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 At the
Seaside Ice in King Harbor, a popular meeting and event venue
called Seaside Lagoon is transformed from a scenic beach area into
a holiday wonderland. Projecting around 35,000 skaters and 100,000 total
attendees during the 2008 season, there's lots of entertainment to
go along with the skating fun. Ice skating sessions, live music, DJ’s,
films, special events, parties and other great opportunities to
experience the thrill of ice are envisioned by Redondo Beach Chamber of
Commerce and partners such as
the City of Redondo Beach, which permits the venue and event. Imagine
yourself ice skating in shorts and a Hawaiian-themed shirt as you watch
the sunset over the Pacific Ocean! It's the South Bay and Southern
California dream vacation turned reality in this public space that
guests are invited to enjoy.
Approx. 25 cities in California
have hosted outdoor winter ice skate rinks and the unique offerings have
been fanned by palm trees, ocean breezes and other such amenities of
warm winter climes such as San Diego, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Los
Angeles and Santa Monica. Several experienced glitches along the way
such as too much sun and not enough shade to keep the ice frozen
(Huntington Beach was one such city that dealt with this challenge), but
through time and a few switches, the learning process has helped turn
this business into a success in many cities that look forward to hosting
ice rinks seasonally each year.
Based on projections from other
ice venues in the region, success rates for seasonal ice rinks in
California are above 95% with nearly all launched projects returning as
annual repeat events. Of course the hotels hope to capture a bit of the
action with Transient Occupancy Taxes (TOT) that often can yield
additional revenue to the city coffers and funded organizations such as
chambers of commerce or destination management organizations. That's
just one more hope in this newest launch in Redondo Beach.
The ice rink itself is provided by
Ice Rinks 2 Go of Marian, Indiana. The company has an expertise in
portable rinks both in and out of California. Ice Rinks 2 Go surfaces
are usually 38’x68’. The typical ice surface move in normally requires
24 to 36 hours with a 10 person crew unloading the ice skating rink
package. Once the ice arena is set up, two people must spray water for 8
hour shifts in 18 to 36 hours to achieve the desired ice thickness. Move
out time is a lot shorter, taking around 8 hours. During the ice
removal, trucks haul broken ice from the arena to a designated dump
site. If the dump site is near the ice, removal can be achieved with 6-8
wheelbarrows. If time is available, the ice can be melted and pumped
into a nearby drain.
Where to stay: The obvious and
priciest choice in hotel accommodations is right next to the rink
at
Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club,
260 Portofino Way. Another nearby, affordable favorite
Best Western
Sunrise At Redondo Beach Marina
at 400 North Harbor Drive. Then the popular
chain hotel with on site dining, meeting space and other great amenities
is
Crowne Plaza
Hotel, 300 N. Harbor Dr.
All three of these
REDONDO BEACH
HOTELS are within walking distance
to the skating rink.
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