WATERBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – As temperatures soared outside in our region, some people got creative and went inside ice rinks to beat the heat. But what might surprise some people is it can still be muggy even inside the climate-controlled rinks.
Skaters were more than happy to be inside on Wednesday as temperatures climbed through the 90s outside.
Sadia Riso, a figure skater, is thrilled to be on the ice during the summer months.
“It’s fun because like you can get out of things you can pull down, but I really like it because skating is like my favorite thing to do,” Riso said.
The scorching temperatures mean that even inside ice rinks the air is warm.
“Actually, it’s been pretty warm in here despite how cold it’s actually supposed to be. It definitely beats doing anything outside right now,” said Bryan McDonald of MAC Goaltending.
At the Ice Center in Waterbury, it is 10 degrees warmer than usual. The rink isn’t normally open on Wednesdays but made an exception this week to help community members cool off.
“It’s awesome and a hot day. I love working here… in the summertime. This is so really so relieving. You know, it’s just, it’s just a cool place to be,” said Reggie Brown, the manager of the rink.
As she prepares to compete in July, Sadia Riso made the most out of her time on the ice.
“The ice being empty is like amazing. So you can really practice, not to worry about running into anyone. And then that is like really cool. So you don’t think you’re melting outside,” she said.
At South Burlington’s Cairns Arena, the rink was full for a goaltending camp, the cold a warm welcome for dedicated players.
“You know you get to have fun, hang out with all the boys and just play hockey and get better,” said Carter Bevill, a hockey player.
“I don’t like heat and I just like skating because it’s a nice way for me to practice playing hockey,” said Jackson Rogers, 8.
For people who are sick of the hot weather and want a more wintry feel. The Waterbury ice house is open for public skating on Thursday morning.