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12/29/2014 Roseville's John Rose Oval has good skating for all skill levels - TwinCities.com pushed her past him. "Hello, my citizen!" she called out, as if she were a queen on parade. I skated briefly alongside another mom, Kris Kergis, who was from Texas and visiting family in Minnesota. She said she hadn't skated in 20 years. Her 7 -year-old son plays hockey in Texas, but Minnesota offered a novel twist. "You get to be outdoors," he said with a grin after he came off the ice from a game. Nearing closing time, the kids and I took a break to drink our thermos of hot cocoa. We were so warm, we hardly needed warming up. Other families were coming off the ice, including the Kompelien family from Edina. "We were trying to figure out what to do as a family today," said dad Brian Kompelien, who had the day off work. "As they get older, it's harder." He and his wife had skated laps together while his daughter Emily Kompelien, 15, and son Matt Kompelien, 13, whizzed around the track. Dan Cleveland of Blaine had brought his 12 -year-old son and his son's friend to play hockey. "This is our favorite thing to do together over Christmas vacation," said Cleveland, as he took off his gear. He praised the ice, which he said was terrific given the conditions. "I'd give it an A -plus." With a few minutes left before 1 p.m., the girls and I hit the ice one last time. "I could skate all day," said my daughter's friend. I knew what she meant. On my final lap, I hit my rhythm. My arms started swinging. My blades sliced across the gravelly ice in even, long glides. It was hypnotic. As I looked down at the red lane lines embedded in the ice, I could imagine, just for a second, that I was an Olympic hopeful. THE SCOOP Avoid: Collisions. It's a one-way track. Tip: Sunny days and nice evenings draw crowds. If you want fewer people, head over when it's overcast. http://www.twi nciti es.com/Features/ci_27202403/Rosevi I I es -John- Rose-Oval-has-good-skati ng -for -al I -ski I I -levels 3/3