A fire crackles in the pit next to the couches as my friend, Dani Eggli, and I lace up our skates and zip up our jackets at the ice rink at Northstar. We joke about our lack of experience on ice while waddling toward the rink. Although images of dainty skaters executing beautiful pirouettes and gliding smoothly around the rink fill my head, I cling to the railing and shuffle my stiff legs back and forth trying to get comfortable.
Public skating rinks
South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena | tahoearena.com
Squaw Valley at High Camp | squawalpine.com
Truckee River Regional Park | tdrpd.com
Village at Heavenly | skiheavenly.com
Village at Northstar | northstarcalifornia.com
Short, jerky movements give way to more balanced gliding moves thanks to a few pointers from a fellow skater on the rink. Keep your toes pointed out and look ahead, not at your feet. The rest comes with practice as we make a few laps around the outside of the rink. Skaters of all ages and abilities shuffle around the rink in the cold winter air as the evening winds to an end.
The ice rink is located in the middle of the Village at Northstar giving guests the opportunity to make an evening of dinner and skating. The rink is open daily, weather permitting. Families may help raise money for local schools by attending minimum day madness on select Wednesdays throughout the season, or break out your favorite retro clothing for Turtleneck Tuesdays.
Something for everyone
The Truckee River Regional Park is home to a rink with a host of events and lessons for people of all ages. Ice dancing and hockey leagues are available for elementary school-aged kids. Adults may join on-going broomball and hockey leagues throughout the season. Private and group lessons are offered and skate rentals are available on site. The rink is open to the public from noon to 7 p.m. on weekends with special events scheduled during the week.
Skating among Tahoe’s peaks
Once home to the Winter Olympics, Squaw Valley hosts the highest elevation ice skating in Tahoe at the top of the Tram at High Camp. Enjoy panoramic views of Squaw Valley and Lake Tahoe while gliding across the rink.
Afterwards, slip into the hot tub to warm up and relax those muscles. Guests at the Resort at Squaw Creek also may enjoy skating on a private rink at the base of Squaw Valley.
Indoor skating year-round
Enjoy skating in all weather conditions at the indoor South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena. This NHL-sized rink is privately operated by Tahoe Sports and Entertainment and offers daily public skate sessions, as well as hockey and figure skating programs for adults and kids, as well as private lessons and curling programs. The Lake Tahoe Epic Curling Club meets on Sundays and provides lessons and regulations about the sport of curling.
Glide across the ice during après
It’s all about the après party at the Village at Heavenly and ice skating is another great part of the scene. Enjoy live music and great views while sliding around on Heavenly’s public rink before grabbing dinner at one of the many restaurants.
See how the pros do it during Heavenly’s Ice Skating Spectacular from Dec. 28 to 30 with performances featuring some of the best figure skaters in the country at 7:30 p.m. nightly.
