Ice rink's loss 'crushing'

DALE CITY, Va. -- Kendal Pumphrey heard a loud crash and walked into the locker room at Prince William Ice Center on Saturday to tell her fellow competitors they had to leave the building.

“Instantly, people were screaming and running,” said Kendal, 15.

The center was literally caving in from too much snow, and the short track speed skating competition her family had traveled for from California suddenly became an afterthought.

Kendal’s friend and fellow Californian, Kyle Uyehara, said he also heard a loud crash as he was warming up on the ice. He looked over and saw that a side support beam near the hockey penalty box looked crooked.

“All the skaters just looked at it and were like, ‘Oh, that is not good,’” Uyehara, 20, said.

Moments later, everyone was evacuated, and fire and rescue crews arrived on scene.

By Monday morning, most of the front end of the 14-year-old facility had collapsed. Sections of the roof were either on the ground or severely bowing at various points. The green awning above the glass entrance doors was on the ground.

Surrounding the facility was yellow caution tape and below a stairwell on the side of building was a letter from the county, stating the building was no longer structurally safe.

With the tournament called off and their flight not until Wednesday, the Pumphreys and Uyeharas decided to visit the scene of the devastation that fortunately didn’t injure anyone.

“We came by to see how lucky we were,” said Kendal’s father, Steve Pumphrey.

Rink owner Bill Hutzler, who purchased the facility in 2008, told the News & Messenger on Saturday that the building was “a total loss.” Others who came by Monday had looks of amazement and sadness.

“It’s just crushing to look at,” said Stafford resident Vinnie Pacella, who had been taking skating lessons there for a few years. “It’s sad.”

Dale City resident Shane Byrd was working construction and decided to drive by with a friend. Byrd said he just started playing in an adult ice hockey league this winter and that his season was just a game old.

Byrd was saddened by the news, saying he will miss the convenience of having a rink so close to his house.

“It’s the only place that’s really convenient to play hockey,” Byrd said. “If I go a year without skating, it’s going to be like I am learning to skate all over again.”

Warrenton resident Pat Andrews had a construction job in Prince William County on Tuesday and decided to drive by and see the devastation. For several minutes, Andrews sat in his truck, gazing at the place where his son Nick learned to play hockey when his family lived in Lake Ridge.

“We spent most of our [free] time here,” said Andrews, whose son hopes to play college hockey.

According to its Web site, the Center offered a full range of figure skating and ice hockey programs on NHL- and Olympic-sized rinks. Saturday’s event — the American Cup III — would have featured some of the top, up-and-coming American speed skaters in a U.S. Speedskating-sanctioned event.

Annette Pumphrey, Kendal’s mother, estimated that U.S. Speedskating lost $40,000 worth of equipment that travels with the organization to each event.

The News & Messenger was unable to reach Hutzler before deadline to assess the monetary damage to the building or what his plans were.

On Saturday, Hutzler told the News & Messenger: “Be patient. We’ll be back soon.”

Pumphrey said she feels awful for Hutzler. Pumphrey said he and his wife stayed at the center overnight Friday in an effort to prepare for the event.

He said the center was “impeccable” and the hospitality shown was tremendous.

“Even the bathrooms [were nice], which is unusual for a hockey rink,” Pumphrey said.

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.