ROCKLAND – It’s a New England rite of passage to strap on a helmet and lace up the ice skates when the temperatures drop, something Brian Magner was teaching his 3-year-old daughter Thursday afternoon.
“We’re going to bring our pusher,” he told Lulu as he helped her put on her pink training skates and caged helmet.
A Rockland resident, Magner said this was his daughter’s second time on the ice. The week before, they took another a trip and she stayed on the ice for a couple of minutes with her dad, he said.
“I just wanted to give her a positive experience,” he said as they both got ready to step onto the ice at the Rockland Ice Rink for Thursday morning’s open skating time.
It’s the time of year when people hit the rinks to ice skate. Towns across the South Shore offer outdoor and indoor skating areas, but indoor ones aren’t weather-dependent and many offer free or cheap public skating times throughout the week.
Rockland Ice Rink offers free public skating from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, and free hockey time from noon to 2 p.m. on Monday and Friday.
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Brian Magner said making skating fun is important, especially with young kids.
“Hockey is not a very comfortable experience,” Magner said, between the cold, the tight skates and the heavy masks.
But Magner managed to take Lulu out on the ice, as she held onto a red pusher bar, and the two skated across the rink together. When he brought Lulu toward the gate minutes later, she protested – she wanted to do one more lap on the ice.
Elsewhere at the rink during free skating time Thursday, Pembroke resident Madison Reid, 22, and Hanson resident Jodee Savery, 23, were skating together.
Reid said she hadn’t skated for about five years and the first time back on the rink can be tough.
“Nothing’s really frozen this year,” she said, making it harder for skaters to find places to skate outside on ponds or icy bogs.
Savery said she skates every year just for fun, and said she finds something freeing in gliding across the ice.
Her friend agreed.
“It’s graceful,” Reid said. “If you can stand up.”
Zooming around the other side of the rink was Rockland resident Amy Davis and her home-schooled son, Isaac.
His gym class for home-schooled students comes to the rink on Thursday, Davis said. Isaac, 12, plays for the Boston Junior Terriers hockey team, and he’s comfortable on the ice. As she spoke, Isaac practiced tricks with his hockey stick and puck, like bouncing the puck on his stick while gliding across the rink.
She said, if he had time, they’d be at the rink twice a week for free skating time.
“There’s not much open skate available (elsewhere),” Davis said as she watched her son skate.
Looking for a cheap place to skate? Check out these rinks:
Rockland Ice Rink
Where: 599 Summer St. #7218, Rockland.
Cost: Free during public skate hours
More info: rocklandicerink.com/public-skating
Shea Memorial Skating Rink
Where: 651 Willard St., Quincy.
Cost: $5 during public skate hours
More info: shearink.net/public-skating-news
Connell Ice Rink
Where: 220 Broad St., Weymouth.
Cost: $5 during public skate hours
More info: weymouth.ma.us/recreation/
Armstrong Arena
Where: 103 Long Pond Road, Plymouth.
Cost: $6 during public skate hours
More info: fmcicesports.com
Ulin Rink
Where: 11 Unquity Road, Milton
Cost: $5 during public skate hours
More info: ulinrink.com/ulin_14080.html
Metropolis Skating Rink.
Where: 2167 Washington St., Canton
Cost: $5 during public skate hours
More info: cantonrec.com
Pilgrim Skating Arena, Inc.
Where: 75 Recreation Park Dr., Hingham
Cost: $5 “Little People” skate time for pre-K and kindergarten skaters
More info: tepilgrim.com
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Reach Alex Weliever at [email protected].