Walk into the ION International Training Center in Leesburg, Virginia, and the first thing you notice isn't the cold. It’s the sheer scale. We’re talking about a 100,000-square-foot behemoth that looks like it belongs in a major metropolitan downtown rather than a quiet corner of Loudoun County. Honestly, if you grew up skating in cramped local rinks with fogged-up glass and vending machine coffee, ION feels like stepping into the future.
It’s big. Really big.
Most people see a skating rink and think of public sessions or maybe a messy game of beer league hockey. But ION was built for something else entirely. This is a year-round training hub that houses two NHL-sized sheets of ice and a stadium that can seat over 3,000 people for events. It’s where the high-stakes world of competitive figure skating meets the grit of elite hockey, all under a roof that cost about $26 million to get off the ground.
The Vision Behind the Ice at ION International Training Center
You can't talk about ION without mentioning Mitra Setayesh. She’s the powerhouse behind the project. Along with Luiz Taifas, a former Romanian national champion figure skater, she saw a massive gap in the Mid-Atlantic sports market. Before ION opened its doors in 2019, serious skaters in the D.C. area were often bouncing between multiple rinks, struggling to find consistent ice time or elite coaching in one place.
It wasn't just about building a rink; it was about building an ecosystem.
The ION International Training Center isn't just a place to practice your Lutz. It was designed to be a destination. Think about the logistics of a major competition. You need locker rooms, sure, but you also need a gym, a cafe, and the technological infrastructure to broadcast events. ION has all of that. They even have a full-service restaurant called the Lu's Blue Line Grill, which is a far cry from the soggy nachos you find at most rinks.
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It's Not Just for the Pros (But the Pros Are There)
One common misconception is that if you aren't training for the Olympics, you don't belong here. That’s just wrong. While ION is a designated "Training Site" for world-class athletes, the weekend warrior and the five-year-old learning to stand on blades are just as present.
The diversity of programming is wild.
- LTS (Learn to Skate): They follow the US Figure Skating curriculum, which is the gold standard.
- Hockey Leagues: From youth travel teams to adult leagues that get surprisingly competitive at 11 PM on a Tuesday.
- Curling: Yeah, they have a curling community too. It’s harder than it looks on TV, trust me.
- Ice Theatre: This is a niche but growing discipline that blends skating with performance art, and ION is one of the few places with the space to really nurture it.
The facility also serves as a massive community event space. Because the seating is tiered and the acoustics were actually considered during construction—unlike most echoing tin-shed rinks—they host concerts, graduations, and corporate events. It’s basically a mid-sized arena disguised as a training center.
Why the Engineering Matters
Most people don't care about what's under the ice until the ice is bad. If you've ever skated on "soft" ice or ice with deep ruts, you know the frustration. ION uses a high-end CO2 refrigeration system. It's more environmentally friendly than older Freon-based systems, but more importantly for the skaters, it allows for incredibly precise temperature control.
Figure skaters like "soft" ice because it grips the blade better for jumps. Hockey players want "hard" ice because it’s faster and doesn't snow up as quickly. ION can actually tune the ice to the specific needs of the event.
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The lighting is another thing. It’s all LED, capable of instant on/off and color changes. This sounds like a luxury, but for high-level training, being able to simulate the lighting conditions of a major international competition is a huge psychological advantage for athletes.
The Economic Ripple Effect in Loudoun County
Loudoun County is one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S., but it was missing a flagship sports venue of this type. Since ION opened, it has become a driver for sports tourism. When a regional figure skating competition comes to town, hundreds of families fly in. They stay in the local hotels, they eat at the restaurants, and they shop at the Village at Leesburg.
It’s a business model that relies on "heads in beds."
The center has also faced its share of hurdles. Opening a massive, high-overhead sports facility just months before a global pandemic was, to put it mildly, a nightmare scenario. Most businesses would have folded. ION survived by pivoting to whatever the community needed at the time—socially distanced training, filming, and eventually, the return of fans to the stands.
Training the Next Generation
If you hang out in the lobby long enough, you'll see the "rink rats." These are the kids who live at the rink. They do their homework in the cafe, they do off-ice conditioning in the gym, and they spend four hours a day on the ice.
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The coaching staff at ION International Training Center is a "who's who" of skating. You have former Olympians and national coaches who have moved to Northern Virginia specifically because this facility exists. This concentration of talent creates a competitive but supportive "hub" effect. When you see a Olympic-level skater landing a quad jump on the same ice where you're struggling to do a basic spin, it changes your perspective on what's possible.
What You Should Know Before You Go
If you’re planning to visit, don't just show up and expect an open sheet of ice. Because it’s a high-demand facility, the schedule is packed.
- Check the Public Calendar: Public skate sessions happen, but they are often squeezed between private training blocks and hockey games.
- Dress in Layers: Even though the cafe is warm, the rinks are kept at a crisp temperature to maintain that high-quality ice.
- The Pro Shop: If you need your skates sharpened, the shop here actually knows what they’re doing. Don't let a random teenager at a generic sporting goods store ruin your blades; the hollow of your grind matters.
- Off-Ice Training: If you’re a serious athlete, check out their off-ice gym. It’s specifically tailored for rotational power and core stability, which are the two things skaters need most.
Actionable Steps for Newcomers
If you are looking to get started at ION, don't overthink it. Most people wait until they have the "right" gear or feel "ready," but the best way to use a facility like this is to dive in.
- Sign up for a multi-week Learn to Skate block rather than doing one-off public sessions. You need the consistency of a coach to build muscle memory.
- Invest in your own skates if you plan to go more than once a month. Rental skates are fine for birthday parties, but they lack the ankle support needed for actual progress.
- Watch a high-level practice. One of the best ways to learn is simply by observing the elite skaters. You can see their edge work and how they use their upper body to control their momentum.
- Utilize the off-ice space. Strength and flexibility are 50% of the game. If you only spend time on the ice, you’re capping your potential.
ION International Training Center isn't just a building with some frozen water in it. It's a specialized machine designed to produce high-level athletes while giving the local community a place to spend their Friday nights. Whether you're chasing a medal or just trying not to fall on your butt during a date, it’s a spot that’s earned its reputation as a premier destination in the sports world.