The Ice Land skating rink at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo was once a place for cool summer fun, and provided fun during other seasons, too. On days when the temperature was too hot to be outside, I frequently enjoyed some time on the ice. I have never understood why that ice skating is more popular in the winter than summer, but I don’t question that too loudly. Fewer skaters just meant more space to practice some turns, spins, and jumps. If I fell and slid the length of the ice on a hot day, that was actually quite refreshing.
Ice Land opened at the Choo-Choo complex on March 4, 1978 in a building constructed by Ledco, Inc., with components designed for energy efficiency. “Ice Land” was displayed in an animated lighted sign at the entrance. A large crowd of customers, eager to lace up their skates and take the ice, waited for the doors to be opened. Reminiscent of the song, “I Want to Drive the Zamboni,” which is played at ice hockey games, Mayor Rose drove the resurfacing machine a few laps around the 185 by 85 foot rink. Before the public session began, exhibitions of ice hockey and figure skating were given by groups from Atlanta.
Admission for two hours of skating was $2.50 with 75 cents for skate rental. 500 pairs of rental skates were available. Ice Land had public sessions beginning at 10:00am, and customers were able to skate at times that suited their schedules. Some downtown workers visited the rink on their lunch hour. Several children had their parents transport them to Ice Land after school.
Ice skating was new to most Chattanoogans, and Ice Land offered lessons under the direction of Dawn Malone. In its first year of operation, Ice Land sent a team of skaters to a competition at a rink near Atlanta. The following year, Ice Land hosted its own competition as well as a Christmas skating show. The skating teachers, students, and parents put a lot of creativity and effort into the skating shows. Skaters wore elaborate costumes, and glided gracefully across the ice while their music played. Well, there were some less than graceful moments, too, that I recall from the ice shows. A skater who played Mama Bear (of the Three Bears) lost the head of her costume, and retrieved it after it rolled across the ice. In the same show, I skated in a Bugs Bunny costume without incident.
The number of skaters at Ice Land continued to increase. Entire families skated together for recreation, and formed friendships with other skaters. The seating area around the rink’s fireplace was a popular place for conversation over hot chocolate or coffee. During the height of popularity of disco music, “Disco on Ice” became a popular weekend session, complete with a rotating crystal ball and a disk jockey. Chattanooga skaters competed at events in area cities as well as in national competitions. A few skating teachers and students landed jobs with traveling shows such as Disney on Ice.
In addition to figure skating, Ice Land had sessions for ice hockey enthusiasts, and also hosted games with competitors from other cities. Curling was a sport that Ice Land also introduced to Chattanooga.
Ice skaters were saddened by some news reported in the Chattanooga News-Free Press on Sunday, July 20, 1986. The Choo-Choo announced that Ice Land would be closed due to rising liability insurance costs, and that the building would be converted to another use. The equipment was offered below cost to the City of Chattanooga. A group of skaters was unsuccessful in their efforts to convince the city’s leaders to convert the field house at Warner Park to a skating rink. Some of the figure skaters continued their sport by driving two or more hours to rinks in other cities. Ice skating was absent from Chattanooga until the late 1990’s, when small rinks opened at Cricket Pavilion and Eastgate Mall. Those skating rinks have since closed, and Chattanooga is once again the only major city within a two hour driving radius that lacks an ice skating rink. The hot days of summer are fast approaching, and if there are any ice skating entrepreneurs who would like to open a rink, please step forward.
If you have memories of Ice Land, please send me an e-mail at jolleyh@signaldata.net.