Bend, OR

I don’t know about everyone else’s lives but to often mine seems to go in circles so the last thing I want to do is go in even more circles but what do I do…I do it on purpose. I take the 15-20 minute drive from La Pine (or from Bend) to Sunriver, sometimes fight for a parking spot, sometimes I end up farther away than I want but what I end up with, to me, is worth it.

I get peace and quiet or sometimes a touch of music and in today’s hip hop world, it gives a little edge to want to dance or get a little snazzy as I go in circles. I can hear the laughter of the few children here and I close my eyes and get lost. I’ll glide, do a few kickouts, go backwards in circles even, geez what am I thinking. Every once in awhile you’ll see me floating around on one leg or simply spinning as fast as I can in the center, this would be me living in my ice skates.

The ice rink in Sunriver is small and outside under a wood canopy, very primitive as ice rinks go but it’s not crowded and it’s peaceful. This is a very good beginners’ rink due to the low volume of people as compared to the bigger rinks. It’s easier to practice techniques because there are fewer people on the ice. This is one of my unwinding places as I go in circles.

Sunriver ice rink only offers hockey skates which are the hard plastic boots as compared to figure skates, made of leather boot. Hockey skates are much harder to skate in but once you learn them, you’ve learned good balance and skating. So for those of you who prefer figure skates, please be sure to bring your own. If you are choosing to rent the rink’s skates and find them difficult then try and run in them, this will actually start teaching you to skate with these kind of skates.

When you decide it is time for something warm, well the rink sits right in the middle of a wide variety of stores hosting different foods and drinks and is located in the main part of Sunriver. Take the Sunriver exit off Hwy 97 and follow the signs into Sunriver. The second left is the best parking lot. Once you are parked walk in between the buildings and you will see the ice rink. Adult admission is $10 and children’s and seniors are $7. This does include the skate rental.