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Letter from Boston

Ice-Skating in Boston

By Masako Yamada


ボストンでスケートをする

冬のニューヨークの風物詩といえば、セントラル・パークでスケートする人々の姿ですが、雅子さんは最近、ボストンにもすてきなスケート・リンクを見つけました。それは、ボストンの公立公園、ボストン・コモンにある「カエル池」を利用したリンクです。色とりどりのジャケットを着て滑る人々は楽しげです。

I've always liked watching people skate outdoors. There is an outdoor rink at Rockefeller Center in New York, and while I've never skated there, I've looked down on the little rink many times and marvelled at the warmth of the atmosphere in that tiny nook of midtown Manhattan.

A friend of mine who has skated there told me that the skaters simply take off their shoes by the rink and leave them there when they go off to skate. They don't bother with lockers. He was amazed that this is a reality in New York City. Central Park also has a scenic outdoor rink that is framed by a park, which is framed by buildings. Both of these rinks are extremely popular.

Boston is nowhere as large as New York. It's not even one of the 10 largest cities in the States. Although I've been in the area for over five years, I had never seen an outdoor ice-skating rink aside from the frozen puddle on which my classmates skated when I was in college. Considering that Boston is a northern city, I was actually surprised at how few public skating rinks there seemed to be.

I know that the universities, including BU, have skating rinks for their ice hockey and figure-skating clubs, but access is limited to university students. And even then, the clubs get priority. However, I realize now that I was merely ignorant. I have recently discovered that Boston Common has an outdoor skating rink, and judging from the crowds I've seen on two weekends, it certainly seems to be as popular as the outdoor rinks in New York. I should have known: Boston does indeed have many amenities that match, or excel, those in any other city in the States.

Ice-skating is on the roster of city-sponsored activities. I suppose this is no surprise, since the rink is located in Boston Common, a large public park located in the heart of Boston.

The fact that it is a city-sponsored facility is rather loudly announced in the form of living advertisements. I noticed many skaters in bright yellow coats on the ice, and I took a closer look at their coats, which seemed to be some kind of uniform. Indeed, these people were the "guards" of the skating rink, and on their coats was embroidered an insignia with the name of the Boston mayor, Tom Menino.

I've been to Boston Common dozens of times, but I had never noticed the rink before. The rink is obviously not frozen during the warm-weather months, which is when I tend to wander around the park. I had simply never encountered the skating masses until now. It has suddenly become cold these days, and the pond has frozen over.

The pond is called Frog Pond, but there are no frogs in it. It is not a natural pond at all, rather a very shallow pool that is made of concrete. When the weather is warm, children dash in and out of the artificial fountain and wade in the water. It's much too shallow to swim in, but it's the perfect place for toddlers to splash around.

When the pond freezes over, it becomes accessible to people of all ages. In that sense, I think it's even nicer than it is during the rest of the year. Frog Pond is open every day from morning to night. There are lots of families on weekend afternoons, but I imagine that during weekday afternoons there must be a lot more young children with their teachers or caretakers. I've seen a sign advertising the availability of the rink for corporate entertainment purposes, too, so my guess is that plenty of adults take advantage of the rink after five.

Official guards keep an eye on the skaters during business hours, and there is even a skate rental shack by the rink for those who don't own skates. The ice is smoothed over periodically, and skate blades can be sharpened as well. The city probably spends a lot of money to maintain this rink — and admission is only $3, which can't possibly cover all costs — but it adds a lot of life to the park during the winter months when most outdoor activities slow down. This rink is a good incentive to get some fresh air and exercise. Even just watching the skaters go by in their colorful, padded jackets is a pleasure during the long, dreary months.


Shukan ST: Dec. 4, 1998

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