Ice Cave officially celebrated the grand opening of its Lake Elsinore ice rink Aug. 23 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The event came about a month after the rink’s soft opening and included free skating, food, raffles and face painting.
“This building has stood vacant for more than 22 years,” Mayor Bob Magee said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We are lucky to have James and Jennifer who have invested in something we’ve never had before, an ice skating rink. There is nothing like this within a 50-mile radius and this place is going to go off once word gets out.”
James and Jennifer Dragescu, the owners of Ice Cave, are originally from Michigan, and ice skating has been part of their lives for years. James Dragescu said their first date was ice skating in Michigan.
“Thank you again to the city,” Dragescu said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “You guys let us have our dream come true.”
He also thanked the volunteers and sponsors who contributed to the project.
“It takes a village to do this,” he said. “We have so many great volunteers from the figure skating community, the hockey community that helped us build this from scratch.”
Ice Cave General Manager Bridget Sandoval said the rink has received positive feedback since the soft opening, with families coming in to spend time together and cool off from the heat.
“We’ve seen an outpouring of support from the community, so it’s actually been going great,” Sandoval said. “A lot of people have just been saying that they’ve been waiting for something like this to open, and that there’s nothing like it.”
Ice Cave has two ice rinks, including a regulation NHL-size rink and a smaller studio rink, as well as locker rooms. Sandoval said the rink plans to offer youth hockey, pickup skating, broomball, stick time and freestyle sessions for figure skaters. The rink also plans to host themed nights.
“We’re going to be expanding and doing a lot more different sessions and have a huge variety to cater to really every skill level and every dynamic of the community,” Sandoval said.
Chris Quenault, a Menifee resident, attended the grand opening event with his two sons, who both play hockey. One plays in Riverside and the other plays for a travel team in Anaheim.
“Between both kids, there’s hockey almost every night of the week,” he said. “And then I have to either drive to Riverside or Anaheim every day for their hockey. So it’s nice to have something closer here.”
Quenault said another rink nearby could give young hockey players more opportunities to get on the ice.
“Ice time is really hard to get for kids,” he said. “That’s why hockey’s not really developed in California compared to the East Coast or the Midwest. So having another rink here is huge.”
Quenault has visited hockey rinks throughout Southern California and in other states and said he was impressed with Ice Cave.
“This is one of the better rinks,” he said. “It’s nice. It’s brand new.”
Lake Elsinore Unified School District Board Clerk Jill Leonard also attended the event. She has been skating for about 60 years and spent 25 years commuting from Lake Elsinore to Anaheim to coach.
Leonard said she began stopping by Ice Cave while it was being developed and offered to volunteer as an instructor.
“I got to know James, asked him what they needed, if they needed any help,” Leonard said. “As it got closer to opening, I said, ‘I will help you teach for free.’ I really wanted to see their success and we needed this so much in our valley in Lake Elsinore.”
Leonard now volunteers for the Wednesday Learn to Skate classes, which include a half-hour lesson and a half-hour of free skating. She encouraged first-time skaters to give it a try at Ice Cave.
“You lace those skates up tight, get support around your ankle,” she said. “Keep your balance. Keep your nose and toes going the same direction, at all times, and you will be good to go. And you get to enjoy one of the best sports ever.”
Information about schedules, pricing and registration is available on Ice Cave’s website. The rink is also seeking sponsors, investors and donors. Those interested can email info@icecaveentertainment.com for more information.
