Bettendorf's new winter recreation attraction will open Tuesday night. "Frozen Landing" is an ice skating rink that used to be in downtown Moline, was bought by Bettendorf this fall, and is now set up on the parking lot of the Splash Landing aquatic center.
Greg Samms is general manager of the Frozen Landing Family Ice Rink. He says he and his staff have had just one month to do what would normally take several months. When the rink was in Moline, it was run by a rink management company.
"We're putting tab A into slot B - from the beginning of laying the foundation out to building the ice, putting the boards in, and learning the Zamboni - this is all new to us and we're learning on the job."
Samms says when he got the assignment to run the rink he made sure he would get to drive the Zamboni to groom the ice.
"It's fun and you can't wipe the smile off your face when you're doing it, and it's just as fun as advertised. I guess the best way to describe it is a combination of a fork lift and a riding law mower. And if you can imagine those controls in a confined space, you got it."
Skates can be rented and lights will be turned on for night skating, and there's a warming tent.
Bettendorf now plans to keep the rink open through early March if the weather cooperates.
