Steamboat’s winter wonderland just got even better with the grand opening of a brand new, totally free, outdoor ice-skating facility at Howelsen Hill.
“We all grew up with outdoor rinks, and we felt there was a need for one in Steamboat Springs,” says Nick Carelli, Adult Recreation Supervisor for Howelsen Ice Complex. “We have a passion for where we work, whether it’s hockey or figure skating, and we wanted a place where you could go skating anytime, meet up with friends, play a pick-up game of hockey, or skate underneath the snow. We knew this was something that could be really cool and special in Steamboat.”
Plans for an outdoor ice rink had been in the works for several years, but restrictions on skating indoors due to the Covid-19 pandemic sped things along. “With the push for outdoor rec this year, we knew we had to do it. The plans were already there, but everyone really came together to make it happen.” Carelli says.
Due to the pandemic and resulting budget cuts, the city would not have been able to approve the funding for this project in the Winter of 2020/2021. Community members deserve a lot of credit in bringing this project to a reality – the project was 100% privately funded by local community members who are passionate about the opportunity to provide an outdoor ice facility for Steamboat Springs.
The new rink is located at the Howelsen Hill sports complex and has been constructed on top of the tennis and pickleball courts, which will provide a layer of insulation. It’s fenced and gated with a heated changing station. There are two rectangular 50-foot by 100-foot ice sheets with a walkway in between. “It’s really centrally located, and the sheets are quite big,” Carelli says.
The outdoor rink will be maintained the old-fashioned way, with shovels and by pouring water on the ice to improve its surface. There are no organized ice times for specific activities, so anyone can use it anytime. “It’s kind of like stepping back in time a bit, like how it was when I grew up,” Carrelli says. “If you want to pay a pick-up game of hockey, you might have to wait your turn. You have to learn to co-exist. We really wanted to emphasize community. That was our goal.”
The rink has only been open for a few weeks, but so far, it’s been really well received, Carelli says. “We knew if we could just get this going and we do it right, it would happen. We just needed to see it. There was a lot of compromising, but nothing is going to be perfect.”
Carelli is hopeful that improvements can be made with more funding, including a chiller system that would keep the base frozen. For now, the new rink provides another outdoor activity for kids and adults to enjoy among all the restrictions that have come along with Covid-19. “Our whole goal during the pandemic is to use it as an opportunity to create new outdoor rec opportunities, rather than let it hinder our progress,” Carelli says. “Even though we’re dealing with restrictions at the indoor rink, we now have an added facility outdoors, and it’s free.”
“You see kids riding their bikes to the rink, and that’s what small-town life is all about,” Carelli says. “It’s awesome to see it come to fruition. We’re all very excited.”