Shinnie Ice - Looking for fun?         By PJ Kwong                                                                            It is often said that a family who plays…uh…skates together…stays together.  As a child, for a lot of us, we have memories of happy times when our parents joined in with us in activities.  It could have been anything from board games, to going for a walk, to playing ball in the backyard or going tobogganing in the winter.  Exactly the same can be said for figure skating.

In lots, I daresay most, communities that have a rink there is the possibility of extra ice available at a nominal cost known as “shinny” or “ticket” ice.  This ice is most commonly available during the day, sometimes in the early morning, sometimes on the weekends and is generally provided as a service to meet the needs of the community that supports the rink. This differs from public skating time as it is aimed specifically at figure skaters.  The cost is usually minimal, and in most places you present yourself to the arena office, sign in and pay the fee (on average $5.00 for a couple of hours) and then put your skates on and go.  Some rinks will provide a tape or CD player and turn on the house sound system, and with other rinks you bring your own.  If you bring your own, don’t forget the cables that will allow you to patch into their system.  These cables have 3 plugs, the single one plugs into your tape/CD player and the other 2 into the house system.  Don’t forget to bring an extension cord or extra batteries if there is no electrical outlet available.

Now for the fun part.  You are the parent of a budding figure skater, and your skater has decided that they would like to enjoy a little additional practice time.  Maybe there is an upcoming test day or competition, or maybe they want just a little longer to master that new skill before their next lesson.  There is no reason that you can’t get on the shinny ice with them and enjoy the freedom and fun of figure skating.  You can help with playing music for your child (and anybody else’s that needs someone to press “play”).  You also get a chance to see just how fast your child is moving and how much progress they are making.  It might even convince you to take a look at it for yourself .

The other good piece of news is that there have been some major advancement in equipment.  I have my eye on a pair of skates at Dress Wright On Ice, which would suit the needs of anyone who is looking for a more comfortable recreational skate.  This SOFTEC boot, is similar to an inline skate boot, and comes with a blade already attached or you can have your own blades mounted.  Comfortable, affordable and meant to have you up and skating from the word go.

So…no excuses…time for everyone to get ready for practice!

T’is the magical season of giving - so please help us raise money for Children’s Wish.  With a minimum $2.00 donation per wrapping, we will gift wrap your Christmas purchases for you!  Of course you’re always welcome to contribute any spare change into the glass container on our cash counter.

A very merry 20% discount  on one very special day:

  Saturday December 11, 2004

(Whether you’ve been naughty or nice!)

The 20 % does not apply to skates and blades, or special order items.

Discount is valid December 11^th only, on in-store and online purchases

GI Gym’s latest training article titled    “Have You Peaked”                is featured on our Home Page at www.dresswright.com.                                      (No – it’s not about looking at your Christmas presents early!!)                                              Please be sure to check it out along with GI Gym’s latest FIT TIP!

Skate Exchange         We’ve had great response to our SKATE EXCHANGE page, so take a few minutes over the holidays to polish up those gently loved skates and blades that have been taking up space in your closet, and send us an email to post them on our skate exchange page.  Here’s how it works:                                                          SKATE EXCHANGE – At Dress Wright On Ice we deal in new skates only.  But we frequently get requests from people asking about used skates.  We decided to create a BUY and SELL page on our website www.dresswright.com so that people can post skates that they would like to sell, or place requests for skates they need.  To have your request posted, email us at info@dresswright.com with the pertinent information (brand, quality, size, colour) including an email or phone contact number.  The sale of the skates is strictly between the two private parties.  Dress Wright On Ice Inc. has no responsibility for the skates beyond creating a page to post opportunities for those with skates to buy and sell.  Postings will remain on the page for a period of 3 months, unless we are advised that the skates have been sold.

Christmas Hours  

Regular store hours throughout December.       For the holidays:

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