Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval
Encyclopedia
The Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval is an outdoor ice rink
in Roseville, Minnesota
, United States
. It is claimed to be the largest artificial outdoor skating
surface in the North America. The facility was constructed from June to December 1993. The earlier name was John Rose Minnesota Oval.
surface (a 400-meter track surrounding an infield ice arena) with 84 miles (135 km) of embedded cooling tubes and an 800 ton refrigeration system. When the temperature is above 50 °F (10 °C)—the highest temperature at which an icy surface can be maintained—the concrete surface can be used for inline skating
.
dreamed of hosting the Olympics. As part of the bid preparation, a task force was formed to determine locations of new facilities. After years of local efforts, Roseville, Minnesota
was selected. The city was awarded state bonding money for the design and construction of a multi-purpose outdoor skating facility, which opened in December 1993. The facility was named after John Rose
, Roseville teacher and member of the state House of Representatives
.
The Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval hosted the Bandy World Championship 1995
for men and the Bandy World Championship for women 2006
. It has also hosted US Speedskating Championships, US Junior Speedskating Championships, American Cup Speedskating, World Cup Speedskating, National Bandy Championships, and Aggressive Skating Association competitions. The Minnesota Wild
held their hockey jersey unveiling at the Oval, and notable visitors have included Dan Jansen
, Bonnie Blair
, Paul Wylie
, and Neal Broten
. The facility is the main training site for the United States national bandy team
and local hockey and speedskating clubs.
Leaks in the cooling system were discovered in 2004, making the season's service uncertain. In June 2005, the Guidant Foundation
contributed $500,000 to allow for needed repairs to the facility's refrigeration system. The Oval's official name was changed in recognition of the Foundation's gift and continuing support.
There are many events and sports held at the Oval, which hosts over 100,000 guests each year. The sports include bandy
, ice hockey
, speed skating
, and recreational ice skating. In the summer months the Oval becomes the largest skating park in the Midwest as ramps are put up for BMX biking, roller hockey, and aggressive skating and the track is used for inline skating.
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
in Roseville, Minnesota
Roseville, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,690 people, 14,598 households, and 8,598 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,543.9 people per square mile . There were 14,917 housing units at an average density of 1,126.4 per square mile...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is claimed to be the largest artificial outdoor skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
surface in the North America. The facility was constructed from June to December 1993. The earlier name was John Rose Minnesota Oval.
Rink
Consisting of a 110,000 square foot (10,200 m²) concreteConcrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
surface (a 400-meter track surrounding an infield ice arena) with 84 miles (135 km) of embedded cooling tubes and an 800 ton refrigeration system. When the temperature is above 50 °F (10 °C)—the highest temperature at which an icy surface can be maintained—the concrete surface can be used for inline skating
Inline skating
Inline skating is a recreational sport practiced widely internationally. Inline skates typically have 2 to 5 polyurethane wheels, arranged in a single line. The in-line design allows for greater speed than roller skates and better maneuverability...
.
History
The Oval had its beginnings in 1983, when then governor Rudy PerpichRudy Perpich
Rudolph George "Rudy" Perpich, Sr. was an American politician and the longest-serving governor of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served as the 34th and 36th Governor of Minnesota from December 29, 1976 to January 4, 1979, and from January 3, 1983, to January 7, 1991...
dreamed of hosting the Olympics. As part of the bid preparation, a task force was formed to determine locations of new facilities. After years of local efforts, Roseville, Minnesota
Roseville, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,690 people, 14,598 households, and 8,598 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,543.9 people per square mile . There were 14,917 housing units at an average density of 1,126.4 per square mile...
was selected. The city was awarded state bonding money for the design and construction of a multi-purpose outdoor skating facility, which opened in December 1993. The facility was named after John Rose
John Rose
John Rose may refer to:* Sir John Rose, 1st Baronet , Canadian lawyer, politician and public servant* John Carter Rose , U.S...
, Roseville teacher and member of the state House of Representatives
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
.
The Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval hosted the Bandy World Championship 1995
Bandy World Championship 1995
The Bandy World Championship 1995 was contested between 8 men's Bandy playing nations. The championship was played in Roseville, Minnesota, USA on 29 January - 5 February 1995, so far the only time the men's championship has been played in America. Kazakhstan made its championship debut, whereas...
for men and the Bandy World Championship for women 2006
Bandy World Championship for women 2006
The Bandy World Championship for women 2006, the second bandy world championship tournament for women, was held in Roseville, Minnesota in the United states on 13–18 February 2006...
. It has also hosted US Speedskating Championships, US Junior Speedskating Championships, American Cup Speedskating, World Cup Speedskating, National Bandy Championships, and Aggressive Skating Association competitions. The Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
held their hockey jersey unveiling at the Oval, and notable visitors have included Dan Jansen
Dan Jansen
Daniel Erwin Jansen is a former speed skater, best known for winning a gold medal in his final Olympic race after suffering through years of heartbreak. He graduated from West Allis Central High School....
, Bonnie Blair
Bonnie Blair
Bonnie Kathleen Blair is a retired American speedskater. She is one of the top skaters of her time, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, and in her Olympic career won five gold medals and one bronze medal.-Career:Blair...
, Paul Wylie
Paul Wylie
Paul Stanton Wylie is an American figure skater and 1992 Olympic silver medalist.-Biography:Born in Dallas, Texas, Wylie began skating at the age of three. At age eleven, his family moved to Denver, Colorado, where he began to train with Carlo Fassi...
, and Neal Broten
Neal Broten
Neal LaMoy Broten is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played on the gold medal-winning "Miracle on Ice" hockey team in 1980, and in 1,099 NHL regular season games from 1981 – 1997 with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings...
. The facility is the main training site for the United States national bandy team
United States national bandy team
United States national bandy team has been taking part in the Bandy World Championships since 1985, being the first nation to join apart from the four teams which had so far participated in almost all the world championships: the Soviet Union, Sweden, Finland and Norway. However, the American team...
and local hockey and speedskating clubs.
Leaks in the cooling system were discovered in 2004, making the season's service uncertain. In June 2005, the Guidant Foundation
Guidant
Guidant Corporation, part of Boston Scientific and Abbott Labs, designs and manufactures artificial pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, stents, and other cardiovascular medical products. Their company headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Their main competitors are Medtronic, St...
contributed $500,000 to allow for needed repairs to the facility's refrigeration system. The Oval's official name was changed in recognition of the Foundation's gift and continuing support.
There are many events and sports held at the Oval, which hosts over 100,000 guests each year. The sports include bandy
Bandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
, and recreational ice skating. In the summer months the Oval becomes the largest skating park in the Midwest as ramps are put up for BMX biking, roller hockey, and aggressive skating and the track is used for inline skating.