Bode Ice Arena figures to get new skaters hooked
By Marcus Clem
Times of winter weather cause many to do all they can to avoid frozen sidewalks and slippery roads, but seem to pose no hindrance to the public’s curiosity for the ice.
Bode Ice Arena continued on Friday a series of events designed to welcome new participants in the arts and sports of the rink, in honor of National Skating Month. Free admission and rental on Friday helped people who perhaps had never put on a pair of skates before to test out unique challenges of balance and agility. Various aid devices were present to help those not yet able to stay upright on their own. The crowd of newbies also received help from experienced skaters like Makayla Grable, sort of.
“Sometimes, they just get in the way,” she said with a laugh. “Like, whenever I’m about to do one of my hard jumps or spins, and then I just have to start from the beginning.”
Friday’s event was followed up by the Try Hockey for Free gathering on Saturday morning, which also included free admission and skate rental. Participants were asked to wear winter gloves and protective gear, such as a bike helmet. A complete schedule of similar promotions is to be found via the Bode Ice Arena page on Facebook.
Another young experienced skater, Zoe Eslinger, said she hopes people aren’t afraid of the challenges that are a part of learning how to skate.
“Just try your best, and don’t, like, stress out,” she said. “I would use, like, a trainer before you actually, like, try skates on yourself, because you fall a lot.”
Christine Feuerbacher, City of St. Joseph program director for the Bode Ice Arena, spoke to George Bode Jr.’s enduring legacy of nearly 70 years, established with his original bequest for the sports of ice skating in St. Joseph. The arena can only exist in a community of St. Joseph’s size because of his generosity, and those inspired by it.
“People come in, they fall in love with skating, and then the rest of it is history,” Feuerbacher said. “You’ve seen some of our more advanced skaters that are out there, but they start with events like this, where they come in and it’s free, and they fall in love with it, and so they sign up for classes, and it goes from there.”
