CARY - One by one, pulling tiny roller carts filled with their ice skates and school books, more than a dozen girls hurried in from the cold, back into the cold, for their figure skating lessons.

It was only slightly warmer in the snack bar, where the younger girls spread out their homework on several tables, and where the older girls sat down to lace-up their skates.

Seems more people are lacing up at the Cary Ice House these days. And it has something to do with all those world-class athletes sliding, spinning and gliding to victory in Vancouver.

"We just started taping the Olympic skating events yesterday," said Shari Bonini, as she watched her 13-year-old daughter Kelsey turn wide circles around the rink. "My daughter, and lots of these girls, want to try the new moves they see on TV."

Last week, parents watched children through a long window facing the rink as the girls began filing onto the ice.

A few other parents sat around laughing that one of them had to Google the rules of curling, a lesser-known of the Winter Olympic sports that many of these families are watching each night at home.

Kelsey Bonini had the spins, jumps and footwork to prove her 8 years of skating experience.

She said she's trying to master a spin move that is a trademark of her favorite past-Olympian, Sasha Cohen.

"We're out here trying to copy what the champions do," Kelsey said "And when we see them fall, we feel like it's OK to fall."

Kelsey and a few others did indeed fall.

But mostly the skaters, including 7-year-old Anna Poe, maintained a focus beyond their years.

Their quiet concentration kept the ice rink peaceful, despite the flurry of skates passing from every direction.

"The rinks definitely get more crowded during the Winter Olympics," says Randy Lee, general manager of Ice Ventures, a company that manages seven rinks in North Carolina.

Lee, who entered the ice rink business in 1990, says that sales in January are always strong, February falls off, and March really drops.

"This is definitely an Olympic year," he said.

He says 2006 was better. Back then, the economy was humming, the Winter Olympics were on - and let's not forget that movie, "Ice Princess," was popular.

"It was a perfect storm," Lee said.

This year, Lee is just happy to have the high numbers of January stick around a while longer. And the girls are just happy to have another day to make this ice rink look a little more like the one in Vancouver.