A newly-renovated and -upgraded Skatium is slated to open this weekend, weather depending. It marks the completion of a great deal of work that has been underway since September – and even before.
Here is what’s been happening.
Recently, a new group of Valley residents became interested in trying to revitalize the Skatium which was first built in 1992. According to board member Alexandra Harvey, a newly-constituted and expanded board shares the vision of the original Skatium founders and belief that in a location with long winters and limited recreational and social opportunities for its youth, it is important to provide skating as a recreational activity to residents and visitors.
What the board faced was the immediate problem of the inability to retain an ice surface. “We have no refrigeration system, so all we were able to do was fill the rink with water when it was cold enough, only to lose the water every time a thaw came. With climate change this unfortunately happens often,” said board member Jeff Brauer. The board explored putting a roof over the rink and installing a new refrigeration system, but those were cost prohibitive. Additionally, the site is surrounded by wetlands and has a tricky soil composition which presents building challenges.
Faced with this reality, the board opted to clear the existing site, which was accomplished in September with the help of Rotary Club volunteers. Mike Eramo of Eramo Masonry, and Nate Seitz of Red Dog Masonry, volunteered their time and heavy machinery to clear away all the old boards and rotting lumber and prepare the site for the new rinks.
“We were also fortunate to have local metal recycler Tyler Bryant chop up, remove and recycle the old compressor,” Harvey said.
The Skatium purchased a flexible rink system containing a heavy plastic liner that will hopefully hold water during thaws. Two rinks were installed to improve functionality and safety: a half-size stick and puck rink for those who like to play hockey and a free skate rink. “We believe that this will enhance the skating experience for all,” Brauer said.
The building which used to house the office suffered from being in a wet lowland, it was moved to the building that had housed dressing rooms. The right half of the building has been refitted as an office, while the left half will serve as a place where skaters can put on their skates. The Skatium invested in all new skates, a new skate sharpener and new sound system. An area to the side of the building has also been cleared to allow for a fire pit.
The stairs and walkway were rebuilt, which was a challenge to complete in late October and November as winter weather approached. “We are very grateful for the assistance of Moore Design Builders for all of their hard work,” noted Brauer. The driveway was also in very poor shape, and Red Dog Masonry was able to bring in material to fix the road. The board plus community volunteers, including Harwood Union students erected the new rinks, aided by some custom modifications by Larry Guild of Guild Woodworking. The liner of the stick and puck rink was laid several weeks ago, and last weekend the liner was laid for the second rink. Both rinks are now complete, including the installation of safety netting on both ends of the stick and puck rink. “The members of the board have worked incredibly hard to install the rink and get the new office up and running, and we are very grateful to the members of the community who have assisted us to reach our goal,” Brauer added.
It is hoped with these improvements that the Skatium can be open with consistent weekend hours for several months this season. The plan is to open this weekend and be open all of Christmas week. The Skatium Facebook page will have the latest updates at facebook.com/skatium. Season passes are on sale at the Skatium website, skatiumvt.org, as is a donations button for those who wish to support the Skatium. The Skatium is looking for more volunteers and businesses to support its operations this winter. Those interested are asked to reach out via the website.
The Skatium was built by local skating enthusiasts in 1992 to provide Valley children with the opportunity to play hockey on their own regulation-sized rink, and within nine months, the Skatium was operating a skating rink in downtown Waitsfield. Each year until recently, the facility was able to expand its infrastructure, including boards, plexiglass, refrigeration, Zambonis, lighting, a sound system, a Kubota tractor, and four team dressing rooms. As the facility grew, so did its user base, and figure skating also became a component of the rink’s schedule.
“Many might not remember this,” founding board member Don Swain said, “but our programs included learn to skate, youth figure skating, house and travel youth hockey, men’s and women’s adult hockey, school recreation period programs, and a broomball league made up of teams from neighborhoods and businesses, culminating in the Golden Broom championship game between employees from Mad River Glen and Sugarbush Resort.”
The facility served The Valley for over 20 years. But as the years passed, the natural effects of aging and multiple intense weather events damaged the plexiglass and other structures. Then the refrigeration system gave out and that ended the assurance of a quality ice surface. Coupled with warmer winters and unpredictable rain and snow patterns, operations became more difficult. During the past few years, the rink was only able to open for 10 days or less. Current board members are looking forward to this fall/winter’s season and a much needed reset for the local rink.
