The Boston Common Frog Pond ice rink opened its gates for the winter on Nov. 30, inviting locals and tourists alike to take to the ice and unite under a popular winter tradition.
“[In] the winter, it’s much more of a destination,” said Doug Zeghibe, executive director of the Skating Club of Boston, in an interview with The Beacon. “It’s a more broad and diverse community united by the shared interest of skating.”
The Skating Club of Boston has a public-private partnership with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department to operate the Frog Pond year-round.
“The team is really focused on quality ice, a safe experience, and a clean experience for everybody so folks can come in and enjoy it,” Zeghibe said.
The outdoor ice rink will be open through March 10 every day starting at 10 a.m., according to MassLive. Admission is free for skaters under 5 feet and is $10 for everyone above. Adult skate rentals are $15 and kid skate rentals are $10. College students can present their student ID for half-price admission every Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
For those with little skating experience, the Frog Pond offers resources to make sure everyone can have a pleasant experience. The Skating Club of Boston’s Skating Academy offers lessons that take place on the rink, and children who skate during the rink’s general hours can use the seal-shaped skating aid, Bobby, which is available to rent for $18 per hour.
Nailea Sanchez is originally from Mexico and now lives just outside of Boston. She said her experiences at the Frog Pond have always been welcoming.
“Even if you don’t know how to skate, there’s always people here taking care of you,” Sanchez said.
Brigid Geezil is one of the skate guards who works on the rink. Originally from Plymouth, Mass., Geezil has been ice skating since she was two years old. As a guard, Geezil has to pay close attention to the people in the rink and said she noticed how special the rink has become to visitors.
“It’s been a staple for Boston Christmas and Boston winter for a couple [of] decades,” Geezil said. “When you think of winter in Boston, you think of the Frog Pond.”
The Boston Common was established in 1634 and is the oldest park in America, with the Frog Pond opening in 1996. Over the next 30 years, the Frog Pond established itself as a popular tourist attraction. Yelp ranked the Frog Pond’s ice rink as the 14th best ice skating rink in the U.S. and Canada.
“It’s a pretty special place that I think stands alone compared to other outdoor city skating rinks,” said Zeghibe. “Skating is fun wherever you do it, but being in the Boston Common, skating among the trees and the holiday lights is pretty special.”
Visitors can slide into the winter spirit at the annual Skating Spectacular shows on New Year’s Eve as part of Boston’s First Night New Year’s Eve party, with two shows at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The Skating Club of Boston gathers competitive and recreational skaters to perform in the free event.
The rink faces unique challenges as a result of its location in an outdoor area. The quality of the ice is weather-dependent and the infrastructure is aging. Zeghibe said the Frog Pond is hoping to undergo renovations in the future to resolve some of the age-related issues.
Full details have yet to be released by the City of Boston, but a reportedly significant amount of funding is set aside to redo the pavilion at the Pond to accommodate more skate rentals and greater event and socialization space off the ice, according to Zeghibe.
“As someone who cares about the facility and skating in the Boston Common and the city, I would love to see [the rink] renovated into a space where we can accommodate more skaters [and] more visitors during the rest of the year,” Zeghibe said.
The executive director said he hopes the renovations would encourage the public to take care of the Common and its environment.
“I think the more people that see the Common and the Public Garden, they not only appreciate the city, but they learn to appreciate green space in general,” said Zeghibe.
Brothers Leonard and Walter Reder came to Boston from Atlantic City, N.J., to visit their mom. Leonard Reder was taking a quick break from skating after he cut his eyebrow during a lap on the ice.
“It’s my first time ice skating, hence,” gesturing to the cut next to his eyebrow. “It’s definitely still challenging, and painful,” Reder said. “It hurts, but it’s fun. [I] would do it again with a helmet.”
The Frog Pond ice rink remained a staple memory of Alex White’s childhood. White currently lives in Texas with his wife, who is originally from Costa Rica. White grew up in Boston, and this was one of the first times he had been back in the city in fifteen years. He said he wanted to share the space that meant so much to him when he was younger with his wife.
“This is one of a kind thing you can do. In Texas, you can’t do this,” White said. “With the skyline and the sunset, it’s actually really beautiful. This is something you have movies about.”
