Dreaming of the Cold

Oh my, has it been hot here in New York during the last few weeks! My sweat stains and I have been hardcore daydreaming about gliding through the crisp, cool air on Wollman Rink in wintertime.

And a recent story in the Baltimore Sun about how the city of Baltimore is going to erect an outdoor ice rink kept the daydream alive.

I never skated outdoors as a kid. Literally not once, until I hit the ice at Wollman in 2010. There was exactly one outdoor rink where I grew up, and I just never went there. It wasn't a full-sized rink, it was only open for a month or so and freestyle wasn't allowed. It was more a place for tourists and families to go during the holiday season.

I feel that what could have been an important and iconic part of my youth is missing, but thank goodness I finally discovered it as an adult. Skating outdoors is marvelous. The feeling of that fresh air hitting your face and the big sky above you--it creates a freeing feeling of flying that attracted me (and I'm sure many others) to the sport in the first place.

New life goal: skate on an outdoor skating rink in as many places as possible, especially these places. Banff Lake Louise in Canada, holy wow!

Hope this little post served to cool you off a little! Funnily enough, you have to remember to wear sunscreen while skating outdoors just as much as you do if you hit the beach this summer...