downtown fresno blog

Posted by Kim Leonard

Last year the Ice Rink was magical. See that picture right there?  That’s my husband Chuck and I skating, but it looks more like it’s out of a winter catalog.  It was Stock-Photo magical.  We’ve talked about it all year and have argued about who skates better and who was the one clinging to the wall while the other sped around with perfect form.  (Hint: it wasn’t me grabbing the the walls for dear life, I’ll tell you that much.)  I’m personally excited about the opening of the ice rink to be able to prove/document that I’m the near-Olympian on ice in this relationship.

But whatever your self-centered reasons are, I’m sure you’re excited about it too.  What’s not to love?  Skating outdoors in the middle of the city, the tallest buildings in the valley all huddled around you, laughter, smiles and determined looks gliding alongside you.  Nothing compares to the hijinks involved in skating with your friends or the romance of the nighttime under a black satin sky with your loved one close by, even if you’re only gripping onto one another for support.  Seeing your child or nieces and nephews experience skating for the first time takes you to that special place where suddenly you’re remembering how cool it was to be a child when the world was entirely yours to explore.

Maybe you haven’t strapped yourself into a pair of skates since you were a kid- this is California after all.  It’s not like we have a frozen pond as a consolation prize for being buried under snow all season.  We stubbornly still wear flip flops in the dead of winter, so the televised version of winter isn’t necessarily representative of our experience.  Except now it is because we can wear our sandals to the rink, toss on some socks and slip into some Currier and Ives fantasyland.

This week the rink construction began and while the transformation of the space is in it’s infancy.  Even though there are just boards and fences, the promise of a true winter wonderland is hanging around and bringing excitement to the whole area.  When you pass by you can feel the quiet rumblings whispering something’s happening here.  The Ice Rink opens on November 8th and will be open every day until January 20th.  There are a lot of opportunities for magical experiences in that window and I urge you not to miss out on those moments.  I’ll be sure to speed-skate past you before triple-lutzing and sticking my tongue out at Chuck while he grips the sidewall.