Robbinsdale Opens Sanborn Park Warming House for Ice Skaters
Sanborn Park in Robbinsdale is opening its warming house for skaters for the first time this season. But with the return of high temperatures, organizers suspect the outdoor skating season will be short-lived.
For the first time this season, outdoor skaters in Robbinsdale are hitting the ice. A number of kids enjoyed their day off school and the recent warmup.
“It feels good, I haven’t skated outside since ninth grade, so it’s nice to be back out here,” said Will Allen, now a Robbinsdale Cooper junior.
Will Allen took advantage of a perfect day to practice hockey: solid ice, warmer temperatures and a day off school.
Will was out practicing hockey. These past winters haven’t been too kind to players.
“Last year was just so… bleh,” he said.
City staff were also out at the park preparing the warming house for its evening opening.
Matt Bazik, recreation services manager for the city of Robbinsdale, said this year has been a process to get rinks on the ground.
“Continually flooding, layer-by-layer, until the ice is thick enough. So it takes the ground to be frozen in order to start, which is where we had the problem initially. The ground wasn’t frozen until January,” Bazik said.
This week though, outdoor rinks in Robbinsdale are open for business. Sanborn Park’s warming house is opening to the public beginning this week. On Monday-Friday it’s open from 5-9 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, it’s open from 12-9 p.m.
“This is definitely the latest its been, but there’s never been a season without ice. So they’re excited to get this ice out,” Bazik said.
Matt Bazik said the Robbinsdale parks department has never had a season without ice.
Ice time short-lived?
But all that work could lead to a short-lived return as temperatures jump back above 35 degrees.
“We are hoping that it stays around a bit as the weather looks to warm up,” Bazik said.
For now, kids are taking advantage of the ice time and the sunshine.
“It’s been a really bad year for outdoor rinks,” said Maria, one of the kids trying out the ice at Sanborn. She said she was excited to get out there.
“I like to spin and go fast,” said Katya, another kid using the rinks.
Robbinsdale’s Fire and Ice event is coming up on Friday, Feb. 2 at the park. Bazik said by Fire and Ice, the warming house hopes to offer free skate rental for kids.
