Extra-Curricular Activities: Ice Skating at the Royale Bintang Ice Skating Rink

I took Aristotle ice skating recently. We went to the new ice skating rink at the Royale Bintang Damansara Hotel near eCurve. Firstly, I have to say that I ought to be pleased he was so amenable to the suggestion in the first place since he isn’t really the kind of child that is eager to try new things that are out of his comfort zone. That said, we lasted the whole of three quarters of a circuit around the ice before he decided he’d had enough. It seemed like we were barely out on the ice before he was hanging up his skates and calling it a day. He came, he saw, he tried, and now he’s done with ice skating – forever.

Looks like I’ll be waiting for Hercules to step up…

I should have done my homework before throwing Aristotle into the deep end. If you’re interested to let your child try ice skating, this is the general advice:

• Your child should be at least 5 years old, preferably 7 years old. 5 year olds need to be accompanied by their parents. 7 year olds can go it alone.
• Let your child try rollerblading first. The idea behind this is so that they are familiar with the idea behind skating. The transition from terra firma to slippery skates on ice may be too much of a jump for most kids. If they have a general idea of rollerblading, they will have something to fall back on. If you’re wondering where to go, try Rollersports World. They have three locations – Sungai Wang, Bangsar Shopping Complex, and Endah Parade.
• The problem most children have when skating is that their legs are not strong enough (that’s why you need to wait until they are about 7 years old). The best way to help your child strengthen his/her legs is to do gymnastics. You can take your child for gymnastics at Flykidz, Young Explorer, or The Little Gym.

Additional advice from our experience:

• You can get a penguin skating aide for your child to hang onto while on the ice but most kids seemed to do okay just hanging onto the side railing. I’m wondering if that would have been a better bet for Aristotle because there is more security from the railing compared to the penguin aide which also moves. Once your child is more confident on the ice, the penguin aide comes in handy as a confidence builder prior to going solo.
• I did try to pull Aristotle along while he held the penguin but he had the problem of falling because he couldn’t keep his skates straight.

The Royale Bintang Ice Skating Rink

Address:

• 2, Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Contact:

• Ice Skating Manager: Mr Abraham Gasre – +6012-2960773
• Ice Skating Supervisor: Mr Alan Tham – +6012-6082011
• Sales Office: Ms Fiona Chan – +603-79599000

Operating Hours:

• 10am-10pm daily.

Fees:

• Early Bird Special (before 12pm) – RM25 (includes skates)
• Entry after 12pm – RM30 (includes skates)
• Penguin skating aid rental: RM25/hr
• Gloves: RM8 a pair
• Socks: RM6 a pair
• Locker hire: RM2

Classes

Currently, they do not offer certified classes, but you can book lessons at RM55 per half hour. You’ll learn the basics – how to fall, how to get up, and how to skate confidently on the ice. They only have one instructor at the moment so it’s best to book in advance in order to secure your lesson. If you want proper lessons, you will still have to go to Sunway Pyramid.

What to Wear

It gets a little cold before you get on the ice so jeans or long pants and a light sweater or cardigan are recommended. I found I warmed up quickly from the exertion on the ice, though. Socks and gloves are compulsory so bring a set or you can buy them at the ticket counter.

Related:

• Rollerblading at Rollersports
• The Wheelie Experience