KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Ice sports leaders in Kalamazoo are working together to ensure their community remains vibrant after facing the closure of Wings West Ice Skating Rink earlier this fall and the potential closure of Wings Event Center in the coming years.
This week the Black Bear Sports Group announced it purchased Wings West and will re-open the facility soon.
On Friday, leaders from hockey, figure skating, curling, high school hockey and pro shops met to discuss their needs and the future of ice sports in the area.
The closure of Wings West came as a shock to the community in September.
"On September 12 when it was just an immediate 'hey were closing' it was a shock to the community," said Kelly Felton, president of GKSA.
Matt Kakabeeke, executive director of KOHA, said the abrupt nature of the closure caught everyone off guard.
"There was a lot of apprehension in the Kalamazoo Community about Wings West closing. It was abrupt. Nobody had any idea it was going to happen. It broke on Facebook before we had an opportunity to share it with our families," Kakabeeke said.
The potential closure of Wings Event Center has added to the uncertainty, leaving ice sports organizations two rinks short of what they're accustomed to having.
"It's been…emotions are everywhere. We had a huge year planned. We had 7 leagues, already developed, ready to go," said Kris Rieck, vice president of the Kalamazoo Curling Club, and Arlene Carter, president of the club.
However, hope arrived earlier this week when Black Bear Sports Group announced they would purchase Wings West, keeping it open under new ownership.
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"With Black Bear Sports Group coming in and purchasing Wings West, there's a lot of optimism of us returning to our home at Wings West," Kakabeeke said.
Felton expressed cautious optimism about the new ownership.
"I don't know a ton about Black Bear, but we do travel to Ann Arbor and skate. They've done a really nice job with the rink there. They've been very fair with the figure skating community there from what I understand," Felton said.
The curling community continues to face challenges finding a place to play locally.
"We are traveling down to Fort Wayne Indiana. We are going up to Traverse City," Rieck and Carter said.
The ice sports community represents a significant economic force in Kalamazoo. Leaders estimate there are at least 1,500 athletes among their respective organizations, generating millions of dollars in economic impact when hosting tournaments and competitions.
"It's the hotel nights, it's the restaurants, the spending that happens," Kakabeeke said.
Discover Kalamazoo has commissioned a study to better understand the needs of the ice sports community.
"So that we know what we should invest in, and where we should put it, and how we should support it," said Jane Ghosh from Discover Kalamazoo.
The leaders emphasized that community support is just as important as having ice facilities.
"The Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association is 60 years old. So for 60 years we've had junior hockey here in Kalamazoo County. Kalamazoo Wings. Western Bronco National Championship Hockey Team. It's been this way for decades, and they all work together," Ghosh said.
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