OLYMPIC SKATERS WARM UP TO SIMI ICE : EASY STREET ARENA DRAWS STARS.Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer She could teach ice skating ice skating, gliding along an ice surface on keellike runners known as ice skates. Skating as a Sport Skating, besides being an important form of winter recreation and the essential skill in the game of ice hockey (see hockey, ice) has developed at a rink 10 minutes from her Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. home, but Tiffany Chin Tiffany Chin (Traditional Chinese: 陳婷婷, Simplified Chinese: 陈婷婷 pinyin: Chén Tíngtíng , b. October 3, 1967) is an American figure skater who grew up in San Diego, California. prefers to drive almost an hour to a rink on the west end of Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. . The lure, she says, is simple. ``The ice,'' Chin said. ``Lots of ice.'' The former national champion and Olympian has been giving private figure-skating lessons at the Easy Street Arena for almost a year. And while she often makes the Simi Valley trip twice a day, the ice is well worth the distance, she said. Ice advocates like Chin know that a good rink is hard to find. Scheduling conflicts, crowded ice and other glitches make it tough for big-name skaters to give private lessons, choreograph routines or fit in their own practice time, Chin explained. But on Easy Street, the ice is very inviting. There are two surfaces: one the size of an Olympics figure-skating rink and the other the size of a National Hockey League National Hockey League (NHL) Organization of professional North American ice-hockey teams. The league was formed in 1917 by five Canadian teams; the first U.S. team, the Boston Bruins, was added in 1924. It today consists of 30 teams in two conferences and six divisions. rink. There is only one other such double rink - Iceplex in North Hills - in the vicinity of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Terry Tonius, Easy Street Arena director of skating, said the double surfaces give skaters more space, more ice access and a better atmosphere. ``The word is getting out,'' Tonius said. ``It's the ice they drive out here for.'' Olympic skaters have been attracted to the Simi arena since it opened more than a year ago: Peter Carruthers Peter Carruthers (born July 22, 1959 in Boston, Massachusetts) was an American figure skater. He competed in pairs with his adopted sister Kitty Carruthers. The duo captured four gold medals at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and a silver medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics. , who won an Olympic silver medal in 1984 for pairs skating with his sister Kitty, has been giving private lessons at the rink since it first opened. Olympic champion Scott Hamilton Scott Hamilton can refer to any of the following people:
Pairs skaters Randy Gardner Randy Gardner can mean:
Russian 1976 silver medalist Vladimir Kovalev, who also won world figure skating titles in 1977 and 1979, is spotted from time to time on the ice sharpening his skills. Pairs skaters Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur, who won the 1993 U.S. championship in ice dancing, also practice in Simi Valley. Gardner said rinks like the Easy Street Arena are hard to find. ``A lot are really crowded,'' said Gardner, who conducted a casting call at the arena last week for the coming movie, ``Mrs. Santa Claus
Mrs. Santa Claus is a 1996 television musical starring Angela Lansbury as the wife of Santa Claus. The musical score for Mrs. ,'' a Hallmark Hall of Fame Christmas musical. ``This is one of the best-kept secrets in Simi Valley.'' Gardner, who lives in Marina Del Rey, has been using the facility for about a year to choreograph and train with Babilonia. He believes the presence of star skaters on the ice gives an incentive to young hopefuls. ``We give them inspiration and encouragement,'' Gardner said. Gardner, who drives 45 minutes to Easy Street, said the arena is worth the trip. Carruthers, who lives in Thousand Oaks, said his seven-mile drive is ideally short. ``This is perfect for me,'' Carruthers said. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1--color in SIMI only) Olympic figure skating me dalist Scott Hamilton practices at the Easy Street Arena in Simi. Tina Gerson/Daily News (2--ran in SIMI only) Former U.S. national figure-skating champion and Olympian Tiffany Chin gives a lesson to Lynsey Azzarelo, 8, in Simi Valley. (3--ran in SAC only) Olympic pairs-skating medalist Peter Carruthers shows technique to Dana Salesbury, 12, at the Easy Street Arena. Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News |
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