After a summer of renovation, the Queenstown Ice Arena opens today under the management of Canadian brothers Ted and Dan Graham, and their father Brian.
The facility is undergoing redevelopment costing at least $500,000 over the next few years - a process which started with a good scrub.
"It was pretty tired ... the ceiling was plywood and it had not been cleaned since it opened in 1996, so it was in need of a good paint," Dan said.
"We needed at least 1500 litres of paint to do the ceiling, which we had to clean off with anti-mould first."
In addition the interior has been extensively remodelled, including new cafe facilities offering skaters more than"just chips and pies", an arcade-style gaming corner and a cosy new alpine-themed lounge with fireplace.
"Ted and I realised that a lot of parents don't want to skate. They have come here because their children want to skate and if there is somewhere warm and comfy for them to sit, they will stay longer and the kids will stay longer."
The Bermuda-born brothers took over the arena in March last year. Ted, who had worked at the rink previously, knew it was for sale and "also knew there was potential".
The brothers have hired former professional Canadian ice hockey player Mark Marentette, and former figure skater Rachel Formanek as ice arena coaches.
