Spring Break
Crown Center opens Ice Terrace
Melissa Cowan
Issue date: 11/2/09 Section: Sports
The Crown Center Ice Terrace has been a seasonal Kansas City staple since Nov. 26, 1973.
Opening day this season is Friday, Nov. 6.
There will be free skating from 6-9 a.m. with free coffee and bagels from Panera Bread.
"There's something about being outside during the holidays," said Christ Ronan, communications manager for Crown Center. "It's just a popular family activity."
Ronan explained many people who have grown up in Kansas City and went ice-skating when they were younger are now bringing their own kids.
"It's still the only public outdoor rink in Kansas City," Ronan said. "It's a very different environment if you go to an outdoor rink. … There's something a little more nostalgic (about it)."
Regular admission is $6 or free for adults over 60 and children 4 and under. It costs $3 to rent skates.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday from November to January. But the rink is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in February and March.
Ronan said more than 65,000 people attend over the entire season, which runs until March 14. The busiest time is typically during winter break when kids are out of school. But it's also weather dependent.
"There's a sweet spot as far as weather," Ronan said. "You don't want it to be too cold, and you don't want it to be too warm either."
There is no age limit to skate, and Ronan sees almost every age group on the ice sometime during the season.
"This is an activity that's accessible to people of all ages," Ronan said. "Some people get on the ice and are really apprehensive because they've never done it before, especially the younger people."
But once they get the hang of it (after falling down a few times), it's smooth skating.
Up to 500 people can skate at once, but Crown Center only has 300 pairs of rental skates, so they rarely (if ever) reach capacity, Ronan said.
However, you can bring your own skates.
You'd think with that many people, there would be accidents all the time. But Ronan said it's mostly people falling.
"I know I've taken a tumble here and there," he said. "But generally, it's a safe place to be. … It's really ideal for somebody who may not have skated a whole lot."
There are Crown Center employees on the ice monitoring skaters' speeds. But skaters should also use common sense and consideration, Ronan said.
"Just be prepared to have a good time," he said. "And give it a shot if you haven't done it before."
mcowan@unews.com
Opening day this season is Friday, Nov. 6.
There will be free skating from 6-9 a.m. with free coffee and bagels from Panera Bread.
"There's something about being outside during the holidays," said Christ Ronan, communications manager for Crown Center. "It's just a popular family activity."
Ronan explained many people who have grown up in Kansas City and went ice-skating when they were younger are now bringing their own kids.
"It's still the only public outdoor rink in Kansas City," Ronan said. "It's a very different environment if you go to an outdoor rink. … There's something a little more nostalgic (about it)."
Regular admission is $6 or free for adults over 60 and children 4 and under. It costs $3 to rent skates.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday from November to January. But the rink is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in February and March.
Ronan said more than 65,000 people attend over the entire season, which runs until March 14. The busiest time is typically during winter break when kids are out of school. But it's also weather dependent.
"There's a sweet spot as far as weather," Ronan said. "You don't want it to be too cold, and you don't want it to be too warm either."
There is no age limit to skate, and Ronan sees almost every age group on the ice sometime during the season.
"This is an activity that's accessible to people of all ages," Ronan said. "Some people get on the ice and are really apprehensive because they've never done it before, especially the younger people."
But once they get the hang of it (after falling down a few times), it's smooth skating.
Up to 500 people can skate at once, but Crown Center only has 300 pairs of rental skates, so they rarely (if ever) reach capacity, Ronan said.
However, you can bring your own skates.
You'd think with that many people, there would be accidents all the time. But Ronan said it's mostly people falling.
"I know I've taken a tumble here and there," he said. "But generally, it's a safe place to be. … It's really ideal for somebody who may not have skated a whole lot."
There are Crown Center employees on the ice monitoring skaters' speeds. But skaters should also use common sense and consideration, Ronan said.
"Just be prepared to have a good time," he said. "And give it a shot if you haven't done it before."
mcowan@unews.com
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