Sometimes just having the chance to try something that was totally outside your daily life can change your life. Berkeley Iceland provided the opportunity for kids of all backgrounds to get on the ice and discover a new passion. I'm related to one of those kids for whom skating became an important part of her life from which she learned discipline, goal setting and achieving, and value of teamwork. When Berkeley Iceland closed, many of the kids who were finding their passions for figure skating or hockey were cut off - mostly kids without the means to go elsewhere and follow that spark.
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Opportunities for Discovery
Community
More than just a rink - a Berkeley icon which brought everyone a bit closer. In spite of the conditions in its later years, Berkeley Iceland was that special place you could go and feel comfortable that you would fit in. Whether a regular rink rat or an occasional board hugger, you knew that you were part of a community when you were at Berkeley Iceland.
Fun!
Berkeley Iceland was fun, and can be again. Birthday Parties, skating with friends to the music, pick-up hockey for all ages, broom ball, hockey shoot-outs for the kids, skating lessons and exhibitions, and just hanging out with friends in Iceland. Healthy, active fun in a place where the whole climate was infectious. There is nothing in Berkeley - maybe even the entire Bay Area - that matched the fun available at Iceland.
Iceland Staff
It is hard to think of Berkeley Iceland without remembering the wild and crazy staff - ice monitors, rental monitors, budding figure and hockey coaching assistants - most of whom grew up in the rink and passed on their passion for their sport and where they learned it. They were both roll models for the younger kids, many hoping to get a chance to work there, and valuable helpers who added to the Berkeley Iceland experience. Like the rink, they reflected the diversity of the Berkeley community that played at Iceland.
Incredible Environment
Few places to skate are as impressive as Berkeley Iceland - even in the state to which it had fallen before it closed. The expansive ice surface - big enough to comfortably accommodate high level jumpers in the middle while they were admired by those of us with less talent holding on to the boards. Natural light filtering in through iron lattice from 40 feet above the ice. Everyone's favorite "winter wonderland" mural on the back wall. More than one person associated the feel of the arena with that of a vaulting cathedral. For many, it was a moving experience to skate at Berkeley Iceland.
Displays of Talent
While the vast majority of us who enjoyed the rink are not proficient skaters, Berkeley Iceland had a history of providing a showcase for those serious about skating. From its opening day in 1940, talented local skaters entertained the rest of us with their talents and skills. Hockey teams from the youngest players in 3-on-3 shootouts to the Cal Hockey Club excited their fans while having lots of fun. Local synchronized skating team and figure skating competitions provided opportunities for Olympic dreamers to experience the thrill of performing for an appreciative audience. Skating school shows let proud parents and families cheer the efforts (and cuteness) of skaters learning there way around the ice.