124 | BUSINESS Paradice Commercial and Property Law Specialists www.glaister.co.nz Proudly supporting Paradice Trusted legal advisors to enduring businesses T T Sue Russell Bringing ice skating vision to life Chris and Sarah Blong - loving the life on ice. Sarah Blong, sales and marketing manager for Auckland ice skating and entertainment business, Paradice, says the second-generation company, today owned and operated by her and husband, Chris Blong, has a proud history, which stems back to the early 1970s. “Chris’s parents were farmers, and one day his father, Ross, decided the milking shed was no longer where he wanted to be. “He wanted to find a ‘people business’ and when the opportunity to buy an existing ice skating rink in Glen Innes presented in 1974, the family jumped at it,” says Sarah. Big dreams soon followed with the vision to build New Zealand’s first international-size indoor arena. By May 1981, the Avondale ice rink facility was opened, heralding a new era in what modern ice skating rinks could offer. Today, two centres are flourishing, still run within the family business model, with the second ice rink, an Olympic-sized rink at Botany Downs completed in 1999. And not only is business focused around these two arenas, but the company has extended its reach to temporary ice skating rinks throughout New Zealand, in locations such as Taupo, Wellington and Arrowtown. “That’s the great thing about this business. It’s constantly evolving and looking for opportunities, with our main rinks also offering laser tag, and Paradice Botany offering mini golf and escape rooms,” Sarah says. “Of note, we have Dwayne Li, this country’s best figure skater at just 17 years of age. As an Olympic competitor, Dwayne received a bronze medal at Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in South Korea, New Zealand’s first-ever figure skating medal at any Olympic event.” Chris was also a top figure skater in his day, she says. Most recently, all the development and good work on which the business has built its reputation was recognised within the business community when Paradice received the RSM East Auckland Business Awards Sustainability Award and was Highly Commended for its Community Impact. “I belong to the Business East Tamaki Association, and one of the ladies said to me that we should enter the awards. We had just received Qualmark Gold and I felt, at the end of the day, it was a good way to challenge ourselves and reflect on what we are doing.” After answering a number of in-depth questions concerning the business’s purposes, mission, who it serves, its competitive advantage, and how it demonstrated excellence, the entry was judged against other businesses. Sarah says the whole process was thoroughly worthwhile. In terms of the sustainable practices the business undertakes, she says everything they try to do, is done with sustainability in mind. “Environmentally, we’re constantly looking at ways to use less energy,” she says. “We’ve invested really heavily in an electric ice re-surfacer from Europe for our Botany centre, and on our temporary rinks we use “That’s the great thing about this business. It’s constantly evolving....” electric mini ice re-surfacers. Two new plants freeze down much quicker, and water harvested from our roof and snow melt goes through a filtration process and gets reused.” Sarah says, like any business, these are challenging times, but the focus on continually evolving keeps the energy within the team high. “We just want to really make sure our customers have the best experiences. We’re a hub of the communities we operate in. Young children start here from birthday parties on up, and it’s wonderful to see so many grow into wonderful skaters.” The Community Impact recognition really showcased the business’s engagement with community organisations, charities and various initiatives. Their Preserving Paradice programme recognises young environmental leaders by providing free skating passes, celebrating student initiatives, and encouraging youth leadership in sustainability. Paradice regularly hosts community-focused charity events, such as Gumboot Friday, supporting I Am Hope and youth mental health, and the annual Christmas on Ice celebration, delivered in partnership with Gracecity Church. All proceeds from Christmas on Ice support the Eastern Refuge Society, helping families break free from violence, while Paradice provides staff and ice time to run the event. A multitude of groups use the skating centres, including Theatre on Ice, a fun-filled Adults Skating Academy class (community drama group), who create performances on the ice for competitions. “It’s a very inclusive space and wonderful to watch people be creative and have fun, while entertaining others.”
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