Ice skating at the beach?

"My two favorite letters in the English language are A and C," quipped Stella, who is also an avid hockey fan. "When summer comes and it gets hot and steamy, I figure I have the best job in town."

His staff was extra-busy at the North Charleston skating complex during the recent holiday break, thanks to hundreds of vacationing students and family members who yearned for a turn on the ice.

"We live and die by the school calendar and we’ve had tons of kids coming during the holidays," Stella said.

Last Friday afternoon’s skaters came in all sizes, shapes and ages. Some were clearly expert, twirling and gliding around the Royal Rink. Others looked like AARPers-in-training as they cautiously negotiated the slick ice while leaning against PVC-pipe contraptions that resembled walkers.

Miami resident Danielle Green was one youngster who appreciated her plastic "friend."

"This is the first time I’ve ever skated," she said excitedly, her hands gripping tightly on the support as she stuck close to the boards.

Michelle Cleary had her hands full, too. She had driven from Georgetown with three girls and not only had to keep an eye on them, but also had to stay vertical. It was their first visit to the Ice Palace.

"We’re having fun," she said, with a hint of trepidation, as she skated away, trying to keep up with her young charges.

Meanwhile, an adult pickup hockey game was underway at the adjacent Palace Rink. Zane Segle and his 13-year-old son, Cayden, recently moved to James Island from Boulder, Colo., and are interested in getting involved with the facility’s youth hockey programs. They chatted with Reed Sauter and his boy, Michael, 10, who are also hockey fans. Reed, an Upstate New York native recently moved his family to Summerville from Norfolk, Va.

The Carolina Ice Palace opened in 1997 at 7665 Northwoods Blvd. and Stella has been manager since 1998. He said he’s seen a slow but steady growth in skating locally, thanks, in part, to northerners.

"A lot of them are folks from – as they say down here – ‘off’ or ‘away,’" Stella said. "They tend to gravitate to our rink."

The 100,000-square-foot Carolina Ice Palace bills itself as "South Carolina’s Ultimate Family Entertainment Complex, designed to be a year-round family playground for recreational skating, league hockey, figure skating, extreme sports, virtual reality and video games.

It has two NHL-size ice sheets, one with theatrical lights and sound and another with stadium seating for 700. It’s the practice facility for the South Carolina Stingrays and, until two years ago, was the official training rink in South Carolina for Olympic gold medallist Tara Lipinski.

The Ice Palace offers more than 20 public skating sessions weekly for beginners and experts alike. It has adult and youth learn-to-play hockey programs, figure-skating lessons, equipment rental, a pro shop, arcade and the Penalty Box, a skateboard park and a sports lounge and grill.

One more thing to remember – especially next July when it’s sweltering outside – the Carolina Ice Palace is 57 degrees inside all year round. That qualifies it as the coolest place in town.

For more information on the Carolina Ice Palace, call (843) 572-2717 or visit www.carolinaicepalace.com.