Ice rink fun for all ages, abilities

Newlywed Rodney Williams hadn't been ice skating since he was five years old, so he wasn't about to let go of the side of the ice rink Thursday as he tried to stabilize himself on his ice skates.

"Why? Because I'm breakable," said the father of 11.

Williams, who was married Oct. 31, brought his new bride and seven of their children to the Arlington Square Ice Rink to start a new Thanksgiving day tradition.

"We thought it would just be something fun to do," he said.

By about 3:30 p.m., the rink, operated by the Carson City Parks and Recreation Department, had already hosted more than 60 skaters since its 1 p.m. opening, and most of them were enjoying themselves.

Annabelle Vogel, 9, of Minden, said she was there with her friend, also from Minden.

"This is a place where kids can really have fun, like Chuck E. Cheese," she said.

"I like it because you're allowed to do twirls and jumps and be like an athlete," said her friend, Nicole Jackson, also 9.

Cole Hanks, 12, of Carson City, also was found clinging to the side of the rink.

"Last year, I was getting better, but this is almost like starting over," he said. "I think skating will help my balance."

His cousin Tim Vukasin, 11, from Rocklin, Calif., was a bit more confident.

"I play ice hockey, and I'm usually pretty good. I don't have as much support as with my own skates. I like skating really fast because it's fun," he said.

"I fall sometimes because I've been trying to do different things with my stick and my puck, but I love the cold. I like skating and snowboarding. I like the snow and the ice," he said.

Cassie Carter, rink supervisor for the Parks and Recreation Department, said she was pleased the rink is back in operation.

"I think it's good for the community and a lot of fun," she said. "We've learned a lot from last year and made improvements on that. We have all new skates for people and we've streamlined a lot of things to make things easier for us and the public."

The rink is 40 feet longer than last year when 8,222 skaters took to the ice. Joel Dunn, operations manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, said that this year he hopes to attract 10,000 skaters to try out the new larger rink, two large warming tents and brand new skates.

Cost for a two- or three-hour session is $5 for ages 12 and younger, $7 for general admission and $3 to rent skates for those who need them.

The rink will be open Friday from 3-5 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Saturday hours are 1-4 p.m., 5-8 p.m., and for 16 and older, 9-11 p.m. On Sunday, sessions will be from 1-4 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.

The rink is located on Carson Street directly across the street from the Carson Nugget, with good lighting and music.