Tips on following return-to-play protocols? | Golden Skate

Tips on following return-to-play protocols?

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
Going back to the rink on Tuesday! :yahoo: But the COVID-19 safety protocols look tricky to follow because I don't have a car... If anyone who gets to their rink by public transport has had experience with the following restrictions, I'd appreciate your advice :)

1. Must change skates outside the building

There aren't any benches outside my rink to sit on, and I'm too old/poor to own a Zuca. Do I bring a footstool? Or kneel on the gravel in the carpark (I never manage to tie my skates properly kneeling though)? It's risky enough that I will still have to take public transport, but changing into skates on the bus is probably a worse option in terms of contaminating belongings...

2. Only a small bag permitting a water bottle, box of tissues, snack etc. can be brought into the building

This is a bit ambiguous since they didn't specify the size of the bag, so I may be able to get away with my over-shoulder skate bag... but then the footstool question comes in, because I definitely wouldn't be able to fit one in my skate bag too (even a foldable one). Perhaps I could perch it on my lap in the bus, but I'm not sure if I can bring it into the arena.

3. Skaters must wear masks in the arena but can take them off while skating

What do you do with the mask when it's not on your face? Being a potentially contaminated item, it shouldn't really be left dangling over the boards (for example). Based on my workplace's guidelines, I'm thinking of bringing a Tupperware container to stick it in (keeping the mask exterior facing consistently downwards). I'm interested in any other suggestions though.

On a side note (as it doesn't apply to me), I doubt parents will be allowed into the building, so I wonder how the younger skaters will cope - perhaps they'll skip this stage of reopening entirely? :scratch2:

Anyway, I'm emailing our club administrators to see what they have to say about this and will update if they say anything useful! :)
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Going back to the rink on Tuesday! :yahoo: But the COVID-19 safety protocols look tricky to follow because I don't have a car... If anyone who gets to their rink by public transport has had experience with the following restrictions, I'd appreciate your advice :)

1. Must change skates outside the building

There aren't any benches outside my rink to sit on, and I'm too old/poor to own a Zuca. Do I bring a footstool? Or kneel on the gravel in the carpark (I never manage to tie my skates properly kneeling though)? It's risky enough that I will still have to take public transport, but changing into skates on the bus is probably a worse option in terms of contaminating belongings...

2. Only a small bag permitting a water bottle, box of tissues, snack etc. can be brought into the building

This is a bit ambiguous since they didn't specify the size of the bag, so I may be able to get away with my over-shoulder skate bag... but then the footstool question comes in, because I definitely wouldn't be able to fit one in my skate bag too (even a foldable one). Perhaps I could perch it on my lap in the bus, but I'm not sure if I can bring it into the arena.

3. Skaters must wear masks in the arena but can take them off while skating

What do you do with the mask when it's not on your face? Being a potentially contaminated item, it shouldn't really be left dangling over the boards (for example). Based on my workplace's guidelines, I'm thinking of bringing a Tupperware container to stick it in (keeping the mask exterior facing consistently downwards). I'm interested in any other suggestions though.

On a side note (as it doesn't apply to me), I doubt parents will be allowed into the building, so I wonder how the younger skaters will cope - perhaps they'll skip this stage of reopening entirely? :scratch2:

Anyway, I'm emailing our club administrators to see what they have to say about this and will update if they say anything useful! :)

Regarding the mask, if you can get one with ties, it makes it easy to tie it on, then untie just the top ones and let it dangle down against your shirt and you can even tuck it between layered shirts (in case you jump, etc) while you skate.
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
Regarding the mask, if you can get one with ties, it makes it easy to tie it on, then untie just the top ones and let it dangle down against your shirt and you can even tuck it between layered shirts (in case you jump, etc) while you skate.

Great suggestion, thanks!
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
For your problem of changing skates outside: I can't imagine you'd be the only skater having the challenge you described.
I would ask a rink employee or a club administrator if a chair or two could be placed outside. Most rinks have extra assorted plastic chairs.
Enjoy your ice time!
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
I always tie my skates with my leg straight out up on the bench so I can stretch at the same time. Would that work? You could do that anywhere flat. There have definitely been a few times where I've planned poorly and had to do it on my bed while fighting off a cat who wanted to play with my laces. One of those times might have involved picking up some takeout in my skates and guards on the way to the rink.

As for the mask, I unabashedly stuff mine down my shirt (turned away from other people, of course). Desperate times, man. Might not work if you're easily embarrassed or less busty than I am. :biggrin:

As I mentioned on the thread about Eastern European parents, for the most part you couldn't have paid mine to stay for my lessons as a kid, no pandemic necessary. :laugh: So that might not be a problem at all for many.
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
Thanks for the interesting suggestions guys :biggrin: I usually wear a light jacket, so hopefully keeping the mask dangling but sandwiched between shirt and jacket will work...

The club admin replied to say that I could keep extraneous stuff with her (since she'll be around, and I'm most likely the only skater without a car, so it's not much stuff). No word on skate changing though.

I would ask a rink employee or a club administrator if a chair or two could be placed outside. Most rinks have extra assorted plastic chairs.

Surprisingly I've never seen a plastic chair in our rink (it is pretty bare-bones...), but I'll ask anyway and see...

I always tie my skates with my leg straight out up on the bench so I can stretch at the same time. Would that work? You could do that anywhere flat.

Unfortunately the only flat area outside is the ground... so I guess the choice is between a tarpaulin and a footstool :scratch2: I'll see what I can pick up from the dollar store this evening!
 

NanaPat

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Country
Canada
I have a stool something like this:

https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Lightw...ndle-for-Kids-and-Adults-Blue/PRD12BMS6SSB5S6

Though I only paid a few dollars for it. Mine is quite low; I use it mostly for standing on when I need just a small boost. If I sat down on it, I don't know if I could get up. On the other hand, your leg would be almost straight out in front of you for skate tying, and it folds quite small.

One caution with this design: you have to be careful to unfold it completely and lock it into the open position, or it will collapse when you put weight on it.
 

NanaPat

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Country
Canada

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
Well, that went more smoothly than expected! Turns out the admin staff had set up camp outside the building with their own folding chairs (given our rink's lack of chairs). So the next time I go, I can borrow theirs and won't need to bring the cheapo plastic box that I was using as a seat. Just hope the rain stays away for now, because I wouldn't count on them bringing a picnic umbrella too!

It seems they have a lot of common sense in applying the rules, but probably prefer not to put it down in writing.

I saw kids sticking their masks into their allocated small bags with water bottles etc. Strictly speaking (since I work in a semi-medical environment) without specifying which side of the mask touches what surface of the bag, you could contaminate the inside, but for the purpose of protecting others from the wearer I guess it's alright.
 

NanaPat

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Country
Canada
Well, that went more smoothly than expected! Turns out the admin staff had set up camp outside the building with their own folding chairs (given our rink's lack of chairs). So the next time I go, I can borrow theirs and won't need to bring the cheapo plastic box that I was using as a seat. Just hope the rain stays away for now, because I wouldn't count on them bringing a picnic umbrella too!

It seems they have a lot of common sense in applying the rules, but probably prefer not to put it down in writing.

I saw kids sticking their masks into their allocated small bags with water bottles etc. Strictly speaking (since I work in a semi-medical environment) without specifying which side of the mask touches what surface of the bag, you could contaminate the inside, but for the purpose of protecting others from the wearer I guess it's alright.

You should really use a single-use zip-loc bag for used masks. We keep a paper bag in our car for the used masks because it stands upright and it's easier to dump the masks from it into the washer. When we forget the bag, I put my mask between two kleenex, which I throw away after I put the mask in the wash.
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
You should really use a single-use zip-loc bag for used masks. We keep a paper bag in our car for the used masks because it stands upright and it's easier to dump the masks from it into the washer. When we forget the bag, I put my mask between two kleenex, which I throw away after I put the mask in the wash.

Paper and Kleenex are both relatively eco-friendly options :thumbsup: The director of our workplace advocates a Tupperware container, but the ones I have at home are rather bulky.
 

MiraiFan

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
We are required to skate in our masks and give that people are breathing hard while skating, it's really the safest option.
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
We are required to skate in our masks and give that people are breathing hard while skating, it's really the safest option.
They revised our safety protocol to require masks on the ice a couple of months after rinks reopened. OP reflects the policies that were in place in July 2020 based on health authorities' advice and the situation in Southern Ontario at the time, both of which have evolved since then. At what point in 2020 did your rink implement mask wearing while skating? Skate Canada has been fairly safety-conscious as the just-cancelled Nationals indicate.

Pardon my bitterness. Due to the second wave we haven't been able to skate since late November, so having this reminder of our brief respite brought up now is rather depressing.

I know you were probably not trying to rub in the fact - the new forum layout tends to encourage digging up of outdated threads.
 
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