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  • The West Virginia synchronized figure skating team performs at the grand opening of The Greenbrier’s ice rink. W. Dayton Whittle/The Register-Herald

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  • Jim Justice, his wife Cathy, right, and daughter Jill cut the ribbon at the grand opening the ice skating rink. W. Dayton Whittle/The Register-Herald

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November 28, 2010

Icing on The Greenbrier

Skating, laser tag now part of resort’s activities

By Tina Alvey Register-Herald Reporter

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — The Greenbrier’s new state-of-the-art outdoor ice skating rink is already proving to be a popular amenity at the famed resort.

According to Robert Harris, director of sports and recreation at The Greenbrier, 255 skaters took advantage of the rink Thanksgiving Day, despite balmy temperatures that tested the facility’s large commercial chiller.

Access to the 140-by-70-foot ice rink is through the Chesapeake Bay Room, which is doing double duty as a mini-pro shop, with winter-friendly items such as caps and gloves offered for sale.

“We’ve created a lounge or clubhouse atmosphere in the Chesapeake Bay,” Harris explained. “And we have complimentary hot chocolate here all day long.”

Propane heaters dot the terrace next to the rink, offering a cozy spot for spectators to observe the action or for skaters to take a break from their exertion. A nearby fire pit is the site of nightly s’mores feasts.

“Each evening at 7, the ingredients for s’mores are delivered to the fire pit on a silver service tray,” Harris said.

A “rink hut” rounds out the new facility, with 324 pairs of skates in all sizes for rent, along with safety helmets, which are required for patrons under the age of 12 and recommended for everyone.

Harris explained the rink is built atop a sand base and will be disassembled in the spring.

“It’s like a little pond out there,” he said, pointing out the ice is maintained at a depth of between 11/4 and 13/4 inches. The chiller will keep the ice intact even if air temperatures get as high as 60 degrees, he added.

The skating season will close the last weekend of March, and plans for off-season use of the space are incomplete, Harris noted, although one option being considered is placing flagstones on the sand base to provide an additional outdoor seating area.

The ice skating rink is open to resort guests between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Non-registered guests are welcome to skate for a nominal fee during The Greenbrier’s holiday shopping weekends, Dec. 3-5, 10-12 and 17-19.

Harris said he anticipates the rink will be open to the general public on additional dates throughout the skating season.

“We’ll put out a schedule,” he said. “Instruction will be available as well. This should be something for the community.”

He added with a grin, “And this would be a perfect year to buy ice skates as Christmas gifts.”

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Resort guests can also register in the Chesapeake Bay Room for another new sports option — laser tag.

“Families let out a lot of stress with this,” Harris said. “All of the family members want to sign up together for laser tag games.”

Sessions last 45 minutes, with each game measuring seven minutes, he explained. Each participant dons a headband that registers “hits” when another player accurately targets him or her. The players can decide how many hits a competitor must absorb before being declared “out.”

The laser guns emit sounds and flashes of light when fired.

With a nod to irony, the laser tag battles are waged in a section of the resort’s Exhibit Hall, which is part of the Cold War-era bunker constructed to house Congress in case of nuclear attack.

Shrouded in black curtains, the laser tag arena is bedecked with camouflage-twined netting, while fence sections and a veritable jungle of plants offer plenty of cover for combatants.

“This is outdoor equipment,” Harris said of the guns, which have a range of 700 feet. “In the spring, we’ll be looking for an outdoor arena space — a field where players can really move around.”

While laser tag is currently only available to registered guests, due to space limitations, Harris said he hopes to be able to offer at least some weekday slots to parties composed of non-registered guests in the near future.

— E-mail: talvey@register-herald.com՞

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