Chaffee County’s First Refrigerated Ice Rink Concludes Successful Test Run
Despite unusually warm winter temperatures, local non-profit Ice Rink for Chaffee County (“IRCC”) successfully installed and tested a refrigerated ice rink at Ben Oswald Park in Salida. Jon Fritz, IRCC Interim Executive Director, was proud of what the organization accomplished in the 3 months since reaching an agreement with the Salida School District to build the rink on district property. He credits the volunteer effort and partners from the local business community. “This winter was the ultimate test. We proved that we could make ice in basically the least ideal conditions imaginable. This was an incredible effort by so many people involved. We are super excited to hit the ground running next winter!”
From Concept to Real Ice in 3 Months
The rink, one-quarter of the size of a regulation hockey rink and cooled by 3 high-efficiency refrigeration units, was designed to provide seasonal ice skating for the public. This season turned into a successful test-run, with much of the winter spent on design, engineering, site preparation, and acquisition and installation of the equipment. After passing final inspections for electrical on February 27 and HVAC on March 1, the IRCC team got to work layering water in the evenings to gradually create a skateable ice surface. By March 7, the ice was firm and holding through daytime high temperatures in the 60’s. With projected temperatures continuing to climb, the IRCC team switched-off the power on March 10 to begin preparations for next winter. IRCC president Mark Hammer expressed optimism about the next steps. “We very much look forward to next season’s grand opening to finally bring reliable, refrigerated ice to Chaffee County. I’m proud of our dedicated and resilient team. The rink is a great benefit to our community and a tremendous asset for our hockey and skating programs.”
Ice Rink Champions Emerge from the Community
The ice rink installation was funded by IRCC with generous contributions of time, supplies, and labor from community partners, including: Ferraro Concrete, Y&K Excavation, Aaron Stephens Trucking, Tyler Allen Home Restoration, Buel Mattix, Scott Holmes, Allen Surber, Alex Mankowski, Alpenglow Electric, Salida Turf, Townsend Landscaping, Rocco Capozza, Justin Anderson, Alex Weston, Wayne Beevers, Salida School District, and IRCC’s all-volunteer Board of Directors. “This project is a perfect example of what makes Chaffee County such a great place to live- people coming together to create something special for the entire community to enjoy,” Fritz remarked.
About Ice Rink for Chaffee County
IRCC’s mission is to promote ice skating and hockey, and enhance access to ice rink facilities in Chaffee County and surrounding communities. IRCC’s winter program includes “Learn To Skate” clinics, “Learn To Play Hockey” clinics, and Chaffee County Mountain Lions youth hockey.
Interested in supporting us or joining the Board of Directors? Send inquiries to: info@chaffeecountyice.org