10 MAKE-BELIEVE WINTER WONDERLANDS : to put Southern Californians in the true spirit of the holiday season

The popularity of ice skating in Southern California is yet another reminder that local residents are a mixed bag of transplants from many other, colder, places.

And with the arrival of Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season, many who came from the Midwest or the East yearn to attach blunt-edged steel blades to the bottoms of their feet and glide along a flat, slippery sheet of ice.

Those who feel they must have snow or at least a colder climate to get into the spirit of the holidays head for the San Bernardino Mountains. The Blue Jay Ice Castle, one mile west of Lake Arrowhead Village on County 189 is less than 3 years old and is set among the pines with three sides open to the view. Admission is $3.25 for adults; $3 for ages 13 through 17 and $2.75 for ages 12 and under. Skate rentals are $1.50. Public skating sessions are everyday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-5 p.m.

Evening sessions are Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 7-9 p.m. and Friday 7-10 p.m. There’s a moonlight special each Saturday 9:30-11:30 p.m. An ice-dance session with 30-minutes of instruction is scheduled Saturdays 5:15 -6:45 p.m. for $3. The rink has facilities for birthday parties, and group and private lessons are offered.

But for those who can’t get to the mountains, there are a number of icy oases in the sunny Southland, where one can enjoy public skating, take lessons, join a skating club or play hockey. These make-believe winter wonderlands include:

West Covina Ice Arena, 2235 E. Garvey Ave. North, West Covina, (818) 966-8666. Public skating sessions are 3:30-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon-4:30 p.m. Saturday and 2-4:45 p.m. Sunday. Evening public skating is Friday and Saturday, 8-10 p.m.

Admission is $5 for persons 13 and older and $4 for children 12 and younger. Skate rental is included. Persons bringing their own skates should ask for a $1 admission refund. In addition to ice skating classes, professionals are available for individual lessons.

A group called Dads schedules an open hockey game Wednesdays at 5:45 p.m. and Sundays at 8 p.m. An over-40 hockey league plays several games a week. “They play nice, safe hockey because they have to go to work the next day,” Owner-Manager Roberta Moon said.

Pickwick Ice Arena, 1001 Riverside Drive, Burbank, (818) 846-0032. There is public skating 1:30-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 2:30-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Evening public skating is offered on Wednesday and Saturday 8-10:30 p.m.

Admission is $4 for adults, $3.50 for juniors, ages 12 through 17; $3 for children 11 and younger and $3 for seniors 62 and older. Skate rental is $1.25.

A number of adult and youth hockey leagues play at Pickwick. Pickup hockey games are played Tuesday at 7:45 p.m., Friday at 11 p.m. and Saturday at 10:45 p.m.

Ice Capades Chalet, 6100 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood, (818) 985-5555. Public skating Monday through Thursday 1-5 p.m. and 8-10 p.m. and Friday 1-5 p.m. and 7:30-10 p.m. and Saturday 1-10 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Admission is $3.75. Skate rental is $1.50.

Ice skating classes are available. The Valley Hockey League meets Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 10:15-11:30 p.m., and Sunday 5:15-8 p.m. The National Novice Hockey Assn. meets Wednesdays 10:15-11:30 p.m. and Sunday from 8:15 p.m.-midnight.

Conejo Valley Ice Skating Center, 510 N. Ventu Park Road, Newbury Park, (805) 498-6669. Public skating hours are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Evening public skating is Wednesday and Saturday, 8:30-10:30 p.m. and Thursday and Friday, 8-10 p.m.

Admission is $4 for persons 16 and older and $3.50 for persons 15 and younger. Skate rental is $1.

The next ice skating classes will begin Jan. 7. Twelve half-hour lessons are $78. Private lessons are available for $14 to $18 per 30-minute session. “We have 17 pros on our staff who give the private lessons. Most are gold test skaters, meaning they’ve passed the U.S. Figure Skating Assn.’s ace test,” Sheila Morris, assistant manager, said.

Iceland, 8041 Jackson St., Paramount, (213) 633-1171. The rink is open for public skating Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 3-5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-noon and 2:45-5:15 p.m.; and Sunday 9:30 a.m.-noon and 2-5 p.m. Evening public skating is offered Tuesday and Thursday, 8-10:30 p.m, Friday and Saturday 8-11 p.m.

Admission is $3.50 for persons 13 and older and $3 for persons 12 and younger. Skate rental is $1.25

Group lessons are available for children, teens-agers and adults. An adult coffee club meets Wednesday 10 a.m.-noon. There are also figure skating and racing clubs that meet regularly.

Olympic Ice Arena, 23770 S. Western Ave., Harbor City, (213) 325-4474. Daytime public skating hours are Monday through Friday, 12:15-1:30 p.m. and 3:30-5 p.m. There is evening skating Monday and Wednesday, 8:05-10:30 p.m. and Friday, 8-10:30 p.m. Weekend public skating hours are Saturday 1-5 p.m. and 8-10:30 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Admission is $3.25 for persons 16 and older and $2.75 for persons 15 and younger. Skate rental is $1. On Monday and Thursday “Family Nights” the entire family may be admitted for $5.

Ice skating classes are scheduled for adults Wednesday 5-5:45 p.m. and for children Saturday, 12:15-1 p.m. Eight lessons, including skate rental and passes to two public sessions, are $36.

Ontario Ice Skating Center, 1225 W. Holt Blvd., Ontario, (714) 986-0793. Public skating is 2:30-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday; 8-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8:15-9:30 p.m. “mini-sessions” on Monday and Thursday.

Admission is $4.25 to the regular sessions and $2 to the mini-sessions. Both prices apply to adults and children and include skate rental.

Ice skating classes cost $60 for a 10-week session. “We have tots starting at 2 years old to adults in their 60s,” Manager Marlene Brault said.

Nearly 100 youth hockey players compete at the facility. Adult hockey is played Tuesday at 10 p.m., Wednesday at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Broom Ball--a hockey-like sport substituting shoes for skates, a plastic broom for a stick and a ball for a puck--is played Sunday at 9 p.m.

Ice Capades Chalet, 2701 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, (714) 979-8880. Public skating is Monday through Friday, 2-5 p.m.; Saturday, 1-4 p.m. and Sunday, 1:15-3:30 p.m. Evening public skating is Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30-9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 8-10:30 p.m.

Admission is $4. Skate rental is $1.50.

Thirteen half-hour beginning ice skating lessons for children (minimum age is 4) and adults are $65.

The arena is the site of three hockey leagues: Youth Hockey for ages 4 to 18, the Senior Division of the Orange County Hockey Assn. for persons 18 and older and the Novice Hockey Assn. for persons 21 and older.

Ice Capades Chalet, 400 Brea Mall, Brea, (714) 990-4445. Public Skating is Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 12:30-5 p.m. Evening public skating is Tuesday through Saturday, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Admission is $3.75. Skate rental is $1.25.

Half-hour group lessons for baegommomg children and 45-minute lessons for adults are available. There are also a number of “off-ice” classes taught including ballet, jump and stretch and dancing for children.

In addition to having adult and children’s hockey leagues, the arena is also the home of the Southern California (formerly Brea Canyon) Figure Skating Club, a group for competitive skaters.

House of Ice, 11001 Black Mountain Road, Mira Mesa, (619) 271-4000. Public skating is offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 3:30-5:30 p.m.; Thursday, 3:30-5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 3-5 p.m. Evening public skating is Friday and Saturday, 8-10 p.m.; call ahead to be sure the rink will be open for skating on weekends, because it is sometimes closed to accommodate U.S. International University’s hockey schedule.

Admission is $3.50. Skate rental is $1.25.

Ice skating classes are Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Nine half-hour lessons are $49.50, plus skate rental.

An eight-team senior men’s league plays one game of full-contact hockey Wednesdays at 9:15 p.m. and three games on Sunday at 5:15 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. A seven-team non-contact men’s league plays three games on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. A new Thursday night men’s non-contact league is being formed.