Skate Rink Opens at Boys and Girls Club

The city has opened its first skate rink at the Santa Monica Boys and Girls Club.

The 100-by-75-foot portable rink features a 6-foot ramp as well as an extended spine, on top of which skaters can grind their skates as they do on railings, said Gregory Steptoe, 41, who was in charge of building the $50,000 rink.

The project was funded by the city and the Boys and Girls Club.

“Everybody wanted to tear down the fence, come in and skate this park before we even opened up,” said Steptoe.

The rink, located at 1238 Lincoln Blvd., is open weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., said club executive director Alan Young. The wooden rink will be at the club eight months a year. It will travel to other sites in the city, he said.