people to not even realize there's a noteworthy
ice rink in town.
"Every once in a while, we'll have a party held here
and people will say, 'Oh my gosh, we can come here? It's awesome, we
love skating,'" he said.
The arena is making strides in getting
its name out.
For the third year in a row, the arena will be
hosting the Park City Christmas celebration on Dec. 14. In previous
years, it was held at the Miners hospital. There will be a lighting of a
Christmas tree, Santa Claus, and free ice skating for anyone attending.
"That's
been moved out here so people can skate," Jones said.
The
versatility of the arena is a testament to its patrons, its workers and
its organizers, who have turned the rink into a platform for several
activities on a daily basis.
Activities such as high school hockey
and semi-pro Park City Pioneers games are available, to go along with
open skate sessions, which entails keeping the ice free for a couple
hours for those who just wish to strap on the skates and glide around
the rink.
There are also drop-ins programs in place for hockey and
speedskating.
Jones and Skeffington concurred that the biggest
draw consistently is drop-in hockey for those who wish to just hop on
the ice and play a pick-up game.
"We fill up really quickly,"
Skeffington said.
There is a Saturday curling club that features
10 teams.
Skeffington also referred to a "big annual event" at the
arena. Former NHL star and current Wasatch County resident, Luc
Robitaille has a charity event during the Sundance Film Festival, which
is an impressive draw for the facility.
"We get a bunch of ex-NHL
players in here," Skeffington said.
The arena sees use remain
steady from late October until spring, according to Jones.
While
it's difficult to compete with the three resorts, the arena benefits
from the snow more than most would imagine.
"Plus, the population
doubles during the ski season," Skeffington said. "A lot of
international workers that are here at the resorts come in and skate at
night."
Lauren Anderson, a Park City resident, is appreciative of
the arena. Her two children ages seven and four are avid skaters at the
open-skate sessions.
"They do love it," she said. "We come here a
lot. It's perfect."
The Park City Ice Arena is becoming a landmark
in Park City and hopes are that more people will take the winding road
to the rink to see what it has to offer.
"I think there's a good
handful of people that know we exist," Skeffington said. "It's fun to do
something else besides skiing every once in a while."
by Christopher Kamrani OF THE RECORD STAFF : The Park Record
For More Information on Park City and Deer Valley Contact:
Michael Lapay
Prudential Utah Real Estate
Mobile: 435-640-5700
Toll Free: 888-410-7653
mlapay@pureparkcityrealestate.com
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