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In the 1960s, shopping malls were becoming not just retail centers, but places of recreation. Besides movie theaters and food courts, imaginative planners created other recreational opportunities, including the ice-skating rink.
The skating rink at Marina City was 110 feet long by 50 feet wide. Open from noon to 10:00 p.m. every day except Monday, it enticed skaters from the southeast corner next to the east tower and State Street. It had a skate shop, warming room, and professional skaters available for lessons. (Left) Photo from 1985 book Dans La Ville of the skating rink at Marina City in 1965 and restaurants on the lower level. West tower in distance at right. |
It also had a full-time skating pro. Bob Goranson toured with the Ice Capades, a traveling show of former Olympic and national figure skating champions who put on theatrical performances that featured ice skating. The 1960s are considered the Ice Capade’s most colorful and innovative era.
Goranson directed and choreographed skating exhibitions all over the world. He taught skating for 13 years before moving to Chicago in 1966 from Palm Springs, California, where he was director of the Palm Springs Ice Skating Center.
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(Left) Three professional ice skaters are clearly showing off in this promotional photo for “Ice Follies 1966,” a touring ice show that performed at Marina City during its 1966-67 skating season. At upper left is Richard Dwyer, billed as “Mr. Debonair.” At upper right is Susan Berens. And sliding past them in the lederhosen is Werner Groebli, best remembered, arguably, as “Frick” of the comedic ice-skating duo Frick and Frack.
They are along the State Street side of the skating rink. The autograph is made out to Bob Goranson. Goranson died in San Diego in 1992 at the age of 55. In 2024, Dwyer was still skating at age 88. The Ice Follies are still around and produce shows under names such as Disney On Ice. |
The 1966-67 skating season at Marina City began on October 12, 1966. Under a light rain, Goranson staged what the Marina City newsletter called “a full-scale exhibition.”
The ice review promoted amateur ice skating in the Chicago area. Performers included Latin American interpretative skater Venita, who used fire in her act. The newsletter noted “her act was even more spectacular because not even the rain could put out her torches.”
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Also performing were Olympic gold medalist Buddy Zack, German roller-skating champion Fred Dursch, Michael Marino, 12-year-old Paulette Kavanaugh, and the 16-year-old Casey Twins – Judy and Trudy Stryganek. There was only one major spill.
(Left) Print ad for Marina City Ice Plaza. |
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The same group was still performing in April 1967, except for Dursch, with the addition of Toby Stoops and Karen Vogel – and about 75 other skaters, many of whom were students of Goranson who were taught in one of three classes offered each day.
(Right) Bob Goranson (far left in photo) and Chicago skaters Bonnie Heim, Jean Paslaski, and Charles Bonniwell. |
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For the two-and-a-half hour Chicago Scene ‘67, performed twice daily April 13-16, bleacher seats were set up for 300 spectators.
By 1967, a convertible steel and canvas roof had been installed that could be closed to protect the ice from rain and snow, then opened again to provide open-air skating.
This extended the skating season until May, and it meant the season could start earlier in the fall. Manually operated much like a stage curtain, the canvas was pulled back from the center of the rink to the north and south sides. Marina City was the only rink in the Midwest that had a cover like this.
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(Above left) Three “Ice Follies 1967” performers on the skating rink with the convertible roof open. (Above right) Marina City skating rink with convertible roof closed.
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