Rockefeller Skating Rink opens October 13

Countdown to opening day at Rockefeller Center Skating Rink in NYC! Located in midtown Manhattan (Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets), the rink opens promptly at 8:30 am on Saturday, October 13. Of the outdoor rinks in NYC, Rockefeller Rink is always the first to open and usually the Today show has a special skating guest to commemorate the opening day -- I'll be on the lookout for any announcements on that front. As a veteran of Rockefeller Rink, here are a few helpful tips:

• The rink opens daily to the general public from 8:30 am to midnight. Sessions are generally 90 minutes long. Expect to wait in long lines once the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is up. Tree arrival and lighting dates are still to be announced. From October 13 - November 8, per session it's $20/adult, $12/child and $10/skate rental. Once the holiday season begins from November 9 - January 7, the price increases to $25/adult and $15/child. From January 8 - sometime in early April when the rink closes, the price goes back to $20/adult and $12/child. 

• Skating lessons are available all season long. There are three terrific instructors on hand to provide private one-on-one lessons or semi-private lessons where two skaters can take the class together. Call (212) 332-7655 to book a lesson.

• If you want to avoid long lines and be treated like royalty, consider express skating at The Igloo,
  open November 16 - January 4. For $95/person which includes admission and skates, you avoid the lines and enter from a different entrance into an enclosed igloo-like structure where the area is heated, there is free hot chocolate and the atmosphere is just generally more pleasant. My good friend Tim runs The Igloo and he truly obsesses over the customer experience so if ya got the dough, worth it. Click here if ya got the dough.

• New this season: From November 9 - January 7, you can skate at 7 am. Yes, 7 am. $25/adult, $14/child. $10/skate rental. Click here if you're that crazy.  

• If you're like me and skate several times a week, get a Season Pass. The Season Pass information is coming soon, but in the past, the price has been in the $300 range. You bypass any line and the manager reserves most Wednesday early mornings for just season passholders to skate. You can also purchase a locker for an additional fee. If you're interested in a season pass, call (212) 332-7655. 

• Thinking of proposing? Why not at Rockefeller Rink? For $225 or $300 (depending on holiday season or not), you and the lucky one get 5 minutes on the ice (just the two of you!) while your favorite song plays overhead. Afterwards, you get a champagne toast at the Rock Center Cafe, which is adjacent to the rink. So you provide the CD of the song, a bouquet to be presented to her, and of course the ring. The rink provides the unforgettable venue. The many times I've seen an Engagement on Ice, it's really sweet and everyone claps and hollers. Click here if you're pretty sure she's gonna say "yes."

Check out the official Rockefeller Skating Rink site here and if you have any additional questions, contact the rink at (212) 332-7655.

NYC outdoor skating rinks open for the season

There's nothing quite like skating outdoors! Rockefeller Rink (photo above) was the first Manhattan outdoor rink to open -- October 8 -- and will be the last rink to close for the 2010-2011 season. Below are the four must-skate rinks if you're in New York City:

• Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center (Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th Street)
  October 8, 2010 - April 2011
  2010 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrives: Friday, November 12, 2010 (This year's 74 foot tree comes from Mahopac, NY.)
  Tree lighting ceremony: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 (Click here to watch last year's tree-lighting ceremony)

• Citi Pond at Bryant Park (Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street)
October 29, 2010 - February 27, 2011

• Wollman Rink at Central Park (entrance on Sixth Avenue and 59th Street)
October 23, 2010 - end of March/beginning of April 2011

• Lasker Rink at Central Park (entrance on 110th Street and Lenox Avenue)
  October 30 - end of March

Note: Wollman Rink at Prospect Park in Brooklyn will not be open for the 2010-2011 season as they continue construction of Lakeside, a year-round recreation center.

One Step Closer: AIDS figure skating fundraiser today in NYC featuring Oksana Baiul, Tai Babilonia, Elaine Zayak and many others

There's going to be a terrific skating exhibition today at 2:45 p.m. at Lasker Rink in Central Park, NYC. Produced by Tim David, an adult competitive skater and director of the Lasker Rink Skating School, the show is called One Step Closer and all proceeds will go to the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children. Tim is a great guy and with Brian Mancuso, Executive Director of One Step Closer, they are trying to improve the lives of children and families living with AIDS and HIV, well, one step at a time.

Among the folks who will be either speaking or skating are Oksana Baiul, Tai Babilonia, Elaine Zayak, Angela Maxwell, Parker Pennington, Lucinda Ruh, and Melissa Bulanhagui.

(Visit One Step Closer on Facebook here.)

Opening day at The Pond at Bryant Park

Today is the opening day for The Pond at Bryant Park, touted as "Manhattan's first and only free admission ice skating rink." Located on 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue, The Pond is open from now until January 24, 2010. I know lots of people who first check out Rockefeller Rink, see how long the line is, and then stroll eight blocks over to The Pond. I don't know if the lines are any better but it's nice to have two options so close together if skating is on the itinerary for the day.

To celebrate the 2009-2010 season, Ice Theatre of New York is giving a free performance this afternoon at The Pond. Also, ice dancers Allison Reed and Otar Japaridze will perform their free dance for the crowd. Allison is the younger sister of Japanese ice dance team Cathy and Chris Reed. She and Otar are a relatively new team who just qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics and will represent Georgia. The show will be from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Pertinent information for The Pond:

• Hours of Operation: Sunday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. - Midnight

• YES, general admission is free. Bring a lock in order to use the free lockers. If you want to rent a lock, it will cost $9. Be warned - the lockers are pretty small, so some people just end up using the bag check which is $9. Skate rentals are $12.

(Photos above, the first ice resurfacing of the morning for opening day at The Pond)

JoJo Starbuck begins her Cool Workouts today

Today was the first day of JoJo Starbuck's Cool Workouts at Rockefeller Rink. The three-time U.S. pairs champion (with Ken Shelley) holds her group classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 - 8:30 a.m. Each new month begins a new series. Classes are $50 each. For the month of October, there will be six classes, so the October series is $300 ($50x6). If you can't do all of the classes, there is a minimum registration of 50% of the classes for each series. (So for October, it would be $150 minimum for three classes. You can choose to do either Tuesdays or Thursdays).

To register, e-mail JoJo at jojostarbuck777[AT]gmail[DOT]com and let her know that you are interested in her Cool Workouts! AND, if you are a NY Health and Racquet Club member, you get a discounted rate for this season, so another reason to join her classes.

JoJo's been doing her Cool Workouts at Rockefeller Rink for over 20 years now! I had a chance to chat with her after her class this morning and she has quite the tie to this rink...

What's the allure of Rockefeller Rink?

JoJo Starbuck: Ever since my Mom first took me to skate at Rockefeller Rink as a little girl, it’s held a special magic for me! I skated here at age seven, when all I could really do was throw myself down into the splits and throw my arms up into the air. Ken and I skated here for fun during our competitive career whenever we passed through New York City -- It was a rare treat to skate outdoors for two kids from California. As professionals, we often skated in the Christmas Tree lighting show when it was simple and sweet.  There were stars like Lily Tomlin and Glenn Close hosting, fabulous choirs and David Rockefeller lighting the tree. After retiring from Ice Capades, we started a production company and produced quite a few skating shows here, often in concert with stage performances from Broadway’s brightest stars. We’ve  seen many changes in the world since first skating there, but the joy and magic of skating in the heart of Manhattan has never faded! Also, my husband and I got married there one June, inside the Sea Grill, with the reception outdoors, which IS The Rink in the winter. (Photos at right, JoJo greets and signs autograph for skater Elle visiting from Florida)

What's the best thing about teaching your Cool Workouts? You have quite a commute from New Jersey to here.

JoJo Starbuck: I love teaching adults! First, you know they’re here because they really want to learn. Sometimes with children, you wonder if this is their choice? Adults listen to you, ask questions and are truly delighted and amazed when they achieve a move they never dreamed they’d accomplish. It’s great to share that journey with them. Plus, my students at Rockefeller Center have become a beautiful part of my life. Each person entering the class has so much to give. They come to learn a sport or hobby but end up sharing a part of themselves with me and many others in the class. It becomes a real win/win in many other ways as well. While I hate my alarm going off so early, walking down those stairs to the Rink is always a charge and I’m full of anticipation, knowing the feeling of pure bliss I’ll soon have as we float across the clean, perfect, empty Rink!

JoJo also told me that she is excited about her new website jojostarbuck.com which is still in development, and promises that there will be a lot more information on it in the near future. Can't wait!