Ice Center (Cupertino) — Attraction in Cupertino

Definitely not an ice rink for everyone. This is a local spot or if you have a game/clinic here for hockey. People act like the management can magically change this place and make it all pretty, but it is not that easy. If you’re a true local, you’d understand what is happening with the land around here… isn’t it obvious? The property that the rink is on and the big plot of land across it used to be an entire mall called Vallco (sheesh the sign is still in tact). TLDR, the land is getting redone and will be called The Rise. It will be an entirely new shopping complex and the ice rink, bowling alley, and Benihana are still on a contract/lease until the new complex gets built, but that will take at least 5 years.

Only come here if: you have minimum experience with skating you’re chill you can wait a few more years until the new rink gets built you’re an actual local you have a game or practice

Don’t come here if: you’re not a local you’re a cheapskate don’t know your shoe size you can’t skate you’re lame and like to be a fun police you don’t read signs that are pasted everywhere you think sharks ice is better don’t like the hockey kids

Workers are chill. I’d say the only complaint I have are the hockey kids. Every session, they always speed around the rink, especially in opposite directions and have been always warned off and been reported by their parents, but the parents never hold account of their children. If you want your kid to progress faster in figure skating and go to the Olympics, don’t be a cheapskate and actually invest in getting a private coach somewhere else. The skating school is great for beginners but they only operate the school from Friday to Saturday. Nonetheless, this is a local and family-like rink. Usually, you’ll catch the same people there every week, as it only operated from Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to the public. If you’re new to the area and always have to be entitled, please go somewhere else. You’ll save yourself...

Went there on a Friday night, the ice skating rink is smaller than other ice skating rinks I have been to. which causes it to become very crowded

There were no employees on the rink managing safety or the flow of traffic. People were skating in all directions. There were several young irresponsible figure skaters recklessly skating and bumping into people.

My friend had to go to the emergency room to get his pinky stitched as a direct result of Ice Center's negligence. There was a young man skating at fast speeds not watching where he was going, he not only caused my friend to trip onto the ice, but he ran over his pinky with his skate right afterward.

I don't think any of these reckless skaters had the intention of hurting people that day, but Ice Center employees should have dealt with them.

After my friend's pinky was sliced open, we proceeded to the front desk to get help. The employees were not trained in basic first-aid and offered no assistance. The only thing they had in their kit of use were band-aids and alcohol wipes. The supervisor in charge was trying to stay away from us and he seemed to not want to get involved. We had to go up to him and ask him to at least give us napkins as my friend's pinky was bleeding quite profusely at this point.

Since we were there for not even 20 minutes before this happened, I asked if my friend and I could at the very least get a refund because I now had to take him to the ER, and the supervisor would not allow it, but instead offered a 'good luck' at the emergency room.

If you care about safety at ice skating rinks then I would...

I used to love skating here when I was a teenager, and after taking an ice skating class in college I wanted to further my skills. I decided to take the adult skating class here, and unfortunately, I will not be doing it again. For starters, I emailed them stating exactly what skills I knew so they could give me an idea of class placement, and they suggested Alpha. Great, I signed up for alpha. Tell me why we spent 8 solid weeks only learning one skill (forward crossovers), and that skill was one that I told them specifically that I already knew? On the other hand, I may not have done any better learning a new skill, as all their instructors are teenagers who honestly have no idea what the class should even be doing. They don't speak up, and they chat back and forth trying to even figure out what to tell the class to do next. The whole thing felt like a disorganized mess, I really cannot recommend taking a class here if you are actually looking to learn. So, that is where my 2 stars are taken off. The remaining 3 go to this being my classic neighborhood skating rink, and the fun that public sessions still (mostly) bring. The place could for sure use a facelift and some better regulation on the ice (the kids are an absolute...