Ice Skating evolves (but still thrives) in North County

Ice skating coach Becky Kern-Ryan (left) teaches fundamentals to a class of pint-sized beginners at the Ice Zone in Hazelwood.

Like me and many other NoCo natives of a certain age, Ferguson resident Becky Kern-Ryan grew up ice skating at the North County Recreation Complex on Redman Road. She got her first pair of ice skates for Christmas when she was 11, and before long, she had far surpassed us “casual skaters” (who showed up mostly to meet boys) and started competing in local meets.

“Over time, I became really involved with the synchro teams at North County,” Kern-Ryan says, referring to the sport of synchronized figure skating where anywhere from eight to 32 skaters perform what’s essentially a dance recital on ice. By age 18, she was not only competing as a synchro skater. She and a friend were also coaching beginner teams at the rec center – despite the fact that interest in ice skating in North County seemed to be waning.

“For a while, we moved over to [U.S. Ice Sports in] Fairview Heights because it was just more active over there,” Kern-Ryan, 33 and now a mother of three, says.

In fact, the number of skaters at North County Rec Complex had dropped off so dramatically in recent years that St. Louis County closed the rink in spring 2008. Its final season drew around 2,000 skaters between October and March, as well as a budget deficit of $160,000.

“People don’t think about it, but the cost of maintaining an ice rink is outrageous,” says Ken Daniels, manager of the Dellwood Soccer Complex, which stopped icing its rink way back in 1983. “All the compressors, the Zamboni…it’s easy to see why a lot of rinks have closed. And not just in North County.”

Daniels recalls the Ice Chateau that used to be on Larimore Road in the 1970s. For a time, the city of Hazelwood also maintained an outdoor rink at White Birch Park, but that was closed in the mid-80s and later converted to a BMX/skate park.

Since the 1990s, the St. Louis area has lost a total of three ice rinks. Today, just two remain in North County: the recently renovated facility at Florissant’s James Eagan Civic Center and the Ice Zone at Hazelwood Mills, where Kern-Ryan now coaches and the St. Louis Blues hold their practices.

Both rinks have had a busy season thus far, offering public and private sessions and skating instruction. The Ice Zone, in particular, has served as the primary training facility for a number of competitive young skaters.

“Having the Blues here really draws people in,” Kern-Ryan says of the Hazelwood rink, where former Ukranian pairs skating champion, Olga Vavilova, is also a coach. “We’re especially busy now, with the Olympics coming up and so many kids getting skates for Christmas.”

And the North County Rec Complex – what’s happening there these days? Following an extensive $1.8 million renovation, the center’s old ice rink is now home to several basketball courts, a volleyball court, a two-lane walking track and new community meeting rooms, all of which are about to be officially unveiled next weekend. I stopped by today and the place is gorgeous!

If you want to see for yourself, attend the open house on Saturday, February 20, from 1-5pm, at 2577 Redman Road, 63136.

You also still have plenty of time to take in some ice skating before winter is over. The Ice Zone has public sessions seven days a week – $5.50 per person plus $2.50 skate rental. Call (314) 227-5288 for specific schedules. The Eagan Ice Rink is also open seven days a week, with admission ranging from $1.50 to $4. For more info, call (314) 921-4470.

Where there was once an ice rink, the North County Rec Complex now boasts a brand new multi-sport facility, which officially opens on February 20.

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