After a months-long closure, Skate Frederick is on its way to reopening

end of October, Skate Frederick became dark. The local rink, a Frederick County institution since the 1990s, lost both rinks due to critical maintenance issues. The sudden closure forced moves for high school and youth leagues. The new Hood College women’s team will play all games away this season. Open skates were canceled and beer leagues closed.

But rink owner Ed Hostetter is confident Skate Frederick will be up and running soon. “We hope to be able to restart this business in a short period of time,” Hostetter told RMNB last week, although there is no restart date yet. “When it comes to recreational sports, I know the kids look forward to their ice activities all year long and then the floor/ice falls away.”

The cause of the problem lies in the cooling. Hostetter tells us that after many years of continuous use, there was a buildup of oil and moisture in the refrigerant, but a full diagnosis was not possible without major work. “We can’t find out until we take everything apart, reassemble, clean and do all the routine maintenance to look for damaged or worn components,” says Hostetter.

This process, already in progress, involves transferring the refrigerant into a temporary container; Cleaning oil, moisture and particles; Testing the underground pipes; Rebuilding and replacing compressors and pistons; and finally restore both leaves. It’s a huge undertaking involving multiple contractors and the bill runs into six figures. Hostetter assumes that the refrigerant phase should be completed by mid-December.

Skate Frederick is not alone in its maintenance issues. Rinks in Bowie, Reisterstown and Piney Orchard all temporarily closed last month. The companies that can keep the sheets in good condition and supply the necessary parts are in short supply.

Hostetter has provided updates on Skate Frederick’s recovery plan in newsletters sent to the community. He says the outpouring of enthusiasm he received in response was crucial. “We really need that continued support,” Hostetter said. “It is vital for everyone, especially the rink staff. It was encouraging to learn how many people and groups in Frederick were involved in on-ice sports activities.”

“I received many calls and emails,” says Hostetter, “and almost all of them were encouraging and supportive.”