I am always eager to try new things. With the Vancouver Winter Olympics still taking place at the time and the excitement of the U.S. Men's Ice Hockey team competing against Canada for a gold medal, I was especially interested in ice skating but didn't know where I could go to give it a try.
I had considered trying to ice skate back home in Kansas City at Crown Center's ice terrace, but for some reason never got around to it. I decided I had waited long enough and was determined to find somewhere to skate.
I wanted to find a place closer to Maryville which wasn't too crowded and didn't cost too much. I did my research, asked around to some friends and found Bode Ice Arena in St. Joseph. I decided this would be an ideal place for me to attempt ice skating for the first time.
On a Friday evening a friend and I drove to St. Joseph for the 8 p.m. public skating session. I found the location of the arena on Google Maps and printed the directions before leaving, not knowing that the map gave directions which took us nowhere near Bode Ice Arena.
My friend and I drove around St. Joseph for about 20 minutes before calling the arena and asking for directions. I learned that many people have had problems finding the arena, so I felt like less of a fool that I couldn't find it.
Once we arrived to the arena, we paid the $5 for the two hours of skating and paid another $2 for skate rental.
Before stepping onto the ice, I spoke with Bode Ice Arena worker Tim Conley, who told me about the arena and what they offer.
Conley told me that the arena offers learn-to-skate and hockey instruction classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. He said that every four years during the Winter Olympics the arena notices a spike in interest for the two classes.
Conley suggested people interested in learning to skate should come to the public skating session and take it slow at first. He suggested beginners start with figure skating skates because of the toe pick at the front of the blade, which can be used to stop. The more experienced skaters tend to favor the hockey skates which have no toe pick.
After talking with Mr. Conley a little longer and getting a few more tips on skating, I was ready to give it a try for myself.
When I first stepped onto the ice, I had pretty good control of my balance. I have roller skated for years and I am pretty good at it, so I felt that those skills transferred well. It reminded me a lot of rollerblading as a kid, and I noticed it required a lot more strength in the ankles and shins, as I was sore after I was finished.
I did fall a couple of times during the session, but that was something I expected during my first time. I found that the toe pick on the blade of the skate made me trip a few times because I am used to leaning forward while roller skating. When you ice skate you have to evenly distribute your weight, leaning back a little and gliding on the ice.
I had a lot of fun ice skating at Bode Ice Arena and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning, or just wants to have a fun outing on a weekend. It only costs $7 to skate for two hours and you can learn at your own pace.
I plan on going back to skate again to see if I can improve, but I think I will try the hockey skates next time and see if I don't trip as much. Next time I will also have better directions.
For more information call (816) 271-5506 or visit them at http://www.ci.st-joseph.mo.us/parks/bode_icearena.cfm