Break in your skates in Eagle County

EAGLE COUNTY, Colorado ” Usually, towns with outdoor ice skating rinks are confined to snow globes. But hey, this is Vail ” the land of winter wonderland charm. Not one but two ski villages in the valley boast rinks, while a frozen lake allows skating the natural way (just ignore the Zamboni smoothing the ice).

Here’s a list of public rinks in the area. Because there’s no reason why Michelle Kwan should get all the glory.

Vail

The rink: John A. Dobson Arena (Dobson Ice Arena for short)

Location: 321 E. Lionshead Circle

Phone: 970-479-2271

Setting: Indoor rink

Public skates: Public skate times vary from week to week. Call the rink or visit http://www.vailrec.com for times. Check for stick and puck times as well as public skates. For this coming week, public skates are: Monday (Dec. 29) from noon to 1:30 p.m. and 4 to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday (Dec. 30) from 5 to 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday (Dec. 31) noon to 1:30 p.m. and 5 to 6:30 p.m.; Thursday (Jan. 1) 2 to 3:30 p.m. and 5 to 6:30 p.m.; Friday (Jan. 2) from noon to 1:30 p.m. and 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Cost: $6 for adults; $5 for children 4 to 12 years old; $2 for children under 4 years old

Rental skates: Hockey and figure skates

Rental skate cost: $3

Rink size: 200-by-85 feet, standard National Hockey League size

The crowd: Mostly families. Roughly 50 to 100 people skate on holidays. About 20 people turn up on non-holidays

Who uses the rink: Recreational skaters, youth hockey teams, adult hockey leagues, Battle Mountain High School’s ice hockey team

Upcoming event: Children will perform an ice skating show called “The Society of Superheroes” at 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Skating Club of Vail and the Vail Recreation District’s “Learn to Skate” program are putting on the show. The story follows a girl who dreams about living in a comic book world where villains like The Joker kidnap good superheroes, show director Dawn Ristow said. Tickets are $7 for children, $15 for adults and $40 for a family of four.

The rink: The Arrabelle ice rink at Vail Square

Location: Outside the Arrabelle at Vail Square, 675 W. Lionshead Place in Lionshead Village

Phone: Call the hotel’s front desk at 970-754-7777

Setting: Outdoor rink in the heart of Lionshead Village

Public skates: 1 to 9 p.m. every day

Cost: $5 with own skates; $10 for kids with skate rentals; $15 for adults with skate rentals

Rental skates: Hockey and figure skates

Rental skate cost: See “cost” above

Rink size: 64-by-96 feet (smaller than an NHL rink)

The crowd: Mostly families and couples; Usually about 10 people are on the ice at a time during the day, with up to roughly 15 skaters at night.

Who uses the rink: Recreational skaters

Upcoming events: none

Avon

The rink: Nottingham Lake

Location: One Lake Street in Avon’s Harry A. Nottingham Park

Phone: 970-748-4086

Setting: Outdoor lake

Public skates: Noon to 8 p.m. daily, weather permitting. Heavy snows can prevent skating.

Cost: Free

Rental skates: Hockey and figure skates in Nottingham cabin

Rental skate cost: $8; $5 for children’s double blade runners

Rink size: The skating area is just under 3 acres, or roughly the size of two regulation NHL rinks.

The crowd: Families; Between 30 and 40 people skate per day

Who uses the rink: Recreational skaters, adult broomball leagues, children’s day camp programs

Upcoming events: Rocky Mountain Pond Hockey Championship is Jan. 17, 18, 23 and 24

Beaver Creek

The rink: Black Family Ice Rink

Location: In Beaver Creek Village, just outside the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek and Vilar Performing Arts Center

Phone: 970-845-0438

Setting: Outdoor rink in the heart of Beaver Creek Village

Public skates: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day in the winter

Cost: $2 with own skates; $7 with rental skates for ages 12 and under; $12 with rental skates for ages 13 and up

Rental skates: Hockey and figure skates

Rental skate cost: See “cost” above

Rink size: 65-by-150 feet (smaller than an NHL rink)

The crowd: Mainly families; Typically 50 to 100 people are on the ice at any given time

Who uses the rink: Recreational skaters

Upcoming events: Disco skate night from 6 to 8 p.m. every Monday and Saturday night throughout the winter. Picture a DJ and disco lights like in 1980s roller rinks.

Eagle

The rink: Eagle Pool and Ice Rink

Location: 1700 Bull Pasture Road, Eagle

Phone: 970-328-5277

Setting: Indoor rink

Public skates: Times vary from week to week. Call the rink or visit http://www.wecmrd.org. Check for stick and puck times as well as public skates. For this week, public skate times are: Friday (Dec. 26) from 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.; Saturday (Dec. 27) from 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.; Sunday (Dec. 28) from 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.; Monday (Dec. 29) from 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.; Tuesday (Dec. 30) from 4:30 to 7 p.m. and Wednesday (Dec. 31) from 1 to 3 p.m.

Cost: $6 for adults 18 years old and up; $4.50 for youths 3 to 17 years old

Rental skates: Hockey and figure skates

Rental skate cost: $3

Rink size: standard NHL

The crowd: Mostly families; About 30 people at a time on weekends; Closer to 10 people on the ice at a time during the week.

Upcoming events: None

High Life Writer Sarah Mausolf can be reached at 970-748-2938 or smausolf@vaildaily.com.