Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/850186
USICERINKS.COM JULY.AUGUST.2017 / 21 Fun and Games Problem-solving aside, the arena has fueled Shakopee's already booming recreation industry. Horses race at the city's well-visited Canterbury Park. Families flock to Valleyfair, which is the largest amusement park in the upper Midwest. The shell of the old arena will even host a new indoor water park, opening in July. Alongside all these amenities, Ciernia is excited to introduce ice sports to folks interested in skating for the first time. Two sheets mean the arena can offer more public skating, freestyle and open hockey sessions. "We want to try to get as many people in the door as possible," he says. "It's been very good." Into the future, the arena will keep plugging away with ice rentals. The city runs a Learn to Skate program two nights a week, which it's trying to expand. The practice rink will introduce turf next February, so for four months in the summer, lacrosse and soccer players can play inside. Ciernia is excited to see the hockey numbers and overall participation grow. He wants to see as many kids on the ice as they can get, especially being open at the beginning of hockey season. "You know, having a whole year under our belt, we'll really see how we're going to be about everything," Ciernia says. "I'm excited to see where that can go." J , Abundant storage, new locker rooms and two ice sheets have Shakopee Ice Arena ready for growth.