3 minute read
In Ashburn, They Never Skate on Thin Ice
In Ashburn, They Never Skate on Thin Ice
By Joe Motheral
The Ashburn Ice House has been gliding along for 25 years, a popular destination for one and all, and as one patron recently described it, “a playground on ice.”
There are two indoor ice rinks—the East and West— sized according to professional ice hockey standards. They both provide for public skating, ice hockey leagues and figure skating instruction and practice time, with coaches for both sports available, as well. There’s also a restaurant, pro shop, locker rooms and skate rentals.
General Manager Rob Lorenzen has been there for 24 years and said, “The two activities most popular are ice hockey and figure skating. We also have public skating for anyone interested and they can register online.”
The biggest challenge, he added, is to “continue to cycle the new skaters. The most important thing to us is to continue the learn-to-skate classes. Especially the beginners at the entry level.”
The Ice House also features occasional performances like the Polar Express, for example, in December. In the spring, he said, “We host competitions for the Washington Figure Skating Club and a number of hockey tournaments.”
The Ice House even has support from the Washington Capitals, who provide some hockey equipment. In 2013, Alex Ovechkin’s rookie season, the Capitals also trained at the facility.
Lorenzen grew up in Rhode Island and played hockey in prep school and at Rochester Institute of Technology. Coming to Northern Virginia, he said, “Has been a wonderful experience for me. It’s a terrific relationship with the community. I coach the youngest age groups—four to six years old. Many people are seeing kids that I coached when they were young now coming back coaching their own kids.”
The facility uses the Learn to Skate program endorsed by USA Hockey, US Speed Skating, Special Olympics, and US Figure Skating. Classes are organized into age specific levels and designed for any beginner to acquire the necessary skills to enjoy skating for a lifetime. Summer camps for all ages and all skating sports also are available.
The Ashburn Ice House has one of the largest Learn to Skate programs in the country. They had 3,185 new members in the 2022-2023 season and ranked No. 1 in the state, No. 2 in the region and No. 4 in the nation.
No wonder Lorenzen is filled with brimming enthusiasm.
“I think we’ve really established ourselves as a pillar of the community, which is most rewarding to me,” he said.
The Ashburn Ice House is located at 21595 Smith Switch Road, Ashburn. For more information to www.ashburnice.com.
