Modesto tests out the ice

Some glided. Some raced. Some white-knuckled it along the railing.

But regardless of their skill levels, they all came to test out opening day at Modesto on Ice. The new downtown outdoor skating rink brought out an enthusiastic crowd for its first day Saturday. The 70-foot-by-120-foot rink will be open every day through Jan. 24 in a covered tent next to Modesto Centre Plaza, at the corner of 11th and K streets.

The city has not had an ice rink for nearly 40 years, since the last one at Tully Road and Stoddard Avenue burned down, according to Modesto Bee archives. The people behind Modesto on Ice Presented by Modesto Subaru, its official name thanks to its title sponsor, said it was about time another one came in to serve the community.

“We’ve been to other outdoor rinks and it’s always just such a great atmosphere,” said Jerome Murray, who with wife, Andrea, and business partner Troy Acor, started Modesto on Ice. “We said, ‘Man, we need this in Modesto.’ We need to have something for outdoors holiday time, just good family fun.”

He and Acor also own the Modesto-based Innovative Cooling Solutions, which specializes in industrial refrigeration equipment. So an ice rink was right in their wheelhouse, or more like triple axel.

Construction on the rink began three weeks ago in the Modesto Centre Plaza parking lot. On opening day the covered rink was complete with ticket booth, rental sheds, concession stand, seating area and audience bleachers.

Danielle Myers came with 4-year-old daughter Lucy Myers-Pecci, who was on ice for the first time.

“I wanted her to experience ice skating,” said Myers, a Modesto resident. “I love this rink so far. It’s well-organized and we’ll definitely be back.”

Little Lucy, however, wasn’t as sure.

“I can’t do it,” she said. “I’m not very good.”

But later during their session she was all smiles as she skated with a costumed Princess Elsa from “Frozen,” who was on hand to help celebrate the opening.

Like Lucy, some of the first-time skaters needed a little confidence boost to get going. Sophia Mercado, 16, came with her family and started out using some aides on the ice.

“When I started, I needed the buckets and the wall,” said the Ceres first-grader. “But now it’s easy for me.”

The rink also had some gliders on hand for beginners to use and will offer group and private lessons for purchase on the weekends.

Regular ice time can be bought at 90-minute intervals, which includes skate rental. Each session is $12 for adults during weekends and holiday hours ($10 Monday-Thursday during non-holiday hours) and $10 for kids ($8 non-holiday hours). The rink can accommodate 160 skaters at a time and has 400 pairs of skates for rent.

Party and private rentals are also available. Andrea Murray said more than 70 parties were booked already, and word-of-mouth continues to grow. The nearest other outdoor rink is Turlock’s R.A.M. Farms, which has operated Fields of Ice on Daubenberger Road at Canal Drive for the past two winters and opened for the season Saturday as well.

Modesto resident Mercedes Thorington brought her three girls, ages 14 to 6, out to skate. The family has gone to the Long Barn Lodge Ice Skating Arena in Tuolumne County in the past. But now her girls said they have a new home rink.

“I think it’s really fun,” said 14-year-old Hannah Thorington. “I’m just pretty much staying here all winter.”

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Modesto tests out the ice."