Skating Rinks

The acoustic tiles on the walls are worn, the carpeting is threadbare in some places, and a note posted along the edge of the Pasadena Ice Skating Center rink reminds skaters that "our nostalgic facility is very old." Hockey parents complain that the boards don't bounce right and that the puck often gets lost during games. But on a recent "free skate" night, the magic of the ice was still alive and well.

Rescue workers recovered the last bodies of people missing in the ruins of an ice skating rink in Bad Reichenhall, Germany, bringing the death toll to 15. Three children and a 40-year-old woman were the last victims to be found. About 50 people were inside when the roof collapsed Monday during a heavy snowfall. Many were children on the last days of Christmas vacation.

The absence of cold, wet ice prompted Daria Artem to bring her two young nieces and nephew to the Ice Magic Skating Rink, where they escaped the rain for a couple of hours Friday. She called the 5,000-square-foot rink -- in the southeast corner of a parking lot at Westfield Shoppingtown Topanga in Canoga Park -- a family-friendly place. If the children fall down, no need to worry about their getting damp.

The Eiffel Tower opened an ice- skating rink on an observation deck 188 feet above ground, adding a new dimension to the breathtaking views from the Parisian landmark. Set between two of the tower's immense legs, the rink is a little larger than a tennis court. It holds 80 skaters. Two judges gave it high scores. "It's just magical.... "It's like you're skating on air," said Hanna Patila, 20, a Finn. Swiss tourist Oliver Giacomotti had just one thing to say: "Fabuleux!"

The Planning Commission this week revoked the operating permit of a roller skating rink and arcade, citing building-code violations and problems with police. Stuart Silver, owner of Stuart's Rollerworld, has 10 days to appeal the decision. But Silver has put the building at 464 W. Commonwealth Ave. up for sale, and city officials said he told them he might move the operation to Anaheim.

Ice hockey in Orange County used to be an exercise in sleep deprivation. With only one sheet of ice serving the area in the early 1990s, people were pushed to bleary-eyed extremes. Imagine this: Your teenager's game at Ice Capades Chalet in Costa Mesa starts at 11:30 p.m. Saturday and ends a couple of hours before a 3:30 a.m. practice for your 4-year-old. That's right, toddlers scooting around the ice in the wee hours of the morning.

An outdoor roller hockey rink, identified as one of the top recreational needs by young people in a recent city survey, will soon become reality in Brea. The City Council has agreed to spend $45,000 for the rink, which will be built in the northeast corner of the Brea Community Center parking lot. The project will replace the existing asphalt with a six-inch concrete surface. A storage area for hockey equipment also will be built.

Shirley Sumner was the only woman playing in a pickup ice hockey game Monday, but it was no big deal. Sumner, an Irvine police officer, had broken gender barriers before. And she wasn't alone. Rachel Tilton, said to be one of the best female amateur ice hockey players in Orange County, was timekeeper at the Aliso Viejo Ice Palace on Sunday as she cheered for Sumner, who was playing goalie and giving as well as she got from the men trying to shoot the puck into the net behind her.

It may be cold and wet outside, but inside the massive Iceoplex there is an outbreak of Olympic fever. "Max used to be a roller-blader," said Marla Geisinger, of Encino, as she watched her 8-year-old skating in a circle a few yards beyond her peaceful perch behind the plexiglass. "All the kids in the Valley roller-blade. They're all athletic. This is new to many of them and they want to do it."