One upside of this endless winter — the Buckskill Winter Club in East Hampton will likely extend its season. Home to the only refrigerated N.H.L. regulation-size ice rink in the Hamptons, Buckskill usually transforms into a tennis club in March, but Carlos La Riva, the club’s manager, said they’ll keep things going if the cold and snow continue.
“Usually we open by Thanksgiving and close the second week of March. We might extend it a week or more, since it’s been such a weird, cold winter,” La Riva said. “It’s a beautiful rink outdoors, a full N.H.L.-sized rink. We have public skating, stick and puck, hockey games. We do private events. We do charity events — we’ve been doing Katy’s Courage for at least 10 years.”
Just days before this latest round of snow, Buckskill hosted a full day of fun to raise money for Katy’s Courage, a local nonprofit honoring Katy Stewart, a 12-year-old from Sag Harbor who died of a rare pediatric liver cancer. Founded in 2012, Katy’s Courage educates and supports families and children through scholarships, children’s bereavement programs, and pediatric cancer research.
The fund-raiser started with a 10-and-under hockey game in the morning and wrapped up with an adult game at night. In between, there were skate lessons, public skating sessions, an ice show, a puck throw, plus a raffle and silent auction with donations from nearly every business in town.
“Brigid Collins was pregnant with Katy when I was a senior in high school. Brigid was my Project Advance English teacher. This fund-raiser definitely has a special place in our hearts,” said Sarah Minardi, a local mom and member of the East Hampton School Board, who came to the fund-raiser with her family.
The morning hockey game was a big draw. Brielle Gauger, Grace Soria, and Sara Zeledon, fourth and fifth graders, came out to cheer for their Amagansett School classmate Ethan Sturm, a defender for Southampton. The girls are regulars at Buckskill. Brielle and Sara love skating at the club with their friends. Grace is also a huge fan of the clubhouse. “I like that there’s a skating rink and you can get snacks and hot chocolate here.”
Anyone in need of some winter fun now that the Olympics are over can find the spirit of the Games alive and well at Buckskill on Tuesday nights from 7 to 8 for curling lessons with Coach La Riva. The club also offers skating lessons for adults and kids throughout the week.
“Every four years, everybody gets very excited about ice skating,” he said. “Curling is a huge hit. We have curling every week. It’s a great ice rink with a beautiful clubhouse and snack bar. It’s just very nice and cozy.”
