Our Opinion: Year-round ice skating in the Capital City

Dogged determination, tenacity and a lot of time are what's needed if you want to land a triple lutz on the ice.

Over a period of more than half a century, Jefferson City's parks department has employed those same qualities to reach a milestone worth celebrating: the year-round operation of Washington Park Ice Arena.

Local skaters and workers at the ice arena are understandably excited. Over a period of many years, the ice arena's season has been extended. This year, for the first time, it won't close at all over the summer.

The ice arena started as an outdoor ice rink in 1960, funded with seed money from the Host Lions Club. It could only remain frozen when weather allowed. Later, a "bubble" enclosed the rink. By the early 1990s, the current building was built around it, and the ice season was extended from three months to six months.

When avid ice skater Rachel Bruemmer was a youth, the gap was down to two months. In a Thursday story, she recalled the disappointment she had as a youth when the arena closed during those two months.

"When the season ended, I think I cried for like two weeks following that," she said. "I would feel a little lost when we would shut down and be closed for the summers."

Now, Bruemmer is a recreation specialist at Jefferson City's Washington Park Ice Arena.

Competitive skaters and hockey players previously had to take a two-month break from practice. Some teams would travel to year-round ice rinks to practice.

Our local ice arena has the distinction of being the only one in Mid-Missouri. Columbia has talked about building one, but, as it stands, the only other ice rinks in the state are in the bigger cities.

Going year-round also will alleviate some scheduling problems that have occurred in the past, Bruemmer said.

Another benefit is it will provide an excellent option for anyone wanting a reprieve from the 100-degree heat we're expected to have on days like today.

One challenge for the city's Parks Department could be keeping the ice at 18 degrees and keeping the humidity just right on hot summer days. If it's too humid, the surface of the ice is soft. If there's too little humidity, the ice can crack, causing hazards to skaters.

But the department has overcome other past ice rink adversities, including flooding. We're confident it will continue to do so in the future and keep offering a high-class, fun destination for ice skaters near and far.