Westport PAL ice skating rink reopens amidst COVID-19
Ice skaters of all skill levels enjoy spending time with family and friends on Saturday night, Dec. 18, 2021.
The Westport PAL Ice Rink at Longshore reopened on Dec. 10, marking the rink’s 25th season.
Due to the rink being outdoors, many Westport residents anticipated the opening amidst COVID-19.
“I like how it is outdoors,” Mia Guster ’23 said. “I feel like that makes it more enjoyable.”
For many residents, the Longshore rink represents an integral part of winter. Some of the staff at Longshore even attended the rink as children.
“I’ve skated at this rink for 22 years,” Kieran Winser, one of the managers at Longshore Ice Rink said. “[My first experience] was probably skating with my dad, like the kind of skates where you wear the skates and strap your shoes on.”
Last winter, the Westport PAL Ice Rink at Longshore was forced to shut down due to COVID-19, and Governor Ned Lamont enforced a policy that restricted the rink to one instructor and four students at a time.
“I was blown away,” Sophia Reeves ’25 said, “because it is outside and I [felt] like it shouldn’t [have been] closed.”
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