Carousel FSC, Lloyd Center Ice Rink Growing the Future of Skating

For more than 60 years, the Lloyd Center Ice Rink in Portland has provided a fun, festive atmosphere for people of all ages. With a partnership that includes the Carousel Figure Skating Club, Pacific Ice Academy and Axis on Ice, one's skating journey can take any pathway. 

Above: Team USA coach Nani Tanaka and guest instructor and two-time Olympian Karen Chen teach a group of Carousel FSC members during a recent workshop.

By Troy Schwindt

For generations of families in the Pacific Northwest, the Lloyd Center Ice Rink in Portland, Oregon, has been a warm and inviting place, where cherished childhood memories continue to be made.

Opened in 1960 as the world’s first shopping center ice rink, the venue is iconic; Olympians such as Brian Boitano, Tonya Harding and Karen Chen; and lawmaker/activist Bobby and Ethel Kennedy are just a few of the more notable names who have glided around the small (175 x 75), oval-shaped, but quaint rink. For more than six decades, millions of others have laced up their skates inside the three-story mall.

Despite it being smaller than an NHL-sized rink (200 x 85), Lloyd Center has emerged as a place where anyone’s skating journey can begin and prosper. It became the home of the Carousel Figure Skating Club at the end of last year.

Under the umbrella of the Carousel FSC, a group of coaches formed the Pacific Ice Academy. Their rink’s flagship Aspire program is flourishing under these experienced and dedicated instructors. Aspire, a product of U.S. Figure Skating, marks the transition from skater to figure skater and teaches athletes of all ages the skills they need to make the most out of their figure skating journey.

Lydia Finch, right and a Pacific Academy pupil in costume at an event.
Pacific Ice Academy coach Lydia Finch, right, and student Naomi. 

The Pacific Ice Academy, led by four-time sectional qualifier Lydia Finch, is a collaboration of instructors from the Lloyd Center and Carousel FSC. Its teaching and mentorship tree includes Team USA coaches and siblings Nani Tanaka and Mari Malama, who started a developmental program a few years ago called Axis on Ice. Axis on Ice works in concert with the rink and club. It was Tanaka and Malama who ignited a love of skating for Finch when she was just 4.

“The goal of the Pacific Ice Academy is to establish a visible developmental pathway for all avenues of skating, whether that be recreational or high performance, Finch, 25, said. “Believe it or not, there are a few skaters on Team USA right now who first started skating at Lloyd Center (Samuel Mindra and Ryan Azadpour).”

The mission of the Academy and Axis on Ice, Finch added, is to be as inclusive as possible and to support skaters at every single level and age group. We want to grow athletes by providing access to resources, and to grow the sport of figure skating in the Pacific Northwest by developing not only the athletes but also coaches.

“Carousel has always been a very hands-on club that wants to provide the best opportunities and resources for all skaters, regardless of their club affiliation,” Finch said. “With Carousel sponsoring this program, it’s made it more affordable for families, offers consistency in programming, and educates families on clubs, their value and what they can provide for one’s skating future.

“Our goal with this symbiotic relationship has been to bring back the collaborative style of coaching in Portland. This is why you’ll see coaches from Carousel FSC, Lloyd Center and Axis on Ice working together throughout this program.”

Because of the smaller ice surface, the Lloyd Cener Ice Arena can only offer Learn to Skate USA classes and a handful of specialty classes. Within that framework, Pacific Ice Academy coaches give young athletes the foundational pieces to improve and advance in the sport.

“Our goal is to continue to encourage those skaters to have a growth mindset and offer them valuable skills that they can use on and off ice, because at Lloyd Center, a lot of the kids outgrow the rink because it’s so small. We want to make it so that they have those foundational skills prior to going to those bigger rinks, so that when they start to see those programs, the training and all those things that they would be required to do, it won’t feel so much like a culture shock for them or their parents.”

To make the Lloyd Center Ice Rink program affordable, Finch and her team canvassed other area rinks and did a price comparison.

A group of Pacific Ice Academy skaters wearing black attire on the ice
A group of Carousel FSC members attended the Karen Chen Workshop at the Lloyd Center Ice Rink.

“We wanted to make sure the club was able to break even, the coaches got paid, but also that the kids were able to afford those costs,” Finch said. “We have an array of coaches who have different specialties, so that they [pupils] are able to get multiple different perspectives, but also they are targeting every single fundamental thing that they’ll need to give them a better grasp of skating skills, choreography, movement and jumps.”

Having a rink in a shopping mall obviously helps drive foot traffic to the rink each day, as does the club and rink’s social media accounts.

Instagram and e-blasts are ways they use to get the word out about skating opportunities at Lloyd Center. Two of the rink’s managers, Maddi Boggs and Tyler Harvey, have been instrumental in supporting the rink’s program.

“The are absolutely phenomenal,” Finch said. “They have brochures we have created to put around the rink. During Learn to Skate, testing and what not, we’ll staple brochures to their test forms, so parents can get more information, and we just have a lot of skaters who have been part of the program and so they’ve spread the word.”

Because of its close relationships with area clubs, skaters who started at Lloyd Center often find themselves back at that venue, performing in holiday ice shows.

“Having them come back to Lloyd Center opens the eyes of a lot of these younger skaters and really encourages them to keep going, because a lot of those higher-level skaters started in a program like this.”

The Lloyd Center, Pacific Ice Academy and Axis on Ice also brings in esteemed athletes and coaches to work with the skaters at the rink. Olympian Karen Chen is an athlete who recently worked with the young group of skaters at Lloyd Center.

More excitement is expected soon at the Lloyd Center Ice Rink when the mall completes a renovation that could bring back major retail stores.

 

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