The Great Skate glides again!

Some of Toronto's outdoor rinks opened on November 23rd. It seemed too soon. Didn't we just finish Halloween? But then a sudden cold snap made outdoor skating seem much more reasonable. 

The new rink at Greenwood Park was open, and I have skated there twice now, sort of a preview for Great Skate 2014. More on that later.

As I skated, I thought about everything I like about skating:
  • It happens outside. (I'm always happier outside.)
  • It's free (once you've got the skates).
  • If you know how to skate, you can feel proud that you've figured it out - and if you're still learning, you can feel proud of making steady progress every time you try.
  • I can't think of another pastime that involves people of all ages and skill levels, doing the same physical activity, on the same enclosed area, at the same time.
  • If you're skating, you are probably skating counterclockwise, and we're not sure why.

In January, the Great Skate Project will resume - for the 3rd year! - and I'm going to try a slightly different approach. My previous plan of skating on a new and different rink every weekend is getting hard to manage. Toronto has a lot of rinks, but a lot of them are far away from my house.

I also want to get more people involved. That requires advance planning - something I haven't always managed well.

So, while I haven't figured out all the details yet, here are my rough goals for Great Skate 2014:
  1. skate every weekend (and more often if possible)
  2. visit a new skating rink once a month
  3. skate out of town once a month (this may or may not overlap with #2)
  4. skate on "home ice" (either Greenwood or Monarch Park) once or twice per month, on a regular day and time
It's going to be fun!

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