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Pettit National Ice Center continues to grow U.S. speedskating while offering so much more by Jessi Pierce Featured Rink Pettit National Ice Center | | Milwaukee, Wis. The SPEED Need For HE AVERAGE SPEED for an ice hockey player is anywhere from 10 to 20 miles per hour—with play- ers like Connor McDavid and Kendall Coyne-Schofield capable of exceeding that in any skills competition. Figure skaters? They're cruising at about 15 miles per hour, and can hit as many as six revolutions per minute when dazzling with spins. But if you're talking top-end speed, look no further than the speedskaters, who clock in on average 35-37 miles per hour. And at Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, there's never a shortage of speed. The three-rink facility has long been home to US Speedskating and is one of only 30 indoor 400-meter ovals in the world—the sixth oldest having opened in December of 1992. Today, the Pettit features not only the Olympic Oval, but two Olympic-sized rinks (200-by-100 feet), a 443-meter run- walk track, training rooms and so much more. The speedskating Olympic Oval is open September through March, with the hockey rinks open year-round. "Speedskating is what makes us unique," General Manager Paul Golomski said. "It's the fastest human-powered sport in existence. "But it's more than that, too. We have hockey and the diversity of synchronized skating and short-track speedskating, and we do some curling events that the diversity of our programs is really what makes us strong." The Home of Speedskating Pettit National Ice Center has been expanding the interest of speedskating since the facility's beginnings in 1992. Prior to its opening, skating ovals could be found in pockets around the U.S, but none that were located indoors. "Southeastern Wisconsin has really always been kind of home to speed- T 16 / JANUARY.FEBRUARY.2024 USICERINKS.COM