Olympic Speed Skating Oval — Local services in Town of North Elba

The ticket seller, who happened to be a retired speed skater and currently is a speed skating coach, lent me his own speed skates (when he learned I was a former pro speed skater with no skates of my own). That was AMAZING! Especially since the rental facility at the oval only rents hockey and figure skates, and the shop across the street is closed a lot without giving any explanations, and anyways would only rent Zandstras, which are nothing like "real" speed skates. The rink has public sessions, when everybody on hockey or figure skates is welcome. The ice is fine, although not the freshest. It also has "speed skating" sessions, when one can skate on speed skates only. It is open to the members of the public as well as the pros, as long as you have the proper skates! (That part was not clear from the price lists etc.) And the ice during...

Outdoor skating at the seminal and famous place of the Miracle on Ice, 1980 site of the men's Olympic Hockey gold win. This rink sits in front of the local high school that is charming and looks the way all high schools should look; historic and majestic. It also is adjacent to the Olympic Museum and just outside the town of Mirror Lake. A great place for a visit in winter...better said, a must visit in winter. They offer two skating times, one in the late morning and one at night. At night, you can feel the history of this special place. If you go, enjoy. I hope my review...

...and the Fun is Gone..

On a peaceful Monday evening with only a handful of people there, my 3 daughters were scolded and yelled at from a BLARING LOUND SPEAKER for simply skating backwards, doing a hockey stop and being told to constantly slow down on a nearly empty oval. (This was not a youth hockey team full of mischievous boys speeding and skating and being Reckless all over the place!)

We have been coming here for years and it has never been this...