Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri
In 1957, Steinberg Skating Rink opened in Forest Park. At 27,600 square feet, it was the biggest outdoor rink in the Midwest—and still is, 60 years later. It’s also a place to skate on real ice, which is rare anymore. Now, winters are so warm, ponds don’t freeze up; indoor rinks opt for the lesser hassle of polymer “ice” that only needs buffing. It’s hard to feel inspired while skating on plastic (with no Zamboni!), but skating isn’t quite what it was in Midcentury America anyway: a cross between leisure and reverie. Even if your mother insisted that you don a loathsome acrylic scarf or clownlike hand-me-down gloves, that didn’t stop you from looping the rink at great speed, plotting your rise as the next Gordie Howe. It didn’t stop you from emulating the bedazzled ice ballerinas in Look, spinning till your skirt flared out and your ankles bent sideways. When the sun came out and that watery bluish sheen rose on the ice, there was the jubilation of going back to the locker room to peel off your wool tights—and that ugly scarf.
