WSA Westchester Skating Academy — Attraction in Town of Greenburgh

I’m a college student with very little spending money. I came here during public skate for Valentine’s Day with my partner because I thought it would be fun. After spending over $40, we’re given two pairs of ice skates that are cheap, old, and falling apart. We get on the rink and it’s quite nice. We’re not ice skaters though, so we’re not good at it. We’re hanging onto the side and often on the verge of slipping. We see skating assists at the side of the rink, so we grab two of them and get back on the rink. Now we’re going faster and steadier, and having a lot more fun.

But when we get halfway across the rink, an employee walks in and shouts at us, and waves at us to come over. When we get closer, he’s shaking his head, and he explains to us that the assists are for children seven and under, and that they needed to be rented out. He said they would have to take them from us. At this point another employee is standing from the outside of the rink, watching us and laughing. As if it wasn’t embarrassing enough, the first guy keeps re-emphasizing that the assists are for kids “seven and under”. We give them the assists, and they also take all the other assists that were sitting outside the rink; as if we were going to grab them again once they left.

The mood is off, now. We’re no longer having fun, after being there for only 20 minutes. We go around one more time to try and get our moneys worth, and end up leaving with a sour feeling.

I’ve been to rinks before that have provided skating assists for both children and adults. Some people don’t have good balance, but want to go on an ice rink and have a fun time anyway. To not have assists available for adults is disappointing. And also, to make people rent them out is unreasonable, when we are already paying a hefty admission fee. That would be like a bowling alley charging extra for using bumpers.

It’s a nice rink with cool 80’s music; we just would’ve preferred to have experienced it without being laughed at and embarrassed by the employees. Overall a negative experience and a dampen on...

I signed up for the beginner skating classes for November and December and went in today for my first class. I was excited to learn since I’ve never skated before, but the experience didn’t start well. When I walked in, I told the front desk that it was my first time here and that I had no experience. The security guard just looked at me confused and told me to go around the corner to get my skates.

When I got there, one of the guys said “What are you doing?” in a rude tone. There was no greeting, no direction, and it honestly felt unwelcoming. I explained that I was told to come pick up my skates, but no one gave clear instructions on what to do next. The two kids behind the counter were laughing and chatting like it was a joke, which made it even more uncomfortable.

I told them again that it was my first time skating and I didn’t know how to put the skates on properly, but they didn’t really help. I had to figure it out myself and even went back to ask how to clip them because I didn’t want to do it wrong.

Once I finally got to the rink, I was standing there unsure of what to do since nobody guided me or explained how things worked. Eventually, I met Matt, the instructor, and he was great. The actual skating part was the best part of my visit.

I think WSA really needs to do a better job welcoming first-time skaters. A little patience, a friendly attitude, and clearer guidance would make a...

Here's the scenario, you decide: There are no boundaries between beginning skaters, hockey players and figure skaters taking private lessons. The staff spends most of its time talking to each other and ignoring what happens on the ice. The hockey players -- mostly small kids, maraud around looking to practice their skills on unsuspecting beginners. The private instructors shove everyone out of their way -- I know because my son was knocked down by one and dropped in the penalty box. My son had been knocked down almost a dozen times. I complained to the management and got a dumb look. Hey, if my son isn't playing hockey, he's a sissy and he gets what's coming to him, right? He's seven. Been on skates 8 months. I'm not waiting around for some instructor or some hockey jerk to break one of my son's arms, or worse. The hockey parents are the worst. Bunch of Neanderthals. So if you are one of those, bring a six-pack and watch your kid slam into other kids. If he/she gets hurt, well isn't that what skating is all about. Management is in this for the money. Fine. They're not getting mine.

10/28: Here's an update of their fine management policy when a parent raises issues of safety. After writing this review, I received an e-mail banning me from their premises. As my son was nearly severely injured on their premises, they're in "no danger" of my family ever...