Ice Sports are Alive
Jan 28, 2018 ● By The Hood Magazine
It may be an Olympic Year, but ice sports in Sioux Falls has
never been more top of mind and February wraps up national skating-month. All three rinks at the SCHEELS Iceplex are booming
with Curling, Figure Skating and Hockey. This community facility became a
reality four years ago thanks to the unified efforts of all ice user groups,
countless private donors, Sanford Health, SCHEELS, the City of Sioux Falls, and
the business community in the Sioux Falls area.

“The outpouring of enthusiasm for ice sports has been remarkable, says Brian Prisbe, General Manager for the SCHEELS Iceplex, we knew there was a need for our three -sheet ice facility, but couldn’t have asked for such a warm welcome. People have been super excited about it and keep coming back.”
The SCHEELS Iceplex sits on the far north corner of the
Sanford Sports Complex and is open year round. Over the weekends and during
holiday and school breaks, families can take advantage of “Culver’s Family Open
Skate,” “Hockey Headquarters Stick-n-Puck and open hockey. A huge attraction is
the Friday night “Cosmic Open Skate,” the lights go down, and the strobe lights
and tunes go on. “It’s a hit for all ages,” says Prisbe. In addition to the
weekend open skating there is daytime skating nearly every day.
“The ice sports community is close knit, whether you are a figure skater,
recreational skater or have been playing hockey for years, we look out for each
other and the enthusiasm at every level is so alive,” says Prisbe.
The SCHEELS Iceplex has so many opportunities to feed your inner Olympian. The Sioux Falls Figure Skating Clubs Learn to Skate program that takes place on Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays is for all ages. “You can learn basic skating skills, take adult lessons or learn to twirl like a figure skater,” says Michelle Carlson, SFFSC president. The Learn to Skate program is the first step to becoming a competitive figure skater and avid hockey player. Sioux Falls Figure skaters compete throughout the upper Midwest and host a competition March 3-4 where skaters will compete for their own hardware. Another opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of this beautiful sport is to attend the spring figure skating show in early May. Check out www.sffsc.com for more information.
To say hockey has grown in Sioux Falls is an
understatement. With nearly 600 skaters,
the Sioux Falls Youth Hockey Association (www.siouxfallsflyers.com) has leagues
for ages 4-18 and any skill level. Hockey Day in South Dakota will be
celebrated on February 10, the second day of the winter Olympics. In
conjunction with the Sioux Falls Flyers Youth Hockey Program, the Sioux Falls
Stampede and the SCHEELS Iceplex. The Sioux Falls Flyers will play league games
at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center and SCHEELS Iceplex. Even after the
Olympics, hockey players can participate in camps all spring and summer to up
their game and improve on skills, check it out at www.scheelsiceplex.com under our hockey tab.
Curling is another cold weather sport and for our neighbors in ND and MN it’s
their go to week night winter sport, it is now becoming a winter past time for
many in Sioux Falls as well. The North
rink in the SCHEELS Iceplex keeps curling ice year round.