Closure of the Isle Of Wight Ice Rink In 2016, sadly we have lost the Isle of Wight ice rink. Many people were devastated when the news that their nearest ice rink was about to close their doors for good. When the news that the ice rink was closing down many supporters tried really hard to raise money so they could keep their beloved ice rink open. The rink has been through a lot. In 2015, terrible weather in April ripped the roof off, shutting down the rink for sometime but once it was fixed and safe to enter, patch members to skate . It didn’t open to the general public until later that year. But once it was opened there was a lot of confusion when the website took a while to catch up meaning that many people didn’t know if it was open or not. Many people that used to work or stake at the rink are very upset that the rink has been closed because the lease was for 30 years but sadly the rink wasn't making much money for the rent. According to the chairman the rink owed over £200,000. The rink officially closed 25th March 2015 according to NISA (National Ice Skating Association) At first, when the rink was shut it was still running the dehumidifiers to stop the ice from melting. After a couple of weeks later they shut off the machines so the ice melted... then a few days later a digger went in and dug up the lonely pad. People in the IOW who wish to skate now have to travel to Gosport, 20 minutes by boat and then a further half an hour by car. Some people aren't willing to travel there and back everyday – is this the end of the road for talented skaters on the island? By Jade