Bird Arena

My home rink is Bird Arena in Athens Ohio. It's owned and operated by Ohio University. From its appearance, I believe it was built in the early '60s. There was an addition to the front of the rink to expand the lobby and skate rental space and to add a 2nd floor mezzanine sometime in the late '80s or early '90s.

Freestyle times are adequate, with 6:30-8 am morning sessions on Mondays, evening sessions 4:30 - 6 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, Friday afternoons, and Saturday mornings 7:30-9:00. These times change a little from year to year.

Freestyle ice costs $7.00/45 minutes. Coaches are university students who have passed some USFSA tests.

The rink is not open year around because it is not insulated. The season starts in early September for freestyle (October for public skating), and lasts until late March or early April.

Here are some photos of the facility:

	Here's a skater's eye-view of the rink looking toward the lobby entrance and mezzanine above it. Windows line the upper side of one wall (not shown in this picture). The natural light helps make the rink feel less "industrial".
	This is the lobby - a small affair for figure skaters to lace up in and woefully inadequate for crowded public sessions.
	The ceiling is not insulated, so the skating season is limited to the cooler months. It's built like the old quonset hut/airplane hangar construction with a curved ceiling.
	The more modern mezzanine is a nice place for parents to wait while their kids get lessons.
	The view from the rink's front door - right across the street from the rink is the new student center at Ohio University. It houses a food court, snack bars, and a coffee shop with a fireplace. Because it's built on a hill, the back exit on the top floor is also at street level. An escalator carries people from this level to the upper level. It opened for business January 2, 2006. This picture was made a month before it opened.
Visit the official Bird Arena web site

Bill Schneider
12/29/2006

revised 12/31/2006
revised again 1/26/2009