Last week I had a unique skating experience.  No, I wasn’t lacing up my skates to achieve greatness for the Chicago Blackhawks.  I was skating on the world’s highest ice skating rink, an experience almost as much fun.

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It’s billed as “Skating in the Sky” and it runs through March on the 94^th floor of the John Hancock Center. That’s about 1,000 feet above Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, both of which are among the fantastic views offered from the rink. The rink measures about 50 feet by 20 feet, which is roughly 25 percent of an NHL rink.  The surface is made of XTRAICE, a state-of-the-art synthetic substance, which also allows the room to be kept at a comfortable temperature. There were skaters of all ages and varying skill levels.  Everyone had room to fly and room to sprawl.  The rink has padding, which would prevent anyone from tumbling into (and through) a window.

The 25-minute session was a lot of fun.  While I didn’t get to skate alongside Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews, I still walked away feeling sky high.

— John Wroblewski, distribution specialist