East Penn Speedskating Club
We are a short track ice speedskating club based in Eastern Pennsylvania with members from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware who skate for leisure, fitness and competition. We cater to a wide range of skaters of all ages, and from absolute beginners through Olympic athletes.
About Us
East Penn Speedskating Club was founded in the fall of 1997 by Hence Bollinger, a local businesswoman, cyclist and speedskating enthusiast. While reading a local newspaper, Hence discovered a local woman by the name of Leslie Corbett Bader. Leslie was a member of the 1988 Olympic Team in long track speedskating. Bollinger used her business sense to acquire ice time, safety mats and club skates. Combined with the coaching and competition experience of Corbett, a club was born.
Hence Bollinger - Club Founder
East Penn Speedskating Club is a short track ice speedskating club based in Eastern Pennsylvania with members from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware who skate for leisure, fitness and competition. We cater to a wide range of skaters of all ages, and from absolute beginners through Olympic athletes.
We skate at the Power Play in Exton, PA, and we always welcome new skaters at our team ice practice sessions
OUR COACH
Kyle Carr has had an exciting and successful career as both a short track and in-line speedskater, capping it with a fourth overall at the 2014 Olympic Trials, and skating for the US Olympic Team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. As a member of the US World Cup team every year from 2010–13, he also won a bronze at the World Championships in 2011.
Kyle has been coached by skating greats, including Mikel Percy, U.S. National short-track coach Guy Thibault, U.S. National and Canadian National coach Steve Gough, 2006 Olympic Bronze Medalist Alex Izykowski, and our own Shawn Walb. Kyle also studied exercise science at the University of Northern Michigan and first started coaching speedskating in 2008, coaching several short track camps in Wausau, WI.
Meet Our Executive Members
Vice President
Bill Romanelli
President
Bill has been the president of the East Penn Speedskating club since 2015
Kyle Carr
Coach
Kyle has been our coach since 2015
Penelope Romanelli
Skater Representative
Penelope is the skater representative and has been skating with the club since 2015
Jeff Grable
Board Member
Jeff is the General Manager of Power Play Rinks and has partnered with East Penn to help expand membership.
Dmitriy Provod
Dmitriy joined our club together with his son David in 2019
Equipment
Having your own equipment will allow you to participate in activities that are not at East Penn’s home rink.
We trust Special Equipment to supply many of our equipment needs, along with The SkateNow Shop.
Equipment
Skin Suits
"Help me help you."
Skin suits not only make you look like a superhero, but they will help you go faster, and they will help us tweak your technique. Suits come with built-in shin and knee pads (no more "I forgot to put on my knee pads!" after putting on skates). Cut resistant material (Spectra) can be built into the suit for added protection from the sharp blades. It is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended.
Skates
In speedskating, skates are generally discussed as boots and blades separately. Boots vary by materials, molding potential, and stiffness; boots start at around $250. Blades vary by hardness of metal, and engineering; various bends, rockers, etc. Blades start at $145.
Things you should consider before purchasing:
Age
Do you need to have reservations for growth? Both the boot and blade sizes vary based on the height, weight, and skill level of the skater. (One strategy against obsolete equipment is to buy something slightly larger and use thicker socks, thinning down until the foot truly outgrows the boot).
Anticipated Dedication
If the skater is pretty much done growing (please do not include wishful thinking), it may make sense to spend more money on more durable boots (better control/command on skates) and blades made of harder metal (less sharpening, more control on choppy ice).
Consumption Personality
Are you the type that likes getting new things often? Getting a progression of skates on par with skill level will provide you the opportunity to get new "toys" more often, while creating a reserve of backup equipment, and perhaps some equipment you can share with those friends that you want to get into this sport you love.
Accessories
Cut-Resistant Gloves
For all those times your hands go down when you fall.
Helmet
Bike helmets are acceptable, but they have many more holes (for airflow) than speed skating helmets do. You can hold off on buying one of these, but eventually, you will want one.
Sharpening Tools
You will want to have a jig, sharpening stones, and burr stones.
Speed Tips
Beginning skaters don’t need these.
FAQ
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Directions
We are conveniently located near interstate 76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike)
Please, click on the map to get directions from your location.
