Onyx Rochester Ice Arena

Nice rink, clean, cold… The usual. Came to watch my BF’s playoff hockey game (@ 9:15pm… Pretty early) the concession stand is always closed! Bummer! What’s a girl got to do to get a slushee and a soft pretzel?! smh

I really appreciate having a rink like this near my house, as where I grew up there were always tons of single rinks, at most a place that contained two rinks. So it’s nice that this as three.
Heads up on the open hockey however. I play here periodically, every few weeks, and it’s not like what I am used to (I didn’t attend open hockey much back in the day because the level of play was too low). I am used to open hockey being largely firefighters, police officers and just regular joes that don’t have time to play on a team– instead open hockey here is filled with young kids that play college level hockey. So it can be kind of a bummer to go and get creamed by people that actually play on hockey teams. Just a forewarning.

This place has some nice ice! There are so many rinks in the area that really don’t seem to care what the sheet is like, so I appreciate when we skate at other rinks that don’t have brown/​gouged/​bumpy ice (I’m in a metro-​D women’s league). And, best of all, the Saturday evening open skate was one of the few I’ve been to in recent years where I didn’t have to repress a desire to clothesline someone! I am especially appreciative of the courteous people at open skate even with how crowded it was because when we go it’s to teach our friends’ small children how to skate and I’m always nervous about someone taking the wee ones out and scaring them off the skating. As for the non-​rink areas, they are spacious and very clean. Overall a great skating experience and I can’t wait for the next time we play here (or maybe I can since it’s at 11 pm at night and I should be in bed by then)!

With the crazy polar vortex infused winter we have had, what would be more fun than spending a pile of time in a frozen arena ice skating? Nothing.
Last week I met up with my friends Michelle M. and Madelyn S. to drop in for open skate at Onyx. Onyx is a huge facility with two (maybe there were three?) rinks. Open skate was from 12:00 — 2:00 p.m. (I think there is adult only time before?) and is $ 5.00 for skate rental and skating, or $ 3.00 is you have your own skates. Service was quick and the skates I rented were in decent shape.
On the ice there were about 25 people there throughout the hour and a half we spent skating. What was refreshing was that there was the entire spectrum of talent abilities, including a girl practicing her best Nancy Kerrigan spinning and a dad with his maybe two year old introducing the child who could barely walk to skating – it was adorable. The fact that they were playing the most amazing assortment of music just made it all the better – we’re talking Fleetwood Mac, Adele, Rod Stewart, etc. I said I wish there were disco balls and flashing lights – Madelyn said that it’s probably better that there aren’t. I am happy to report that I didn’t fall once, but did come close a few times.
I believe Onyx has lessons, hockey leagues, and figure skating troupes a la Ice Princess, though I bet they don’t have a Trachetnberg. I think Onyx’s open skate would be an amazing date or just afternoon of exercise with friends for those looking for something out of the box, the only downside is that awkward sweaty feeling while still being absolutely freezing. Go Onyx!

Great facility and staff. You can register your kids for the Learn to Skate program, book a birthday party or just visit open skate. Good times!

This is the nicest ice rink in all of Michigan. The place is bright, cheery

Do you like to play?* Do you know how to ice skate? Or do you watch the Red Wings and think, «I could do that»? When I watch Zetterberg fall for no reason, I often think I could do that. Learning how to skate is playing for adults (and I guess for children too). It’s fun, it’s silly, it’s silly fun.
If you’re already an ace skater, bring a date that isn’t. There is no end to the amusement a flailing skater provides as you try and teach them the basics. Just don’t be obnoxious and do things like skate backwards, stop without skating into something, or not fall. Ugh, I can already tell you’re insufferable. Anyone who can skate better than me is.
I won’t try and hide that I am not a very good skater. I am such a not good skater, that Frank (the sweetest employee to ever be employeed) started giving me tips when I returned my rented skates. These tips progressed into Frank bringing in his own skates one day to try and teach me on the ice. That’s right. An employee pitied me so, that he took it upon himself to teach this charity case. Now I’m a rock star at skating. A rock star that can’t skate backwards, can’t stop without colliding with something (or someone), but doesn’t fall anymore. Baby steps.
Onyx has at least one open skate session every day. I recommend with the fire of a thousand suns you do not go on the weekends. Unless of course, you enjoy a moving obstacle course made up of children intentionally trying to make you fall (sometimes by sliding in front of you on their bellies like penguins), or groups of teenage girls holding hands across the breadth of the arena.
«You can’t open ice check children!» Whatever. I’ll knock off a star for that oppressive rule.
Weekday skates are $ 3 with a $ 2 rental. Plus, you get to see Frank. He’ll always make sure you have the right size and the sharpest skates, which sometimes means changing them after you’ve put them on. He does this because he is awesome. If you’re going on the weekend because you prefer a challenge, admission is $ 6 with a $ 3 rental. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Another warning: If you see me there and you can skate better than me (probable), keep this in mind. You are the Nancy Kerrigan to my Tanya Harding. Watch out.

*I mean the kind of play children engage in. No real reason except the joy it provides. Not the kind of fun kids who put a magnifying glass over ants have. Ditto to the kids who pop off their sister’s Barbie doll heads. That’s wrong, you brat.

Blown away by how classy this rink is, I am from Southern California and we have a couple rinks to compare it to, but this was by far better then what I am used to, very clean place and the hockey equipment in the pro shop was cheaper then California

Well run leagues, Clean and well maintained.