IceWorks in Aston Draws Legions of Visitors to Delaware County

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Images via IceWorks.

Throughout the year, IceWorks in Aston attracts legions of visitors to Delaware County for ice hockey, ice skating, figure skating, and ice shows.

Though the venue has expanded over the years, it still remains a family-friendly place where beginners of all ages can learn how to skate, and where elite athletes can train and compete.

“We started out with just two rinks in 1997, and then we expanded and added two more rinks in 2001,” said Anthony Lorusso, a manager at IceWorks. “We have three NHL-sized rinks and one Olympic-sized rink. Basically, it looks like a huge airplane hangar.”

The facility also has a restaurant, pro shop, arcade, rooms for birthday parties and banquets, and more.

“Hockey-wise, we have about 175 teams that play out of here, and it’s like a circus sometimes,” Lorusso said, noting that trying to arrange ice time for all the different levels of competition can be tricky. “We have a huge board that has our schedule on it, and it’s just like a 365-day moving puzzle.”

Besides hockey, IceWorks is home to the IceWorks Skating Club, which has more than 400 members who skate and compete at various levels, from beginners to Olympic athletes.

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“We have synchronized skating, men and women single skating, ice dancing, and adult free skate, so there are a lot of people involved in our ice skating programs, just like there are in our hockey programs,” said Lisa Shaw, an IceWorks manager and Figure Skating Director.

For those who have yet to experience the thrill of gliding over the ice on a pair of skates, there is the Learn to Skate Program at IceWorks. The popular program is part of Learn to Skate USA, which is designed to provide a fun and positive experience that will instill a lifelong love of skating. It includes six 30-minute group lessons on the ice.

While IceWorks helps nurture beginning skaters, the facility has also seen a steady stream of elite athletes. In 2010, for example, the Winter Olympics in Vancouver featured ice dancers from the United States, Italy, and Russia, all of whom trained at IceWorks.

Over the years, IceWorks has hosted a number of major events, like USA Curling Nationals, US Speed Skating Nationals, and USA Collegiate Roller Hockey Nationals. The facility also produces an ice show every April; this year’s theme is “The Game of Life” and will be performed from April 27-29.

“With four rinks and the size of our figure skating and hockey programs, we are booked from 5 in the morning to 2 AM on a typical day,” said Shaw.

She said the owners have always maintained that IceWorks be a fun and safe place where the family comes first, and where no one has to worry about dropping their kids off for a game or practice.

“We have 4.5 million people come through here a year,” she said, “but no matter how large we get, we are always family oriented and family friendly.”

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