Ice skaters flood renovated Gallivan for Christmas Eve
Tiffany Nikkel remembers the first year her family went ice skating on Christmas Eve 20 years ago. Her mother, Rosie Quinn, surprised her family of novice skaters when she glided to the center of the ice and spun pirouettes. Another year, the Gallivan Center was buried in snow so the family sculpted a snowman on the rink. But this year may be the most special of all. Nikkel, 34, introduced her 2-year-old son, Quinn, to the family tradition, guiding him around the ice for his first skate.
“It’s the most meaningful thing we do as a family,” Nikkel said. “It’s awesome. I love it here.”
Saturday also marked a first for the Gallivan Center — the first Christmas weekend with a larger ice rink. Salt Lake City completed an $8.5 million renovation of the popular downtown plaza this summer, expanding the ice by 50 percent. Skaters also can enjoy nighttime lighting that changes the color of the ice.
Visits to the ice rink have doubled or tripled when daily rates are compared with those in 2009, the year before the renovation began, said Cynthia Stringham, Gallivan’s event manager. She expected more than a thousand skaters to hit the ice on Christmas Eve.
“Everybody heard about the secret,” Nikkel said, observing the largest crowd she has seen in the 20 years of her family’s tradition. “It’s good, hardy fun.”
A few Santa hats dotted the ice. David Everitt, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker’s chief of staff, wore a festive red polyester shirt and royal blue pants to skate with family.
“My tutu was too long for skating,” he joked. He’s a fan of the larger rink, mostly because it’s big enough for an ice-resurfacing machine to keep the rink smooth.
“Having a real Zamboni makes all the difference,” he said. “You can build up a lot more speed.”
Nine-year-old Helen Lindsey has been skating on Christmas Eve at Gallivan for three or four years. She was planning to check an online Santa tracker when she got home to see if he was getting close to Salt Lake City.
“I can’t believe today is Christmas Eve,” she said. “I like ice skating a lot, and I’m just glad I can do it every year.”
Her mother, Laura Gilchrist, said she likes the renovated rink. She plans to keep the Christmas Eve skate going.
“I like the idea of being in the city and being around people and outside,” Gilchrist said. “It’s a nice gathering place.”
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