Blyth Arena

Blyth Arena was an ice hockey arena in Squaw Valley, California. It was built in 1959 as the venue of the ice hockey and figure-skating competitions and the opening ceremonies to 1960 Winter Olympics and held 8,500 people . Standing-room crowds of 10,000 people were reported for the hockey games between the U.S. and the Soviet Union (on the second-to-last day of the 1960 Winter Olympics) and the U.S.-Czechoslovakia hockey game during the final day.

Blyth Arena was open on its south side, enabling a view of the mountains. The 400m speed skating track was just to the south of the open side of the arena. This side of the arena also faced the 70m and 90m ski jumps and the slopes of Squaw Valley now known as the Red Dog. Following the Olympic Games the wood constructed ski jump facilities were left unmaintained and slowly deteriorated over time. In 1963 the 400m speed skating track was replaced by a parking lot in spite of protests from California speed skaters; since at the time it was known to be the only mechanically frozen 400m track in the country. From 1963 to 1983, the Squaw Valley ski area operator appealed regularly to the state of California to have the arena torn down to provide still more parking.

Read more about Blyth Arena:  Destruction, Replacement

Famous quotes containing the word arena:

    This is a Senate of equals, of men of individual honor and personal character, and of absolute independence. We know no masters, we acknowledge no dictators. This is a hall for mutual consultation and discussion; not an arena for the exhibition of champions.
    Daniel Webster (1782–1852)