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Everyday English · A public skate at a community arena: renting and lacing skates, moving safely on the ice and waiting while the ice is cleaned

At the Arena: 18 Everyday English Words for Public Skating

Learn the words you hear at a public skate: arena, skate rental, blade, laces, boards and ice resurfacer, plus what to do if you wobble or fall.

Suggested Grades 3–518 everyday words10 light-review questions
Learning objectiveRecognise the everyday words of a public skate at a community arena, follow common rink instructions such as 'skate in the same direction' and 'get off the ice', and name the main parts of skates and the rink.

What to do

In late fall, many community arenas in Ontario open their ice for public skate. That is a time when anyone can come and skate for fun. You pay at the front desk, then sit on a bench and put on your skates. If you do not own skates, you can borrow a pair from the skate rental.

Before you step onto the ice, pull your laces tight so your ankles do not bend. Many arenas ask children to wear a helmet. Then you go through the gate in the boards, the low walls around the rink.

On the ice, everyone skates in the same direction, lap after lap. The ice is slippery, so it is normal to wobble at first. If you fall, get back up quickly. Partway through, a staff member may ask everyone to get off the ice while the ice resurfacer makes the ice smooth again.

You will hear these words every winter, at the arena, at school and in hockey talk. Read each word, listen to it and read the example sentence. You do not need to memorise them all today.

Core everyday words

arena

noun · uh-REE-nuh

a building with an indoor ice rink and seats around it

Example: The arena is open for skating every Sunday afternoon.

public skate

noun phrase · PUB-lik SKATE

a time when anyone can come and skate for fun, not for a team or a lesson

Example: Public skate starts at two o'clock and ends at three-thirty.

skates

noun (plural) · SKAYTS

boots with a metal blade on the bottom for moving on ice

Example: My skates feel tight because my feet grew.

skate rental

noun phrase · SKATE REN-tul

a place where you pay to borrow skates for a short time

Example: We got our skates from the skate rental counter.

blade

noun · BLAYD

the long, thin metal part under a skate that touches the ice

Example: Do not walk on the concrete floor, or you will damage the blade.

laces

noun (plural) · LAY-siz

the long strings you pull and tie to close a skate or shoe

Example: Pull the laces tight around your ankles.

tighten

verb · TY-tun

to make something fit more closely or more firmly

Example: Can you help me tighten my laces?

helmet

noun · HEL-mit

a hard hat that protects your head if you fall

Example: Many arenas ask children to wear a helmet on the ice.

boards

noun (plural) · BORDZ

the low walls all around the edge of the rink

Example: Hold on to the boards until you feel steady.

ice resurfacer

noun phrase · ICE ree-SUR-fis-er

a machine that drives slowly over the rink, scrapes the ice and spreads a thin layer of water so the ice freezes smooth again

Example: Everyone must get off the ice while the ice resurfacer goes around.

slippery

adjective · SLIP-er-ee

so smooth or wet that it is easy to slide or fall

Example: The ice is very slippery near the gate.

wobble

verb · WOB-ul

to move unsteadily from side to side

Example: I wobbled on my first lap, but I did not fall.

balance

noun · BAL-unce

the ability to stay steady without falling

Example: Bend your knees a little to keep your balance.

lap

noun · LAP

one trip all the way around the rink

Example: Let's skate three laps and then rest.

direction

noun · dih-REK-shun

the way something is moving or pointing

Example: At public skate, everyone skates in the same direction.

skating aid

noun phrase · SKAY-ting AYD

a frame you push in front of you on the ice to help you stay up while you learn

Example: My little brother used a skating aid for his first public skate.

mittens

noun (plural) · MIT-unz

warm hand coverings with one part for the thumb and one for the other fingers

Example: Wear mittens or gloves so your hands stay warm when you touch the ice.

get back up

phrasal verb · get BAK UP

to stand up again after you fall

Example: If you fall, get back up quickly so no one skates into you.

Recognise the word

Recognise the word

Choose the meaning or the word that fits.

Multiple choice

1. What is a public skate?

  1. A hockey game you can watch for free
  2. A time when anyone can come and skate for fun
  3. A skating lesson with a coach
  4. A store that sells skates
Multiple choice

2. Which part of a skate touches the ice?

  1. the laces
  2. the boot
  3. the blade
  4. the helmet
Multiple choice

3. What are the boards at a rink?

  1. The low walls around the edge of the ice
  2. The benches where people put on skates
  3. The signs that show the schedule
  4. The wooden floor in the lobby
Multiple choice

4. What does an ice resurfacer do?

  1. It sharpens skate blades
  2. It sells tickets at the front desk
  3. It plays music during the skate
  4. It makes the ice smooth again
Multiple choice

5. You skate all the way around the rink once. What did you skate?

  1. a lane
  2. a stride
  3. a lap
  4. a session

Use the word in a situation

Use the word in a situation

Think about what people really say and do at the arena.

Fill in the word

6. "My skates feel loose. Can you help me ___ my laces?"

  1. tighten
  2. wobble
  3. rent
  4. slow
Fill in the word

7. "I didn't bring skates, so I'll get a pair from the ___."

  1. penalty box
  2. skate rental
  3. ice resurfacer
  4. boards
Fill in the word

8. "Bend your knees a little. It helps you keep your ___."

  1. direction
  2. helmet
  3. lap
  4. balance
Fill in the word

9. "Oops, I fell! It's okay. Just ___ and keep going."

  1. lace up
  2. push off
  3. get back up
  4. slow down
Fill in the word

10. "Everyone, please skate in the same ___. No skating the wrong way!"

  1. direction
  2. material
  3. balance
  4. admission

Quick-check answers

  1. 1. A time when anyone can come and skate for fun
    A public skate is open skating for anyone. A hockey game, a lesson and a store are other things you might find at an arena.
  2. 2. the blade
    The blade is the thin metal part under the skate. Laces close the boot, and a helmet goes on your head.
  3. 3. The low walls around the edge of the ice
    At a rink, the boards are the walls around the ice. Beginners often hold on to them. Benches and signs are near the rink, but they are not the boards.
  4. 4. It makes the ice smooth again
    An ice resurfacer scrapes the ice and spreads a thin layer of water that freezes smooth. Skate sharpening is done with a different machine at a counter, not on the ice.
  5. 5. a lap
    One trip all the way around is a lap. A stride is one push, and a session is a block of skating time.
  6. 6. tighten
    To tighten laces is to pull them so the skate fits firmly. Wobbling is what happens when skates are too loose.
  7. 7. skate rental
    At the skate rental counter you pay to borrow skates. The penalty box is for hockey players, and the boards are the walls of the rink.
  8. 8. balance
    Balance is staying steady without falling. Bent knees make it easier to stay balanced.
  9. 9. get back up
    After you fall, you get back up: you stand up again. Lace up means putting skates on, and push off means starting to move.
  10. 10. direction
    Direction is the way you are moving. At public skate, everyone usually goes around the same way so people do not crash.

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