San Ramon Says Goodbye To Beloved Skating Rink

SAN RAMON, CA — A decades-old local skating rink will close its doors for the last time after this holiday season.

The Golden Skate owner Hassan Sharifi told customers in a letter last month that the rink was forced to close its doors due to pandemic-related financial struggles. The rink was closed from March 2020 to May 2021, but the business continued to pay rent. Golden Skate has been unable to break even since reopening, Sharifi said.

Sharifi purchased the rink in 1995 and spent years trying to make it a viable operation.

"It makes me sad to close a business that I have enjoyed running and worked so hard to

revive," he said.

The rink was the largest within hundreds of miles and drew skaters from as far as Sacramento, San Francisco, Gilroy and Vacaville, Sharifi said.

"The Golden Skate has become the most diverse multicultural, multiracial and multigenerational sport entertainment in the area," he said.

Sharifi thanked staff — his "biggest asset" — and acknowledged his "beloved customers" and avid skaters.

"My hope is that the memories created over the decades of the Golden Skate will live on and will be cherished by those who have visited us," Sharifi said.