Rink Blogs

Every Thursday night, the Boyz of Santa Barbara lace up at Ice in Paradise for "Hockey Night in Santa Barbara," a pickup game that's as much about camaraderie, as it is about hockey. The group, simply known as The Boyz, is composed of skaters ranging in age from 20 to 80, who all share the ice, swapping stories, and proving to each other and to the players coming up behind them, that friendships built over a lifetime, are as good for the heart as any workout. Early pickup gam

If you've ever entered the lobby of Ice in Paradise, chances are, you've passed the Rinkside Café. And, if you've stayed at the rink long enough, waiting for a lesson or practice, or to watch or play a game, chances are, you've enjoyed what the Rinkside Café has to offer. Lined with TVs and hockey memorabilia alongside the wall, the Rinkside Café offers not only food and drinks, but a space to relax with family and friends. Outside the Café walls, with newly installed TVs, an

Photo Courtesy of UCSB Department of Recreation The UCSB Ice Hockey team is composed of student athletes attending the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). As the story goes, in 2010, members of the UCSB Roller Hockey team were traveling back from a tough away-game loss, and the idea of forming an ice hockey team was conceived during that car ride home. Many of the roller hockey team members were people who played ice hockey growing up, but with no other option for

The Santa Barbara Royals (SB Royals or Royals) is the high school ice hockey team, composed of players from local high schools within Santa Barbara County, with skaters ranging from grades 9-12. The Royals are a part of the LA Kings High School Hockey League (LAKHSHL), which is comprised of other teams from southern California. Following the completion of Ice in Paradise in 2015, the Royals started their inaugural season in the newly launched LA Kings High School Hockey Leag

The Santa Barbara Ice Hawks (SBIH or the Ice Hawks) is a co-ed travel hockey club, governed by the non-profit association, Santa Barbara Minor Hockey Association. The Ice Hawks is composed of different divisions with players aged 6-18 that travel and compete in amateur competitions throughout Southern California. Since 2016, the Ice Hawks have called Ice in Paradise home, with the rink hosting tryouts, all practices, and league games for divisions from 8U to 18U. The Ice Ha

As we prepare to watch athletes from across the globe gather and compete on the world stage, we fondly reminisce to when we hosted the US Men's Sled Hockey Team in March of 2017 and more recently, the US Women's Sled Hockey Team in March of 2023. Ice in Paradise was built with ADA accessibility in mind, offering sled and wheel-chair accessible ice in the Snider Rink (an NHL-sized rink), with a special bench area where disabled athletes can get on and off the ice with ease.

Over the last 10 years, Ice in Paradise has hosted numerous Presidents' Day Tournaments over Presidents' Day weekends. Originally, after Ice in Paradise opened its doors in 2015, we were excited to showcase our new facilities and so we started by inviting our friends from all over the country, even players from as far as Canada, to come play in an ice hockey tournament. The big draw for our new tournament was that many players hadn't visited Santa Barbara, much less for ice h

Did you catch a glimpse of our new WHO WE ARE display case? As you walk through the front doors of Ice in Paradise, a new display case might have caught your eye. Affixed to the top of this case reads a small plaque, WHO WE ARE and if you walk closer to examine the contents displayed, you’ll see a helmet and shovel from the Groundbreaking, a photo of the Ribbon Cutting, and descriptions of these captured memories in time among others. Each one of these artifacts and snapshots

Last week, Ice in Paradise celebrated an incredible milestone — 10 years of serving the Goleta and Santa Barbara communities with ice sports, recreation, and connection. The anniversary was marked by two unforgettable events: a special ribbon cutting ceremony and a fun-filled community celebration, both of which captured the spirit and strength of our skating family. Thursday, October 9: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony We kicked off the celebration on Thursday, October 9th from 3–4