Picture this. You’re at the local ice skating rink with your family. Your skill levels range from mostly competent to downright embarrassing, but you’re still having a good time going around and around in a circle. Suddenly, a young lady who is clearly a figure skater steps onto the ice and does her thing. How do you feel about this?

For me, it depends. At the Open Skates I’ve been to over the past couple of years, the outer perimeter of the rink is for the rubes among us, and a smaller, coned-off section in the middle is for the real figure skater girlies to practice their triple salchows. I think that’s a great compromise because it allows everyone sufficient space appropriate for their skill levels without hurting others. I would get pretty annoyed if an advanced skater tried to take up all space during a time slot that was clearly not designed for them