By Ethan Ready

Outdoor holiday skating

Ice Oval hoping crowds flood to skate over holidays

Dec 22, 2019 | 1:16 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – A brief warm spell forced the Outdoor Ice Oval to shut down for a few days as staff waited for colder temperatures to return to Prince George.

However, come Saturday, the ice surface was fair enough to open back up after flooding the ice and allowing the return of below-zero temperatures to let it freeze over.

With school out for the holiday break, Kathy Lewis, President of the Outdoor Ice Oval Society, is hopeful that families will flock to the rink.

“Right now, we’re trying to rebuild our ice a little bit – it’s a little thin in some places. Once we get the ice built up it’s going to be awesome, it’s already some awesome skating but we are anticipating quite a number of people coming out and skating over Christmas. Out ice takes a bit of a beating as a result.”

As long as the weather is on their side, Lewis anticipates the oval should stay open until March.

Chamber weighs in

Prince George Chamber of Commerce reacts to Canfor announcements

4h ago

CANFOR REACTION

More local reaction to devastating cuts announced by Canfor

8h ago

Dale Culver

RCMP show support for officers charged with obstruction of justice in Dale Culver trial

9h ago

The Outdoor Ice Oval charges an entry fee of $2 per person or $5 per family and will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.

Prince George’s Ice Oval Molding Potential Olympians

Local students aren’t the only ones able to enjoy a break, as local Olympic-hopeful Eric Orlowsky spent an early-Sunday morning at the Outdoor Ice Oval, visiting home after a permanent move to Calgary as he’s part of the Elite Athlete Pathway.

“I’m super proud of our outdoor ice oval here. I’ve skated all around Canada and I still think Prince George is the best outdoor ice oval there is,” said Orlowsky.

Orlowsky said he’s just one of a handful of athletes in Calgary who originally are from Prince George. He believes the Outdoor Ice Oval in Prince George is a big reason for that.

And for those thrill-seekers who may not yet be sold on speed skating, it’s a fairly quick sport.

“Recently, I’ve been getting up to 54 km/h coming out of the corners, so pretty quick,” Orlowsky chuckled.

So yes, fast enough to keep up with Prince George traffic.