Ice skating in Tasmania looks set to make a comeback, but its history has been rocky

Photo courtesy: Supplied: Amy Pailthorpe. Retrieved from abc.net.au

In the 1980s, Tasmania was home to three indoor rinks, in Hobart, Launceston and Devonport.

But the running costs meant the Launceston and Devonport rinks only stayed open for a handful of years each.

As the Glenorchy rink in Hobart was smaller than an Olympic rink, options for large-scale ice sports at the venue were limited during the time it was operating too.

President of Ice Sports Tasmania Anna Holliday said it had been difficult for figure skaters, ice hockey players and officials to continue to participate in ice sports, but the athletes’ passion didn’t waver when the rinks were lost.

Ms Holliday said while some athletes moved interstate to train, several figure skaters based in Tasmania still regularly competed in national competitions, even achieving podium positions.

“They have to work twice as hard as their competitors because they know when they come home they won’t have a rink to train on,” she said.

“We have this history, and we have a future. The spirit of these Tasmanian athletes drives ice sports.”

Architect and urban planner Ross Carpenter said a new Olympic-sized ice rink could perform well, provided it had economic backing.

“Tasmania already showed that it could be just as competitive as any other place in the country,” he said.