Spring Break
A haunting on Del Paso Blvd.
Iceland ice skating rink on Del Paso Blvd. boasts ghosts as one of its current attractions
Olivia Gray
The State hornet
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The sun was just about to set and, as frightened as I was, I felt I had to investigate the rink before dark. From the outside, I thought that the rink probably hadn't been restored since the 1940s. Everything about the front of the building had vintage characteristics, which is something that is difficult to find in this day and age.
The owner of the ice rink met me underneath the large pink fluorescent sign that read "Iceland." He invited me inside the rink where it was dim and no one could be found. I noticed that the unpainted wooden railing surrounding the rink was dark with moist dirt, the blue upholstered benches had torn spots and the bathroom was dauntingly old-fashioned.
Chris Lord, who has worked at the rink since 1962, led me to his office that was lit only by the ice-block-like window that had a distorted view of pedestrians walking along the sidewalk. On top of his desk were a few toy clowns and above it was a 2002 Chinese calendar.
"In 1922, we had the ice plant next door, the American Company," Lord began. He explained that in the 1930s people were not in much need of ice due to the creation of the refrigerator. So, the owners decided to expand the business and build an ice rink next door. "The two work hand in hand," Lord said.
"You have to wear a lot of hats," Lord said as he described running the business. "You have to know a lot of things. I learned it from probably the best that there was to have. That guy was Bill Kirth. He was the original owner."
Lord explained that the ice rink has never been renovated. "Nothing's changed," Lord said. "One, it costs money to change it. Two, this is what is looks like. If you want to go to a brand new ice rink, go to a brand new ice rink."
"I don't invest a dime into this thing," Lord added. "The rink has held it's own. I don't take any money from the ice rink. I don't need it." He explained that he earns a fair amount of money at his primary job at Aircon as chief engineer and the money collected by the arena is used for its expenses.
Unexplained events have not only occurred at the ice rink, but also inside the ice plant next door.
"You turn around, you think somebody was following you and there's nobody there. But you sure heard something," Lord said.
Lord also gets late-night calls from his employees at the rink or plant telling him to come right away because the light or compressor was bizarrely turning off and on.
Lord also heard crying at the plant. "There's a baby crying over there that we hear once in a while. We don't know what that's all about," Lord said.
Greg Davenport, the supervisor of the rink, said that the ghosts are at the plant mostly this time of year. "Things get moved; gloves, tools, equipment," Davenport said.
Lord explained that phenomena such as these don't frighten him because he's aware of it and most of the occurrences have several reasons behind them. However, some are simply inexplicable. "Most of the stuff you can kind of put together and reason it," Lord said. "But something might have happened there at one time," he continued.
Lord said that the land that Iceland sits on was once a vacant lot. He also admits that there was a death at the ice rink about ten years ago. A man in his 80s was playing hockey and felt ill. He sat down on the edge of the rink and passed away, Lord said.
American Paranormal Investigations, a nonprofit organization recognized by the State of California and the Federal Government, learned that the ice rink was haunted and came to inspect the rink in April. These "ghost people" captured pictures and took sound samples at the rink and ice plant.
They recorded a faint whimpering of a girl and found that the pictures they took contained transparent orbs that were floating on the bleachers, below the ceiling, inside the restroom and skating behind skaters inside the rink. These orbs were only seen through a camera and were in constant motion. Also, at one point during their investigation, several cameras went in and out of focus simultaneously. API's Iceland evaluations can be found on their website at www.ap-investigations.com.
"The group takes it way more seriously than I take it and I let people, because, like I say," Lord explained, "weird things have gone on around here." Lord said he pokes fun at the situation. He is a laid-back, intelligent gentleman who doesn't take many things too seriously. "There's one right now," he said pointing to the table behind me.
Lord explained that the ghosts do not affect business and does not have any plans to get rid of them. He adds that people have wanted to visit the rink at 3 a.m. to take pictures of the unusual fog that quickly comes and goes early every morning around 4 a.m. Some people believe that the fog is the ghost of Kirth, Iceland's first owner, who died in a car accident.
"It's pretty cool," said Maddie Herbon, a young ice skater at the rink.
Gillian Storm, who was skating with Herbon, recalls hearing banging in the women's restroom for no apparent reason and remembers experiencing sudden chills.
"Gill and I want to camp out in here at night," said Herbon's sister, Heidi.
Iceland will not be hosting any Halloween events due to lack of time. For more information about Iceland, call (916) 925-3529.
Olivia Gray can be reached at features@statehornet.com
