guess I confused people out there. I didnt mean ice skating. I meant roller blading (Inline roller skating). Any pointers?

[Rob A.]

Hmmm... Why would you go to Finland and use the word "skating" to refer to anything other than "ice skating"??? .... That would be like going to Canada, using the word, "hockey" and then wondering why people don't realize you mean, "field hockey or "grass hockey", or whatever it's called....

Oh, and I read a while ago that in Espoo (the local government, I think) is building, or planning to build, a kilometre long indoor ski skating and cross country skiing facility... Year 'round winter sports!!!... Has that been built yet??

[Jukka Aho]

Oops I guess I confused people out there. I didnt mean ice skating. I meant roller blading (Inline roller skating). Any pointers?

The magic words to google for are rullaluistelu (roller skating), rullaluistelurata (roller skating rink/area), rullaluistelureitti (roller skating track/loop/route), and rullaluistelulenkki (almost the same).

Add Jyväskylä as another keyword and you’ll probably stumble upon something. For example, this page seems to list several tracks/routes/loops that rollerbladers can take in Jyväskylä, utilizing the local network of asphalted pathways/sidewalks for light traffic.

[Hank W.]

Has that been built yet??

Don't they have a ski tube? theres a couple in the Emirates.

[Hank W.]

I meant roller blading (Inline roller skating). Any pointers?

You do not do that in a rink, you silly person - you do it on the bicycle path annoying old ladies and mopedists, and with skiing sticks as well!!!

[EP]

Don't they have a ski tube? theres a couple in the Emirates.

I don´t think they have even started to build it, but will start very soon. My husband waits it like a kid waits Christmas. Last winter he cried himself to sleep in the evenings because of the lack of snow.

[cooldude_1983]

I meant roller blading (Inline roller skating). Any pointers?

You do not do that in a rink, you silly person - you do it on the bicycle path annoying old ladies and mopedists, and with skiing sticks as well!!!

But I hardly know skating. If directly start on pathways, I may hit somebody!! or even worse, I may sleep to road and get hit by a car!!

[Hank W.]

Well, then you just need to find a secluded spot to start practicing. Soon you'll be scaring the grannies and making their poodles constipated whizzing past them like a lightning...

[cooldude_1983]

Well, then you just need to find a secluded spot to start practicing. Soon you'll be scaring the grannies and making their poodles constipated whizzing past them like a lightning...

Hank is really humorous , whenever I read his post, I can not stop but laugh!!

Anyway thanks for the advice from all here, I finally got a complete blading gear and the lady at shop told me the places where I can try (learn) and also some techniques

Thanks once more

[smoo]

Missed this thread earlier - cooldude1983, Finland is a great place for inline skating because of all the cycle paths. Just find a quiet stretch of path somewhere and practice there. Unlike many other countries (e.g. the U.K.) "rollerblading" is a fairly common activity so no-one will pay much attention. If you are a complete beginner and can't stop yet, find a path with soft grass at the side to that you can fall over there if you loose control, and avoid hills! It takes quite a while to learn to do it properly, especially if you haven't been brought up on skates and skis like most Finns have, but it's definitely worth the effort because large parts of the Helsinki area (and I imagine most Finnish towns) are criss-crossed with paved cycle paths through lovely pine forest and it's a great way to explore and get excercise. It would certainly be worth getting some lessons if you can find an instructor, there must be some in Helsinki. Otherwise, the most important things to remember if you want to improve quickly are 1) bend your knees - if your legs are straight you won't be able to push properly and will be unstable. You will think you are bending them plenty at first but almost certainly won't be doing it enough... 2) practice skating and standing on the outside egdes of the skates rather than the inside. To skate properly you need to start pushing on the outside edge and follow through to the inside, but at first you will almost certainly be on the inside edges too much with your legs too far apart. 3) try to push through the heel of the skate rather than the toes. Good luck!

[cooldude_1983]

Thanks a lot smoo for your instructions

Today is fifth day of my inline blading lessons. I tried first 3 days on a basketball ground. Just tried balancing myself and bending knees and moving very short distances. I used to fall down lot of times, but improved over time.

Today I went to a pathway near the lake here in Jyvaskyla and I could skate pretty smoothly for a stretch of 500 meter or so. Although I fall down sometimes if I overspeed, but I am learning.

I could not find a instructor yet, but I guess now I can learn myself

And not to mention its a experience worth the effort, and no doubt that Finland is one of best places for inline blading.

[Hank W.]

How are the grannies?