Requiem for Ice Rinks

[SkateFan4Life]

Do any of you have a favorite ice rink that has closed its doors? My favorite childhood indoor ice rink (not the one I mentioned in my "roller derby on ice" thread) was located in the Casino, on the Asbury Park boardwalk, right by the ocean. The rink was rather small, but it was well run, and it was a haven for us to skate indoors during the fall/winter/spring when the outdoor ice wan't suitable for skating.

Sadly, the rink was destroyed by fire years ago, and the rink was never repaired or rebuilt. If you walk into the Casino (which itself is falling apart) you can still see the debris from the fire. I walked over the a year or so ago and peeked inside from the boardwalk side of the rink. What a shock - the rink is now an ad hoc sand dune, packed with beach grass. Don't ask me how the grass grew and survives in that environment, but it does. Needless to say, there won't be any more skating in that facility.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Much too many both ice and roller rinks closed for the sake of "progress".

Joe

 

[mpal2]

The one and only rink in my town (a mall rink) was closed for the sake of putting in more insurance offices. There are only a few hundred insurance offices but they seem to think we need more. I haven't been able to skate since. I hate this redneck small town. They would like to think they're a city, but when everyone knows everyone else, you're a town not a city.

 

[IDLERACER]

Many rinks have come and gone, here in Los Angeles. Besides the ones I mentioned in the other thread, there was also the Topanga Plaza rink, and the one in Covina, but ask anyone who grew up on the westside like me, and they'll all wax poetic about the Santa Monica Ice Capades Chalet. They never actually tore down the building, they just hollowed it out and turned it into a Fred Segal's clothing store (which still stands at the corner of 5th and Broadway).

Everyone my age will always remember both Tai & Randy and Starbuck & Shelley always training and clowning around on the ice during public sessions in the early 70s. The place had an extremely low ceiling (for a rink) and the accousitcs were atrocious, but that and the tacky mirror balls hanging from it just added to it's charm.

If your curious to know what it looked like, go rent the first Rocky movie. It's where Sylvester Stallone takes Talia Shire for a lap around the rink. Whenever it comes on TV, that fire-engine red wallpaper always takes me right back to being a young teen again.​

 

[Ladskater]

Do any of you have a favorite ice rink that has closed its doors? My favorite childhood indoor ice rink (not the one I mentioned in my "roller derby on ice" thread) was located in the Casino, on the Asbury Park boardwalk, right by the ocean. The rink was rather small, but it was well run, and it was a haven for us to skate indoors during the fall/winter/spring when the outdoor ice wan't suitable for skating.

Sadly, the rink was destroyed by fire years ago, and the rink was never repaired or rebuilt. If you walk into the Casino (which itself is falling apart) you can still see the debris from the fire. I walked over the a year or so ago and peeked inside from the boardwalk side of the rink. What a shock - the rink is now an ad hoc sand dune, packed with beach grass. Don't ask me how the grass grew and survives in that environment, but it does. Needless to say, there won't be any more skating in that facility.

Wow!! I can't believe that!!!! The only rink I know of in British Columbia that has closed is the Victoria Memorial arena (on the Island) where I used to skate, but that is because they are building a brand new rink!!!!

I honestly, don't know of any rinks in Canada that have been closed due to lack of use. If anything skating is as popular here as ever and new improved rinks are springing up all over the place.

Of course, in places that get huge amounts of snow - there is always outdoor skating rinks available as well.

Here is the new arena: It's awesome!!

http://www.city.victoria.bc.ca/cityhall/currentprojects_multipurpose_webcam.shtml

I think I need to take a trip over to Victoria to check it out!!! Skating anyone?

 

[treeskater]

SkateFan4Life - do you perhaps remember seeing in the '40-50's Evelyn Chandler? I did a biography of her and I remember some info about the fire and the Asbury rink. Just curious.......

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Wow!! I can't believe that!!!! The only rink I know of in British Columbia that has closed is the Victoria Memorial arena (on the Island) where I used to skate, but that is because they are building a brand new rink!!!!

Here is the new arena: It's awesome!!

I think I need to take a trip over to Victoria to check it out!!! Skating anyone?

Awesome is an understatement, Ladskater! WOW!!!

I forgot to mention a rink in Brick Township, NJ, that (I think) closed a number of years ago. It's the rink where a young Rocky Marval used to skate. I skated there once, many years ago. It was rinky-dinky, to put it bluntly.

I'm happy to say that the local rink in my area - American Hockey & Ice Center has undergone a huge expansion program. So many people were enrolled in the learn-to-skate and public skate sessions, not to mention the hordes of grammar school, high school, and college kids who are involved in hockey leagues, that a third indoor rink has been constructed. Praises be.

 

[SkateFan4Life]

SkateFan4Life - do you perhaps remember seeing in the '40-50's Evelyn Chandler? I did a biography of her and I remember some info about the fire and the Asbury rink. Just curious.......

That's a bit before my time - I've never heard of Evelyn Chandler. The fire at the Asbury Park Casino ice rink occurred in the mid 1960s, to the best of my memory.

You should see the Casino today. It's a total wreck, and how it still stands is a mystery to me. I think the building is standing merely by habit and not by its structural integrity. And, yet, it's managed to survive a number of hurricanes and strong coastal storms over the decades.

It used to house a wonderful carousel with wooden horses - all of which have been gone for decades.

And, all you Bruce Springsteen fans - the Casino is located about a 5-minute walk from the Stone Pony, which "The Boss" made famous.

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Much too many both ice and roller rinks closed for the sake of "progress".

Joe

How true. Another ice skating rink in my area closed about a decade ago. The rink was located close to a major highway, and the land was purchased by a developer who proceeded to demolish the rink and build a townhouse and condominium complex.

 

[NJSk8Fan]

The only rink anywhere near me, as far as I know, is in Vorhees, NJ. I believe it was where the Phila. Flyers used to practice. In the 70's, I took some very basic skating lessons there just for the fun of it, you got to skate with the public session for free after the lesson. My Mom used to take me to this same place to watch the roller derby. I believe it's still there, tho I haven't been in that area since the 70's.
There was rumor of an ice rink to be built where a new planned community was being built a few miles from me, but I don't think it ever was built.
As a side note, the Flyers wanted to buy a piece of my husband's late-grandfathers farmland, located right across the street from where we live, to built their practice rink on...the land ordinances and what not wouldn't allow it, so the deal never went thru. I can only imagine "what could have been"....I'm sure the family could've struck some sort of deal that we get to use the ice sometimes.

 

[SkateFan4Life]

A number of years ago, when I was living/working in the Philadelphia area, I skated in a small skating rink close to Valley Forge. That rink, I believe, was demolished years ago to make way for a corporate office park. There used to be a beautiful farm not far from where I lived - this, too, was sold and is now the home of IBM, Xerox, Siemens, you name it.

 

[GabrielaB]

Our local rink in Altrincham, Cheshire, UK closed down last year. It was the only rink in the Greater Manchester area. We had some good coaches, Joan Slater (who coaches the Kerrs) taught there for many years.

I use to take my daughter there for lessons every Saturday morning, the rink had seen better days but the staff were great & the place had such a friendly atmosphere.
I think its a shame that a city the size of Manchester does not have a single ice rink. Some of our best skaters travel to North Wales for skating lessons but the long journey is difficult for some of the young skaters and their families.
I really hope that we get a new ice rink one day.

 

[JOHIO2]

I think it is a shame too. Anyway, welcome to the board Gabriela. I hope you can find a rink that's not too far away. I know the top competitors think nothing of a long commute, but the rest of us do require a more reasonable distance.

 

[BronzeisGolden]

hate this redneck small town. They would like to think they're a city, but when everyone knows everyone else, you're a town not a city.

Not Chattanooga! How could you say such a thing about this mad-for-skating paradise?

Also, welcome Gabriela!

 

[IDLERACER]

hate this redneck small town. They would like to think they're a city, but when everyone knows everyone else, you're a town not a city.

Oh, so thats the difference between a city and a town. Now if everyone not only knew everyone else but were related to one another, would that make it a "Village"? ​

 

[Grgranny]

I guess I must live in a village. Seems as if everyone is related to several others. :banging:

 

[mpal2]

:yes: Now you're getting the idea! :agree:

These new emoticons are kind of fun!

 

[Snowflake3939]

Wow!! I can't believe that!!!! The only rink I know of in British Columbia that has closed is the Victoria Memorial arena (on the Island) where I used to skate, but that is because they are building a brand new rink!!!!


I loved driving past the old "Memorial" and seeing the ivy growing all over it whenever we visited Victoria. The last time I was in Victoria, it was sad to see the empty spot where it had once been. But now that I've seen your photo of the new rink - I'm hoping that we will get to see it host the Canadian Championships, very, very soon!!!!

 

[Jill]

Here in Pittsburgh, we once had a nice outdoor rink called Alpine Ice Chalet. At the time, I thought it was huge! I think it was torn down in the late 70s/early 80s.

There was also an indoor rink at the Monroeville Mall where I skated for a few years. I can't remember exactly when it was closed to make way for a food court. Like Americans aren't fat enough.

But my best memories are of the rink in my home town. The local firemen would flood a section of the fire hall parking lot and we could skate there from 10 in the morning until 11 at night. There was always a bonfire, and a concession stand where they would sell hot dogs and hot chocolate. I don't know what they put in the chocolate, but it's never tasted so good as it did there at that rink. It was THE place to be on Friday nights, where you could always find a date for Saturday !

It's too bad that most kids never know how much fun it is to skate outside in the winter.

 

[pipsqueak]

The Olden Days

Hi JillLQ: When I was a kid, we lived for awhile in a little town outside of Altoona, Pennsylvania, and the firemen also flooded a man-made pond, planned just for winter ice skating, in the local Veteran's Park. I think they still do so. I have great memories of skating there from dawn 'til dusk, with hand-warming fires built in old oil barrels around the perimeter. The town also closed off one of the best streets on a hill for the winter so we could sled without killing ourselves, running into boulders or outbuildings. At the bottom of the hill was an old converted gas station-turned corner store called "The Susie-Bee". You could sled all day and go home with a 5-cent bubblegum and baseball card pack....or maybe 2-cent big red parafin lips.....remember those anyone? Is there a kid-friendly town like that anywhere now, I wonder? Tell me if there is, because, even though I'm not a kid anymore, I'd still like to live in a town like that again.

In my adult life, I've been sad to see the passing of the outdoor Ice Castle at lake Arrowhead. I'd taken church groups there for overnights at the Arrowhead Presbyterian Church, starting with night games of broom-ball for the kids, ending with family skates the next day. It was a yearly ritual. And, was there anything so neat as the Hot Summer Nights shows? It was great for the community, the local kids, the skaters. I don't suppose there will ever be an outdoor rink there again.