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Pae iht. , n 'r'..'w I V rnA '5L i N Sunday, March Z, 1958 T F Ar c k ilw kA''~.r


Whizz Kids & Railbirds
Skating at The Coliseum

By.MICHAEL KRAFT his strength by continually ad-
Daily staff Writer monishing his partner for not be-
R AILBIRDS are usually associ- ing able to skate fast enough. The
ated with horse racing. But female displays her femininity by
the term can just as easily be ap- wearing slacks and asking her
plied to a flock of birds in the partner to hold her hand "for sup-
University's ice rink, the Coliseum, port."
ordinarily inhabited by the hockey Social skaters are also found in
team. groups, usually around the exits
These "railbirds" are skaters from the rink to the bleachers.
making their first appearances on Another habitat is the corner of
ice. They're fledglings of a modern the rink where they teach each
generation of blade-footed crea- other to skate backwards or watch
tures skimming across public skat- "rink resters" falling frontwards.
ing rinks. A solitary creature of the rink
Shaky legs, weak ankles, and an is the "whizz kid." Often he is an
unwillingness to wander more American from one of the north-,
than an arm's length from the ern states out to prove he's good
railing of the boards encircling the enough for the hockey team despite
rink stand out as the "railbirds" lack of Canadian citizenship.
prime traits. Speedsters of the rink, they habi-
The first advance from the "rail- tually zip around the ice and
bird" stage is the "rink rester." suddenly swoop in on victims,
These are slightly experienced usually social skaters or rink rest-
skaters whose ankles are a trifle ters.
stronger but still are not capable The "whizz kid's" basic tactic is
o: making more than one trip to cut suddenly in front of a slower
around the rink without needing skater and dart between groups of
rest. The song of the "rink rester" people to flash his dexterity. More
goes, "this is the first time I've devisive minded "whizz kids" skate
been skating for years." The mat- backwards in the mainstream of
ing call replies, "Why don't we sit traffic, demonstrating disdain for
down for awhile?" hazards.
THIS SONG is almost identical OCCASIONALLY middle-age
to that warbled by the social fathers try to teach their kids
skater. Normally found in pairs, how to skate. When alone, these
the male of the species shows off normally stolid older men revert

to the "look ma, I'm still youth-
ful" stage. Unable to match the
"whizz kids" in speed, they empha-
size polish by gliding in long meas-
ured strides, in tune to the music,
hands clasped behind the back.
The more determined, and es-
pecially those with some hair, will
even smoke a pipe and wear a
scarf thrown carelessly around the
neck, ends dangling over the shoul-
der.
However, the "dashing" figure
cut by these gentlemen is contin-
ually overshadowed by the figures
traced in the middle of the rink.
Here, in an island of calm amidst
the rotating stream of skaters,
congregate the most highly de-
veloped type "iceous skaterous."
Called "spinners" because of
their peculiar motions while figure
skating, they particularly enjoy
skating backwards with one leg
raised. This showing-off undoubt-
edly is the reason for having
hockey players skate around dur-
ing public sessions wearing "rink
guard" jackets.
SOME OF THE better figure
skaters grow tired of fighting
through traf'ic to reach center ice.
Many join the Ann Arbor Figure
Skating Club, which rents rink
time.
And some of the "whizz kids"
even make the hockey team ,. . .in

THE EXPERT WAY-Mary Greschke, skating instructor for the
University and the Ann Arbor Skating Club demonstrates how
to do it.
the intramural program. Between soon afterward. A major expan-
public skating, varsity hockey sion and remodeling in 1949 gave
practice, University physical edu- the building its present roof and
cation classes and club use, the modern facilities.
Coliseum is in almost constant In 1924 artificial ice equipment'
activity. was installed. Before "we just
As many as 700 people have opened the windows and the sides
flocked to the hockey rink for of the rink and let nature take its.
Sunday afternoon skating, Mana- course," Nate Weinberg, son of the
ger Harry Cadeburg says. Coliseum's founder recalls. "I can.
remember when we played hockey
ACTUAILY, the rink is as fasci- games with an inch of water on
nating as its creatures. Built the ice," he said.
in 1913 the building provided Ann "Times have changed since then.
Arbor with an amusement center The place used to attract a some-
for swimming, skating, both ice what different group of people
and roller, and carnivals were when it was a natural ice rink."
housed under the roof. In 1924, And looking at the creatures
however, the roof burned and the who now inhabit the rink, he may
University bought the Coliseum be right.

RAILBIR D
.. . a fledgling

WIIIZZ 5 ID-. o ing past vieims, a s eedt r of iihe rink,
shown at right, fi hs hi agility for. n ody that looks like aRINK ESTER
hockey coach. "...ostosi"

SOCIAL SKATERS-"Let's go faster," he says, displaying his
strength. "Hold me for support," she says, showing feminity.
Soon, they sit down.

"THE SKATERS
... Waltz"

FORM
, . . cuts ice

GAY BLADE
"... Look Ma!"