Before Michelangelo chiseled David out of a slab of stone, he perfected his skills by using a chainsaw and a block of ice to sculpt his fellow artist Raphael at the apex of a triple lutz. Emulate the renaissance masters’ blade skills with today’s Groupon: for $7, you get admission for two to Veterans Memorial Skating Rink (up to a $14.50 value), located in West Hartford.
The recently renovated, climate-controlled Veterans Memorial Skating Rink offers a variety of year-round recreational skating activities on its NHL-sized ice sheet. Rent a pair of foot-friendly Riedell soft skates ($4) and pass the puck to a pirouetting partner, or practice your quadruple axel. Ambience-enhancing lighting and sound systems entertain eyes and ears, while the rink-side snack bar and game room keeps skaters sated throughout their run. Veterans Memorial Skating Rink uses an emission-free, applause-powered Zamboni and electric edger to regularly smoothen the surface of the rink, so skaters can be sure it is in tip-top condition when they attempt to practice their Civil War reenactment on ice.
Veterans Memorial Skating Rink
Since 1968, the NHL-regulation ice surface at Veterans Memorial Skating Rink has hosted skaters for a bevy of blade-footed endeavors that range from recreational public-skate sessions to speed-skating lessons. For year-round open skating, participants can bring their own skates or don a pair of comfortable Riedell Soft rentals before carving figure 8s and chiaroscuro sketches of Wayne Gretzky into the ice surface. Other ice offerings include hockey and figure-skating lessons, and after skating sessions, a battery-powered Zamboni and electric edger smooth the ice's surface with minimal impact on the environment.