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By Gene Williams
November 17 -- An Olympian glided, a police captain and
an ice hockey legend faced off and a group of young skaters staged
a choreographed dance as ICE at Santa Monica officially kicked off
its second season last week.
The opening night ceremonies Thursday evening drew a diverse crowd from all
walks of life, as both young and old packed the rink for the opening ceremonies
and an evening of free skating.
With improved facilities this year, a larger rink that can handle as many as
425 skaters at a time and more days to skate, it’s a good bet the rink
will draw more than the 30,000 skaters who took to the ice last year.
“We want it to be a fun, affordable and healthy way for people to enjoy
Downtown Santa Monica,” said Debbie Lee, Marketing Director of the Bayside
District. “The thing is that once you get on the ice, it doesn’t
matter how old you are, you just can’t help but smile.”
Serving as emcee for the festivities was champion figure skater Randy Gardner,
who grew up skating and training at Santa Monica’s Ice Chalet, now the
site of Fred Segal, at 500 Broadway.
Smiling and personable, dressed in a dark turtleneck and slacks, Gardner skated
deftly about while welcoming Mayor Herb Katz and other dignitaries to the red
carpet at center ice for opening speeches.
Gardner definitely felt at home that evening, and he was enjoying all the fun.
“The enthusiasm from the community is so high. Look at all the kids and
families!” Gardner said minutes after the ceremonies. “The night
time is so romantic, the lights, the decorations. It’s winter and it’s
ice skating. It’s a perfect fit.
“I’m going to come here and practice a little bit during the season,”
he added.
Earlier that evening, National Hockey League legend Luc Robitaille faced off
with Deputy Police Chief Phillip Sanchez in a “shoot out” across
the ice. Don’t worry; they were using sticks and hockey pucks.
The idea was to see who could score the most goals by sending their pucks between
two orange cones at the opposite end of the rink. Although the fast-paced action
made it hard to determine the final score, it’s safe to say that Robitaille
won handily with at least a dozen goals to perhaps two by the Deputy Chief.
In spite of his overwhelming defeat, Sanchez showed that he’s a good
sport.
“It was a lot of fun,” Sanchez said afterward. “I’ve
been a long-time King fan, and I play a little hockey now and then. So it was
an absolute hoot to play with a hockey legend.”
Also performing that evening, in an exhibition which inspired hundreds of young
spectators, the California Gold synchronized skate team – a dozen girls
ages 11 to 15 in colorful, matching costumes – skated in close, ever-changing
formations in what can only be described as a highly-choreographed dance on
ice. Think 1930s Busby Berkeley musicals.
Building the rink began in early October when crews from Overview Construction
arrived on the scene. Once they had the wood frame sturdy and level, truckloads
of sand were brought in.
At that point, Ice Rink Events -- a company which builds some of the world’s
largest and most unique ice rink installations -- took over for phase two.
Hundreds of feet of coiled tubing were laid in a snake-like pattern and the
entire surface was covered in visqueen plastic sheeting. The tubing was then
hooked up to two giant refrigeration units – called chillers – which
are concealed behind an immense blue screen behind the rink. This year the chillers
are powered by green, renewable energy.
Among those to witness the exhibition were Tony Blain and his young son Aidan,
who had just learned to skate a few days earlier with a little help from the
Skate Patrol.
“I brought him down here Saturday and asked one of the guys in the jackets,
‘Hey, can you help him?’ And within two minutes he was skating around,”
Blain said.
“I was holding on the walls, but now I’m really good,” Aidan
added.
“Now he wants to go skate by himself and not with his dad,” Blaine
said.
This year, the skating season has been extended to 72 days from November 9
through January 19. Admission is just $10, skate rental included.
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