Ice Is Coming . . . So Are Changes

Posted: October 24, 2019 by Admin in Getting Started

 

2019-20 Speedskating Season News

The new speed skating season is less than a month away so we thought it was time to reach out and let you know of the changes that are in place for the season. Here is an outline of what is to come, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out via mnspeedskating.com.

In the past, the evening and weekend speed skating ice was purchased by Greater Minnesota Speedskating Association (GMSA) from the City of Roseville. In order to skate on this ice, a skater needed to be a member of US Speedskating and purchase a GMSA membership. GMSA offered different membership levels; full, partial, and one time per week each with a different fee. This system will no longer be in place.

Starting this year the City of Roseville will be providing OVAL Speed Skating sessions at various times throughout the week. These new sessions will be in addition to the previous Public Speed Skating sessions (held mostly during the weekday), which will continue. A skater will be able to skate at any of the OVAL Speed Skating sessions (except the Advanced session). Each week there are designated Advanced Speed Skate sessions and a skater must have a qualifying time to be on the ice at that time. The Advanced sessions are designed to provide a safer high-level training time for the higher performance skaters. The schedule can be found here.

The city is providing three different fee structures for access to the OVAL Speed Skating sessions. The first is a Season Pass which allows unlimited access to ALL speed skating sessions (Public and Open, Advanced requires time qualification), the second is a Punch Card with 10 punches per card, and the last is a single session purchase. There are two options for the Public sessions, a punch card, and a single session purchase. For more details and pricing visit the mnspeedskating website: Let’s Skate tab.

Midway members will still enroll and pay for season pass ice through their club’s existing registration process. There is no need to do a separate registration for ice through GMSA or the Oval for Midway skaters.

A US Speedskating (USS) membership will not be needed to attend Oval Speed Skating sessions but there are benefits of having a USS membership. To participate in USS sanctioned time trials, races, camps, and events, you will need a membership.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone out on the ice in a few weeks!
It’s more fun in a group!

Our goal for the Fitness Skater Outreach is to provide an environment that builds camaraderie for speedskaters who are new to the sport, skate for fun and fitness, and provide information on where to obtain coaching in order to grow in skills.

Want more info on the Fitness Skater group? Email mnspeedskating@gmail.com.

 
Annual Safety Session:

Each skater will need to attend the annual safety session and sign a waiver prior to stepping on the ice. These sessions will be held frequently early in the season and as needed throughout. Once a skater has attended their name will be added to the list for reference by the rink attendant.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Click here for information on skates
EARLY SEASON EVENTS
_________________________________________Learn to Skate Program:
Roseville Park and Rec offers a Learn to Skate program for skaters 6 years through adult on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30-6:30 pm. Skaters are grouped by age and ability and it is a great way to gain some foundation speed skating skills. This class can be taken multiple times and will help you build upon your current skills. Learn more in the Roseville Park and Rec brochure.

John Rose Open/AmCup #2:
The weekend of December 6-8 is the first race weekend of the season at the Oval. This is a combined event with the John Rose Open and the US Speedskating Long Track AmCup #2. The John Rose Open is an open competition for any skater who would like to participate in long track races. In order to skate in the AmCup skaters need a qualifying time and must be US Speedskating members. Sign up links will be posted soon.

These races are run by volunteers and we encourage you to volunteer for a few hours if you are not planning to compete. There are various volunteer opportunities both inside and outside and training/orientation is provided. This is a fun weekend where you will get to see the smiles of the youngest skaters as they cross the finish line, see some intense racing of the high-performance skaters, and learn more about the sport in general.
Competition Information

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