Plans for an ice rink in Weston, to be built and operated by a private developer on city-owned property, are still on track, according to parks and recreation director Jeff Skidmore.
“We’ve had several meetings with the engineering consultant and finance people,” Skidmore said. “Everything’s moving forward.”
Skidmore’s optimism is echoed by developer Robert Todoroff, president of Sports Mall Development.
“It’s definitely happening, it really is,” Todoroff said. “We hope to start moving ground within the next 2-3 months.”
Sports Mall Development will lease the land from Weston. The rink is earmarked for a 42-acre parcel of land, popularly referred to as the Educational Complex, which is located on Vista Park Boulevard, a block off of Bonaventure Boulevard and just north of Griffin Road. The ice complex will share the site with a planned high school and middle school.
The ice facility will boast one 185-by-85-foot rink, plus a fitness center, retail shops, food concession, pro shop and locker rooms. Todoroff said he has already begun negotiating leases with prospective tenants.
Todoroff also addressed the crucial subject of funding, which recently has derailed at least one other ice arena planned for South Florida.
“The financing is secured,” he said. “And that’s a fact.”
Todoroff said that a builder and architect have already been selected, and if all goes according to plan, hockey teams could be facing off in the new rink as early as September 2001.
For several years, Weston boasted three in-line hockey rinks at Tequesta Trace Park, and recently unveiled another eight roller rinks at the new Broward County Regional Park of Weston.
For more information about the rink, or leasing opportunities, call Todoroff at 954-429-0009.
Hockey happenings
The Redskins, a scholastic ice hockey team comprised of Cardinal Gibbons High School students, will practice Wednesday, and also Aug. 23, 8:40 p.m., at Ice Breakers Arena in Pompano Beach. The cost is $15 per session.
The practices are an opportunity for Cardinal Gibbons students, including incoming freshmen and returning players, to be evaluated for a position on the Redskins, a Florida Scholastic Hockey League entry. Call 954-776-7762.
Any individual players, or teams, interested in joining an adult league within the Western Area Roller Hockey League organization should call Larry Wieder at 954-384-9606.
The league, open to C- and B-level players only, will play approximately 20 games, October-March. The league plays at the Broward County Regional Park of Weston hockey complex.
Flanagan High School students, including incoming freshmen, are invited to try out for the Falcons Ice Hockey Club, defending champion of the FSHL.
The Falcons made their mark, in their inaugural FSHL season, by toppling 1998-99 champion St. Thomas Raiders.
The Falcons have scheduled two open tryout sessions at Pines Ice Arena. The first is Monday, Aug. 21, at 7:30 p.m. The second is Aug. 23, at 7:15 p.m. Participants must attend both sessions; the cost is $40 per person.
The Falcons are also seeking sponsorship. Unlike their counterparts, who participate in sanctioned varsity sports, such as football, basketball or baseball, the Falcons do not receive any financial support from their school.
“It costs them each $700-$1000, easily, by the time they’re done [paying for] equipment, ice time and everything,” Falcons team manager Steve Gross said. “It requires a level of commitment.”
Gross feels that the Falcons, indeed the entire FSHL, represent attractive sponsorship opportunities for South Florida businesses, especially those with an interest in sports events.
‘We’re not an NHL team, but a lot of sponsors are missing the boat if they aren’t getting in at this level,” Gross said. “These are their future customers, if not already. Companies should be getting to these kids at the core level.”
For more about Falcons tryouts, or sponsorship opportunities, call Gross at 954-436-1591.
Time is running out for in-line hockey teams planning to register for the Surge Cup, Sept. 1-3 at the Palm Beach Skate Zone in Lake Worth.
The event, presented by the Skate Zone, will feature competition in seven categories, including 8-, 10-, 12-, 14- and 18-under, and also Men’s and Women’s divisions. The entry fee is $400 per team (15-players maximum), including a three-game guarantee.
The Skate Zone, arguably South Florida’s premier indoor, in-line hockey facility, is a modern, air-conditioned complex that features two rinks and plenty of creature comforts. For more info, call 561-963-5900.
The Third Annual Summer Shootout, Aug. 25-27 at Pines Ice Arena, is nearly sold out. Registrations will be accepted through Monday on a space-available basis.
The event, open to all travel and in-house teams, features competition in five youth divisions: Mite (8-under), Squirt (10-under), Pee-wee (12-under), Bantam (14-under) and Midget (17-under).
The popular Shootout has expanded this year to include a High School Division, and increased demand could also yield a Girls’ Division.
The Summer Shootout has become a showcase for Florida Youth Hockey League travel teams, who savor the opportunity to get an early glimpse of their competition.
Already, the Junior Everblades and South Florida Golden Wolves have entered teams in all five age divisions, while the Coral Springs Coyotes, Sunrise Ice Sharks, Gold Coast/Ice Breakers Panthers and Planet Ice Predators will also be represented.
The Midget Division may include high school entries.
The entry fee is $525 per team, plus a $50 late fee. For more, call 954-704-8700.
Players participating in the Western Area Roller Hockey League Fall 2000 Season must attend one of two rating sessions being conducted at the Regional Park of Weston rinks.
The sessions will be Aug. 26 and Sept. 16, 9-11 a.m. Players must attend a rating session to be eligible for the draft. Players will be grouped, by age division, at various rinks; the rink locations and time schedule is the same for both sessions: 6-under: Rink 7. 8-under: Rink 5. 10-under: Rink 4. 12-under: Rink 3. 14-under: Rink 2. 17-under: Rink 1.
Players must check in at the roller hockey concession stand just prior to ratings session.
Registration is currently underway at Super Skates, 1378 SW 160th Ave., located in the shopping plaza behind the Weston Road Publix. Call Super Skates at 954-349-0400. Registrations will also be accepted at the ratings sessions.
Games will begin Oct. 7 and continue through January.
Registration cost is $125 per child, $115 for siblings; after Sept. 16, the cost is $135 per child, with no discount for siblings. Other limited offers are being extended for goalie registration ($67.50 per player) and for also the Developmental Division, a program for 3- and 4-year-olds ($50 per child).
Registration fees include USA Hockey InLine membership and Weston park fees. For more info, call 954-385-9444.
The American Inline Roller Hockey Series (AIRHS) 2K Nationals began Aug. 11 and will continue through Sunday at TECO Arena in Estero. The event features many area teams, who earned invitations by qualifying at AIRHS Regional Tournaments.
AIRHS broke new ground this year by introducing a Mini-Mites Division for boys and girls ages 6-under. The new division got a trial run at a few AIRHS qualifying tournaments in the Northeast, where it was a hit with young skaters.
Based on its initial success, AIRHS decided to include the Mini-Mites Division in its 2K National Championships. The inaugural event will include two area teams, the WPPO Thunder (winners of the AIRHS qualifier June 2-4 in Fort Myers) and the Wolf Pack, a Weston-based team.
Among area teams competing in the Junior (18-under) A Division are the WPPO Bauer Pythons (Pembroke Pines), Mission Cyclones (Pembroke Pines) and SkateZone Sabres (Lake Worth), while Junior B entries include WPPO Thunder (Pembroke Pines).
Bantam (16-under) A entries include the WPPO Bauer Pythons; the Bantam B Division features the Phantoms (Broward County).
Pee-wee (14-under) A entries include WPPO Thunder (Pembroke Pines) and B.C. Warriors (Broward County).
Squirt (12-under) A teams include the Weston Wolverines.
Mite (10-under) teams include the Raptors (Pembroke Pines) and Dirty Dozen (Hollywood).
Atom (8-under) Division includes Cyclones (Pembroke Pines), Crazy Eights (Weston), WPPO Thunder (Pembroke Pines) and Coral Springs Cobras.
For a complete AIRHS 2K Nationals schedule visit
Teams who have not yet qualified for the Florida Cup Finals have only one chance remaining. The final Florida Cup qualifying tournament will be Aug. 25-27 at J.P. Igloo in Ellenton.
The top two teams in each age division will earn tickets to the finals, set for Sept. 22-24. Teams that participate in Florida Cup qualifiers, but fail to earn seeds to the finals, are invited to compete in the new Florida Silver Cup competition.
The entry fee is $425 per team, if received by Wednesday; late entries will be assessed a $25 late fee. For more info, call 941-722-8999.
To submit information for this column, please call Maureen Boyce at 761-7675 or Fax to 761-2311 or e-mail .
