Do you prefer arenas with or without boards?

Question

Usually I only skate at my rink, which doesn't have boards, and lately, I've noticed that at all the figure-skating-only rinks in my area, there are no side boards. I'm pretty sure this is because boards are only needed for hockey, but I still find it interesting. I kind of miss smacking into the boards every once in a while. Sounds crazy, but sometimes it's fun :)

So, do you prefer arenas with or without the boards? Or if you've never skated on an arena without boards, do you think you would like it? The only thing I don't like about not having boards is that if you lose control, you go straight over the edge, which really hurts, whereas on a rink with boards, you would just hit the boards. Aside from that, I like the feeling of not having boards. It makes the ice feel more open and bright.

((This is what a rink without boards looks like, for those of you who have never seen them before: http://sfsc.on.ca/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/arena.21181915_std.PNG ))

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I've actually never skated on a rink without boards. It sounds scary though, mostly because I hit the wall pretty often. (: I think I'd like it sometimes though, particularly when a skater is doing a backward spiral curving close to the wall that causes me to run into the wall.... Then I could just step off the ice, unless there's like cement on the other side.... Anyways, I like my boards, I can count 10 rinks that I've skated on in my city (outdoor or typical) and about 15 in different cities or on vacations, and they've all had boards, so its sort of a foreign concept to me.

? · Answer

I've never been to a rink without boards (considering the lack of rinks here in Australia, I'd have to go overseas to skate at one!). It would be an interesting experience, I guess, but I'd be so scared that I somehow wouldn't be able to tell where the ice ends and the floor begins, and then I'd go flying and...aaaah! Ok, sorry. Unlikely. But I'm kinda on a sugar high right now. 

Anyway, I think skating without boards would be rather odd and scary! But I'd love to try it one day. I think it makes the rink look good too, like the rink in Ice Castles - it's somehow more visually pleasing than the typical rink with beat up boards. :)

katzen · Answer

I've never skated on a rink without boards, but I think they look much better and I think it would also be better for me because I am known to run into things (which often scares my coach) so I would rather like being able to do spirals near the edge without whacking into a wall.

nicole · Answer

I've never skated on a rink without boards, but I like having boards. I like being able to look into the glass when I go into my sit spin and I like being able to do things on the boards, like stretch my spirals or (when I was learning my loop) doing my loop at the boards. But that's just me. I'm sure there are pros and cons to both.

Anonymous · Answer

Ahhhhhhhhhh, having a rink with no boards sounds scary to me :(

I like boards because there's somewhere for me to put my drinkbottle, guards, and jumper if I'm getting hot. Also the concept of hitting the edge with no boards is...EEK.

Also, I stretch on the boards for spiral, and do Ina Bauers against them, and so on.

? · Answer

I prefer boards because it makes me feel safer, and there is no chance of me falling out of the rink.

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Do you prefer arenas with or without boards?

6 Answers