Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1512218
Just like our readers, U.S. Ice Rinks is heading into our busiest time of year. We just wrapped up our Regional Training Program season, and now we are pre- paring for our annual Membership Meeting where we get to give our members a recap of 2023 and hopefully hear how we can better serve them. Shortly thereafter, our annual Board of Directors meeting will be held, where we will set goals and objectives for 2024. To finish out the year, we will put the finishing touches on the January/February issue of RINK Magazine, which will include the event brochure for our 20th Anniversary North American Rink Conference & Expo. 2023 has been a solid year for U.S. Ice Rinks. We had record attendance for 27 courses held in 10 different states and saw our total historical course registrations eclipse 11,650. In addition, 77 members earned at least one of our professional designations this year. You can check out who earned a certification this year start- ing on page 40. Finally, membership registrations are on pace to end the year at an all-time high. For the final issue of RINK for 2023, we have pulled together some great articles. On page 38, learn about recent refrigerant regulations enacted by the EPA. The article is worth the read for anyone considering building a new ice rink, or current rink owners and opera- tors that are planning to replace their aging refrigeration systems. We've got a project in pictures piece for you starting on page 30 about a recent dasher board replacement proj- ect at the Colorado Avalanche's prac- tice facility in the suburbs of Denver. Check out the article on page 34 about the 'Compete USA' class being offered as part of the Learn To Skate USA program curriculum at a rink in Houston. The class introduces skaters to competition without the need for private lessons. Don't miss the NGB News section for the latest from USA Hockey on their 'Try Hockey for Free' initiative in February, and U.S. Figure Skating's National Skating Month in January. Both programs are terrific opportunities for rinks to bring in new participants! Finally, on page 44, we have a piece about an interesting programming idea from one of our members in Wisconsin that you may not have tried before. This program might be a good fit for filling off-season dry-floor time at your rink. As always, I wish you the best and hope you get some time to spend some quality time with family and friends during the holidays. — Jeff Theiler, Chief Operating Officer, United States Ice Rink Association Opening ADDRESS Welcome from Jeff Theiler THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UNITED STATES ICE RINK ASSOCIATION NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 // VOL. 26, NO. 6 USICERINKS.COM // INFO@USICERINKS.COM C E O Laura McEwen C H A I R M A N Steve Farbman P R E S I D E N T James McEwen S E N I O R V I C E P R E S I D E N T David Jensen C O N T R O L L E R Mike Schwarz C R E A T I V E D I R E C T O R Rob Johnson A R T D I R E C T O R S Mike DeArmond, Brandon Favre D E S I G N E R S Taylor McCumber, Sydney Urban A D S A L E S Bryan Nelson V I C E P R E S I D E N T, M A R K E T I N G & C L I E N T S T R A T E G Y Jessica Disch E D I T O R Aaron Paitich C O N T E N T W R I T E R Emily Sizen A D C O O R D I N A T O R Samantha Canter RINK Magazine is the definitive business publication for professionals in the ice rink industry and is the leading source for information on facility management, operations and programming. PUBLISHING PARTNER 1601 Utica Avenue South, Suite 110, Minneapolis, MN 55416 P H : (763) 595-0808 E - M A I L : info@touchpointmedia.com W E B S I T E : touchpointmedia.com Mission: "To advance the ice rink industry through membership, world-class education, training, resources and events." C H I E F O P E R A T I N G O F F I C E R Jeff Theiler D I R E C T O R , E D U C A T I O N John Monteleone P H : ( 719 ) 538-1149 F A X : (719) 538-7838 E - M A I L : info@usicerinks.com W E B S I T E : usicerinks.com A P A R T N E R W I T H E D I T O R Aaron Paitich C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz, John Monteleone, Rory Mushlin, Craig Petersen, Jessi Pierce, Jeff Theiler E D I T O R I A L B O A R D T.C. Lewis, John Monteleone, Craig Petersen, Jeff Theiler D E S I G N E R S Mike DeArmond, Brandon Favre, Taylor McCumber, Sydney Urban 14 / NOVEMBER.DECEMBER.2023 USICERINKS.COM Riding High into the Holidays U.S. Ice Rinks had record attendance for 27 COURSES held in 10 DIFFERENT STATES and saw total historical course registrations eclipse 11,650.