Gliding on ice in the frigid elements is a popular Minnesota past-time. In Blaine there are plenty of skating options and city rinks are now open.
Blaine has a total of 22 rinks, including nine for hockey and four warming houses. Located at various city parks they are ready for the winter season.
“We also do have some satellite parks where there are no warming houses,” said Jerome Krieger who is with the Blaine Parks and Recreation Department. “They’re not lit.”
Of course, conditions have to be just right for skaters to get on the ice. The weather this winter has run the gamut from mild to frigid, which means ice has come and gone as the temps ebb and flow.
“The public works department is doing a wonderful job,” Krieger said. “We had ice originally then we had a weekend where we had 50 degrees and it melted. Then we got ice back again and last weekend we had 40 degrees and early this week. The guys are going to be flooding again. We’ve got snow coming through this week.”
Clearing snow first, flooding rinks second
Those who are passionate about skating are truly dependent on the weather. According to Krieger getting rinks skate-ready are not a top priority after a snowstorm.
“Snow always trumps rinks because you want your streets and sidewalks plowed before you can get to the rinks and get everything going,” Krieger said.
Blaine now has two hockey rinks and one general rink at the Lexington Athletic Complex. Jim Peterson Park has one of each. Happy Acres – another popular skating spot – has three rinks and a general ice surface also.
“If you want to go to a place to be able to take the kids inside, sit down and warm up in between or have lights when you want to go after work and stuff like that,” Krieger said. “Then that would be Lexington Athletic Complex, Jim Peterson, Ostmans, Aurelia or Happy Acres.”
Skating rinks in Blaine are typically open from late December to mid-February, but if the weather warms up that can fluctuate.
