Pinedale Ice Skating Rink

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Nothing struck fear into a young boy like the high dive tower at Blakely's. Or perhaps you preferred the water slide at Maple Plunge. But to a young man, Lake Millerton or Lost Lake was the destination. Remember the ice rink in Pinedale? Post your favorite Summer Activity here.
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fresno103
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Pinedale Ice Skating Rink

Post by fresno103 » Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:11 am

Jeez, I spent my entire youth without ever knowing that we had an ice rink in Fresno until long after I graduated. Then a friend of mine got me interested in playing ice hockey and the junior league he found was located in Visalia. It was full sized hockey rink that lated became a furniture store. So when we were too lazy to drive to Visalia to practice skate, we headed over to Pinedale. The Pinedale rink was like some hidden mystery that all of a sudden popped-up out of nowhere.

As I remember it, the place was quite small and a tad bit run down. The original owner was still there and he kept a good eye on us to make sure we didn't hot rod around his small rink. We were wearing our hockey skates after all. It's been many years since I've been to Pinedale but I'm sure that ring got swallowed up by some strip mall.

Lost Fresno Guest
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Re: Pinedale Ice Skating Rink

Post by Lost Fresno Guest » Thu Aug 12, 2010 7:30 am

I think the name of the ice skating rink was Icelandia. Wasn't it located on Harrison Ave?

TmBarrett59
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Re: Pinedale Ice Skating Rink

Post by TmBarrett59 » Thu Aug 12, 2010 8:32 am

No, the old rink on Harrison which was called ICELAND, wasnt swallowed up by a strip mall, the actual building is still there at 7060 N Harrison, its just a Lumberyard now. Iceland closed in June 1976 and the owners as well as the Ice Skating Club of Fresno moved over to the rink called ICELANDIA on Clinton and Marks that same June. Icelandia was run by the same people who ran the Visalia rink, Carl and Fran Lindahl. The Barrett's who owned Iceland, focused on teaching skating at Icelandia. The Lindalh's retired at sold the rink to the Kerwin's in 1987. The Barrett's retired in 1988. Icelandia closed around 2000 shortly after the Gateway rink was built next door.

Sharlsie
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Re: Pinedale Ice Skating Rink

Post by Sharlsie » Thu Aug 19, 2010 5:16 am

When I was a teen we used to go the one in Pinedale quite a bit. I preferred ice skating to roller skating and I even got my friends who liked roller skating to try it and they liked it too. My mom actually was the one who introduced to me to ice skating as she was very proficient with it herself, and she even went there as a kid.

TmBarrett59
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Re: Pinedale Ice Skating Rink

Post by TmBarrett59 » Thu Aug 19, 2010 4:08 pm

Sharlsie: Odds are if you and your family were regulars between 1960 & 1976 there, then I might remember you. if you took lessons then the odds would be greater.

Big J
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Re: Pinedale Ice Skating Rink

Post by Big J » Fri Aug 20, 2010 1:38 pm

Would Iceland have been where the Fresno Falcons played prior to Selland Arena opening - does anyone know?

TmBarrett59
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Re: Pinedale Ice Skating Rink

Post by TmBarrett59 » Fri Aug 20, 2010 11:30 pm

Well the guys used to come skate there. Iceland was too small for real hockey games(Like 50'W by 100'L). Plus they all came and got their skates sharpened there. There was a small league out there for a few years, but nothing like it was when everything transfered over to Icelandia in 76. Back in those days, most of the Falcon's were local guys who had grown up playing hockey elsewhere. They would have practices the morning of, or day before actual games down at the Selland, Several of them played in adult league down in visalia once a week and then when Icelandia opened in 76, they would play in the Adult leagues there and occasionally buy practice ice too.

DS30's
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Re: Pinedale Ice Skating Rink

Post by DS30's » Fri Oct 22, 2010 3:35 pm

Nobody's mentioned the earlier Fresno Ice Arena, which was on Olive at Fresno St. And this is where the Fresno Falcons played in the 50s. I ushered for the hockey games at that time, and most of the players then were from Canada, in the Niagara Falls area, some from Toronto, where the team coach was from. I can't recall his name at the moment, but I think his first name was Joe.

I first skated at the Fresno Arena in 1940, then the rink closed during the war, when it was used to manufacture airplane parts. It re-opened after the war, probably in 1946 or 47, and I continued skating there regularly, belonged to the Figure Skating Club, and taught the Saturday morning Penguin Club kids. When I was at Fresno State, I also took ice skating as my PE course, which is when Robin Greiner and Carol Ormaca were training for the national figure skating championships.
I also ushered at the ice shows at the Fresno rink.

I skated at the Pinedale rink only once or twice as I recall, and I think it was owned by Vera Jones, who was also a member of the skating club.

DS30's
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Re: Pinedale Ice Skating Rink -Correction

Post by DS30's » Fri Oct 22, 2010 3:55 pm

As I wasn't sure of my dates and a couple of facts, I was able to find out that the Fresno Ice Arena was built in Feb of 1942 (well, hey, it was more than a few years ago!), closed in 1943 to be used as a Lockheed plant, then re-opened after the war.
It was torn down in 1956, and the old Camp Pinedale Theater was leased by Bev Jones, husband of Vera Jones, who I mentioned in my previous post.

This and more info is from a book, "Fresno County in the 20th Century From 1900's to the 1980's Volume 2." by Charles W. Clough with several co-authors..." which I found with a search.

TimBarrett59

Re: Pinedale Ice Skating Rink

Post by TimBarrett59 » Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:49 pm

Vera Jones and Cliff Paige then sold the Pinedale rink in 1960 to Bill and Julie Barrett (who were also Robin and Carol's coaches)

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