Not so easy to glide through ice skating lessons

Since moving to Pittsburgh from Texas, one aspect of the area’s culture has eluded me: the… Since moving to Pittsburgh from Texas, one aspect of the area’s culture has eluded me: the obsession with hockey.

This isn’t to say I don’t appreciate the athleticism of players like Crosby or Malkin, I just never saw skating around on ice as a particularly “manly” thing to do.

Several bruises later, I decided to reconsider my Southern sensibilities.

“Dig your blade into the ice!” my friend Liza shouted as I flopped around on the cold ice, trying to recover from what felt like my thousandth fall.

After several minutes of stubbornness, I heeded this seemingly impossible tip and found myself on two feet again. Barely. I quickly tiptoed my way to the wall of Penguins Pond Ice Skating Rink in the South Side and struggled through a lap around the rink.

As the frigid cold of winter falls upon Pittsburgh, outdoor activities are few and far between. But ice skating at any of the two conveniently located rinks near campus is a great option — even if you’ve never done it before.

For $7-10 for admission and $3 for skate rentals, you can go ice skating at either Penguins Pond in the South Side or The Rink at PPG Place, located Downtown.

The Rink at PPG Place opened two weeks ago as a part of Pittsburgh’s historic Light Up Night, when the 60-foot tree in the center of the rink was lit in a festive display of good cheer. At 104 feet by 104 feet, the rink at PPG place is over 2,000 square feet larger than the rink at the Rockefeller Center in New York.

Penguins Pond came about after last year’s Winter Classic, during which the team opened a public ice skating facility in the North Shore. The rink was so popular it has become an annual tradition.

Penguins Pond is home to both the Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League and the Pittsburgh Interscholastic Hockey League, and both use the ice as a practice facility. While the rink at PPG Place will remain open until March, Penguins Pond will only be open until Jan. 8.

Michael Stoudt, the assistant general manager at the PPG Ice Skating rink, said ice skating is a great way to meet new people and have a great experience.

“The scenery here is amazing. We have the big 60-foot tree right in the middle of the rink. There are also a bunch of great places to eat surrounding the rink,” Stoudt said

As I quickly found out, ice skating is a tremendous leg workout. About two years removed from my high school athletic days, I found myself quickly wanting to give up.

“Dude, I’m over it, my legs hurt and I’m cold — lets get food,” I pleaded as elementary-aged kids literally skated circles around me.

Rosstyn Gudino, the general manger of Penguins Pond, describes ice skating as “the perfect physical exercise.” He said it not only builds muscles in the thighs, but also increases discipline.

“You have to fall a lot and keep getting up and stay focused on skating. Just that aspect alone requires more discipline than you’d think,” Gudino said.

After a short-lived hissy fit, I was ready to give it another try. This time, I remained focused and tried with all my might to keep my feet together. The sight of a 6-foot-4 man flopping around and whining had drawn a small crowd of people, all cheering me on.

“Aw, he’s got it,” a parent said as I glided by confidently.

It was like the ending of “The Mighty Ducks.” I was suddenly skating laps around kids who I knew had been secretly laughing at me before. Of course, I got too confident and began trying to dance on my skates while singing Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now.” This ended in my hardest fall.

“Okay, now I’m really over it,” I said as I crawled off the rink.

Even though I’m not quite ready to join any amateur hockey leagues, I left Penguins Pond with an entirely newfound respect for the ice.

On the bus ride back to Oakland, I couldn’t help feeling as though I’d accomplished something great. Nothing beats the sense of satisfaction gained after falling so many times and finally succeeding.