Carolyn Drummond

It’s not every day that students lace up their skates while wearing bathing suits at the Ice Arena, but that will be a key element at Ice Flash tonight.

Ice Flash is the final late-night skate of the semester. The event, which runs from 9:30 p.m. to midnight, gives students the chance to skate for free if they bring in an empty Coke product. Skate rental is also free.

“It’s a good opportunity to experience different activities at the Ice Arena, along with winning some great prizes,” staff member John Mihalik said.

One of those activities is “polar skate,” which has students wear their bathing suits on the ice. Those who brave the cold will receive a raffle ticket for participating.

Students who aren’t quite ready for swimsuit season can still skate in normal ice attire and earn raffle tickets by winning games.

“The more you participate, the more tickets you get,” said Laura Russo, a graduate assistant at the Ice Arena.

Students can enter their tickets for a variety of prizes, including a Nintendo Wii, season passes to Geauga Lake’s Wildwater Kingdom and gas cards.

The winner of “broomball experience,” which transforms the game into a 10-minute 3-on-3 match, will receive free team registration for the Ice Arena’s broomball league in the fall.

Russo said she hopes students attend, even if they don’t plan on participating in all aspects of the event.

“You choose what you want to do,” Russo said. “You can come check it out and do nothing. What else are you going to do on a Wednesday night?”

– Carolyn Drummond