Iceland Family Skating center hosts beginner and experienced skater opportunities, hockey and figure skating.
Sarah Richards|Marlin Chronicle
Iceland Family Skating Center, a 12 minute drive from VWU, can be a day trip or a new hobby. The rink is open year-round, and is inclusive of all skaters and skill levels through its public skating, hockey leagues and figure skating programs. Iceland has become an anchor for the ice skating community of Hampton Roads.
“We teach anybody, we start at three years old, and teach anyone at any age. It just doesn’t matter whether they’re a boy or girl, they can figure skate, they can play hockey and we’re just friendly,” Manager Vickie Appleby said. She has been managing the rink for about 26 years.
Iceland began with a group of parents, about five families, who started the rink to create a hockey league for their kids. They were able to transform a former storage building and roller rink using personal mortgages, later getting repaid. The Hampton Roads Youth Hockey Association renovated the facility in the late ‘80s and now owns it. According to the association’s website, this origin story was only a local legend until a founding member stopped by and confirmed it during a recent remodeling project.
Iceland’s website has a weekly session schedule found on the right side of its main page under a heading called “Today.” It includes details about their $10 public sessions, learn-to-skate classes, hockey leagues, figure skating freestyles and private lesson times.
Ice skating coach Mary Sue Gidaro has been teaching at the rink for 18 years. She teaches hockey and figure skating, focusing on beginner learn-to-skate group lessons and offering private coaching for more advanced skaters.
Whisenhunt rates Iceland Family Skating five out of five snowflakes!
MJ Matthews|Marlin Chronicle
“Private lessons are usually for those who have gone through the group lessons and then they’ve kind of graduated, got to where they’re doing all the jumps and spins now, so then they need a private coach. There’s a number of private coaches here that teach,” Gidaro said.
The public sessions and learn-to-skate classes are meant to help people try ice skating out and get interested before becoming more advanced. Walkers, adult-sized and kid-sized, are lined up beside the ice for people to use and hold onto in case they are unsure of their footing at first. This increases accessibility for people of all ages, allowing them to feel included.
“A lot of people come out and, you know, they watch people skate, and see how beautiful it is and just want to try it. Once they learn how to balance certain elements they just continue on. Some of them just do it for recreation, or fun and exercise,” Appleby said.
The busy atmosphere of the rink during public sessions can allow a more comfortable space for a beginner on the ice or let a seasoned skater sharpen their skills. Staff are on the ice too, to ensure safety and to be attentive to anyone who is struggling. VWU freshman Gabrielle Christos visited the Iceland Family Skating Center. She is new to ice skating but gave it her best shot.
“I would say once I got the hang of it, it was very calming. Especially since being an Education major, all the kids there, and just of course seeing other people learning definitely made it more fun,” Christos said.
Iceland Family Skating Center is open for birthday parties, private ice rentals and summer camps. It also has a Champion’s Choice pro shop located inside that sells ice skates, kids hockey gear, skate accessories and so much more according to the website.
While Iceland has been growing significantly in their number of figure skaters, Appleby thinks the hockey teams have soared. It now has about 38 adult hockey teams and numerous kids’ teams.
“There are a lot more girls who play hockey now these days. We also have a lot of people who are in the military, or that move in this area for one reason or another. A lot of them have lived up North and had been on hockey teams or skated when they were younger, so they get their kids involved in skating,” Appleby said.
The Hampton Roads area isn’t the only place where girls hockey is seeing growth. The USA Hockey website confirms manager Appleby’s findings.
“Hockey has nurtured the growth of female hockey since the 1970s, and today, girls hockey is among the fastest-growing youth sports in the United States. Over the past fifteen seasons, girls hockey in the United States has seen a participation increase of 65%,” USA Hockey said on their website.
Iceland Family Skating Center continues to see growth in participation of ice sports through its diverse programs and skaters, building a community and ensuring there’s room for everyone on the ice. Appleby describes Iceland as feeling more like a family.
By Kami Whisenhunt
