Skating Rinks Growing In Number As More And More People Hit The Ice
Success Of Penguins Seen As Boost To Local Skating Community
By Michael Drakulich

With the arrival of the lovely winter weather that Pittsburgh is more than accustomed to, one of the last subjects locals want to hear more about is ice. Adding ice to the local raodways is about as comforting a thought as having Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers chasing you through a nightmare.

Ice, however, is becoming more and more prevalent in western Pennsylvania, and not just during the winter. The 1980s and 1990s saw tremendous growth in the number of ice skating rinks throughout the area. In fact, if you've ever wondered a little about how it would feel to skate like Jaromir Jagr or to glide like Nancy Kerrigan, there are plenty of options for you to indulge those fantasies.

There are dozens of ice rinks in the area, a far cry from back in the late '60s and early '70s, when Rostraver Gardens near Elizabeth and the old skating rink in Monroeville Mall were about all the area had to offer. Now, rinks can be found in Bethel Park, Beaver County, Washington County and many other locales. The rink at Monroeville Mall is long gone - replaced by many more stores that merchants believe can generate considerably more revenue than a skating rink might.

Nowadays, though, the rink business is becoming more lucrative. More and more skaters, inspired by Mario Lemieux's arrival with the Penguins in 1984, the subsequent success of the team, and the growth of figure skating - brought on, perhaps in a bizarre fashion by the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan Olympics controversy - have caused more and more local kids and adults to try to learn to skate.

That desire is evidenced by the number of rinks. Beaver County has had the Beaver County Ice Arena around since 1978. The county also is home to Blazers Arena in Beaver Falls and the Molody Lane Skating Rink in Hookstown.

In Allegheny County, Rostraver is still going strong, but has been joined in the business by Blade Runners in Bethel Park, the Airport Ice Arena and the Ches-A-Rena, among many others. In Washington County, Iceoplex at Southpointe, where the Penguins train, is a popular rink.

Annie Brafzo, an employee of the Beaver County Ice Arena, said skating is an activity that appeals to entire families.

"Plus, the price is more than reasonable," she said.

Sara Floyd, a manager at Bethel Park's Blade Runners, said there are numerous benefits to involvement in skating.

"Skating rinks are a great place to meet people," she said. "It's also a fun way to exercise."

Sherry Grier of Iceoplex said more and more people seem to be interested in the exercise benefits of skating.

"Ice skating is fun," she said. "It's indoors, and a very comfortable place to come to. A lot of people skate to exercise, too."

Skating causes many muscles that typically are not used to get extensive work. It helps build leg muscles and cardiovascular fitness and can be an exercise which people look forward to participating in, rather than dreading the thought of going.

At the same time, as a means of family entertainment, it is difficult to beat. It can be enjoyable for kids who can spend plenty of time learning a new activity with their friends, and can provide some priceless memories for adults watching kids struggle to learn the proper technique. One of the great things about skating, though, is that the adults can learn, too. It's not like Little League, where the kids practice and the adults watch - with skating, adults can get right on the ice with the kids and learn as they go - or as they go down.

If public skating sessions aren't your style, there are other options. Most rinks offer recreational hockey leagues for players ranging in talent from beginners to more advanced players. Much of the time spent by the leagues is "stick time," where players have great freedom to glide around the rink, practicing skating, stickhandling and other moves.

Many of the area's rinks derive a chunk of their revenues from public sessions. More of the revenues, though, come from a combination of private lessons, clinics, the aforementioned amateur hockey leagues and birthday parties.

Those aren't the only reasons skating has gained in popularity in this area. There are other factors that have contributed to the construction of newer rinks, such as the one at the Neville Island Sports Complex, in the past five years.

Brafzo, of the Beaver County rink, sums it up in two words.

"Mario Lemieux," she said.

Blade Runners' Floyd is of a similar opinion.

"Definitely the Penguins and Mario Lemieux," she said. "When the Penguins won those Stanley Cups in the early '90s, a whole generation of 5, 6 and 7-year olds had their eyes opened to the game of hockey."

And to the world of skating. Naturally, they wanted to be like their idols, so they learned to skate and joined youth hockey leagues. The number of high school teams grew as well.

Before Mario, skating around these parts was as popular as cliff diving into the Mon. Post-Mario, skating is booming. His success, and that of the team, has boosted interest in skating that is reflected in the numbers of people coming out to the rinks for recreational skates.

His recent announcement of an intention to return to the ice should not only boost the fortunes of the team, but of the local rinks as well. His announcement came at a time when the weather began to turn colder, a time Floyd said almost always increases skating participation.

Still, many in the area wonder what the attraction is to the sport. They understand that it's good exercise, a good way to meet people and fun for the whole family, yet they seem to want more. Many don't seem to grasp any reason to attempt to go out on a Thursday night when they think the first two things they are going to do are fall on their heads and look silly in front of hundreds of other people.

Fear not, beginners. One of the reasons to get into skating is to try to embrace the challenge and learn something new. As for falling, you probably will. But you are unlikely to be injured in the fall, and you won't be alone. Other beginners will be there too, and they will take their tumbles as well.

"I like going because it's a test," said Jennifer Emerick, 11, of Midland. "It's fun because it's something you can do year 'round."

Skating presents an atmosphere many really enjoy. It's a change of pace from routine exercise and an activity that both young and old participate in and have fun. That's why more and more people from western Pennsylvania have chosen to get the families, or their guys or gals, and hit the ice - figuratively speaking, that is.

Michael Drakulich is a freelance writer based in Midland, Pa.