MyState Arena opens state’s only ice skating rink for weeks of winter fun

Shiver, a new ice skating rink, officially opens on Monday at Hobart’s MyState Bank Arena, ending Tasmania’s two-year ice drought. What some of the state’s training figure skaters think.

Figure skaters Amy, Sienna and Grace at the opening of the new MyState Bank Arena.

Amy Pailthorpe will be spending four to five days a week for the next six weeks on the brand new ice skating rink constructed inside Hobart’s MyState Bank Arena.

The competitive ice skater and coach is a member of the Figure Skating Association of Tasmania who travels once a month to Melbourne to train for a weekend before returning home since the loss of the state’s only rink in Glenorchy in 2022.

Amy Pailthorpe, Sienna White 10, Grace Holliday 16 from Figure Skating Association of Tasmania. Shiver at MyState Bank arena - launch of new Winter experience - the return of ice skating to Tasmania for the first time since the Glenorchy ice skating rink closed in 2022. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“It does make it difficult and means we can’t really be that competitive or go to competitions frequently because of the lack of on-ice training,” she said.

Alongside other skaters Grace and Sienna, Amy helped to christen the state’s only ice rink Shiver at an opening event on Friday.

MyState Bank Arena general manager Renee Brown said a chance find of an ad for an ice-skating rink in Cairns made the dreams come true for some in southern Tasmania.

“We’ve actually been asked before whether we could build a rink for an ice hockey game, and had been tossing that idea around.

MyState Bank Arena Glenorchy to establish a temporary ice rink for a month in June 2025. Picture: MyState Bank Arena

“We searched around for ideas, around the country and looked at constructing.

“Then, we found an ad for an ice-skating rink in Cairns. In equal parts bold, spontaneous and completely crazy and today, we open Shiver.

“I can confidently say the whole journey has been absolutely worth it.”

With a selection of ice skate boots and skate guides named after the team that helped bring to life the rink, the Shiver program will begin next Monday, June 16 until July 27.

The rink will be open to the public and for private bookings, birthday parties and even late-night skate sessions.

Tickets can be booked on the MyState Bank Arena website.

Originally published as MyState Arena opens state’s only ice skating rink for weeks of winter fun