Barrow's new indoor ice rink will be ready for skating, curling and hockey this week. It is the culmination of the association's decade-long struggle to bring ice sports from a polished spot in the lagoon to an indoor rink.

The Barrow Hockey and Curling Association paid for the project through fund-raising and received National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska impact funds to build the big tent. It also got money to outfit a youth hockey program, including traveling expenses for competitions, and it bought a vintage 1972 Zamboni to keep the ice smooth.

"I think everyone knows how expensive it is to travel from Barrow, but we managed to get corporate sponsorship as well as support from the community and the kids got to compete. This is a big deal for them," said Brian DellaBona, president of the association.

-The Arctic Sounder