Devastated kids have been left coming to terms with the news Ayr Ice Rink is to close later this year.
Gutted coaches have told how they were forced to break the heartbreaking news to some of the region's most promising talents.
Scores of young skaters have used the Limekiln Road base as a launchpad to compete on the national stage, with British champions and Olympians coming through the ranks.
But decades of history is now at risk of being crushed with the rink's owners, Ayrshire Curlers Ltd, insisting they must close from October due to spiralling energy costs.
The news has sent shockwaves through the community with an online petition drawing thousands of signatures and widespread political support. And those closest to the impact say that supporting the youngsters affected is now uppermost in their minds.
Louise Young, coach at Ayr Figure Skating Club, told the Ayrshire Post: "Our club has existed for more than 65 years and means so much to so many people.
"We have learn to skate classes for children from the age of three going all the way through to adult skaters in their 50s. It is a massive part of life - particularly for so many youngsters for whom the rink is their home.
"We've had kids so upset this week after hearing the news, it is just devastating. For the parents and coaches who put so much in, the idea of closure just doesn't bear thinking about.
"I skated here as a kid and am now privileged to be a coach. So many of us have grown up in this place. The rink has produced British champions and Olympians and is such a vital facility for the region. If there's a solution to keeping it open, we're willing to work as hard as we can to find it."
Curlers insist they have been left with no option but to call time as they cannot meet electricity bills which will soar by 110 per cent come October 1. Politicians from all parties are now calling on intervention at both local and national level to try and rescue the facility.
South Ayrshire Council are currently meeting with investors keen to construct a brand new rink for the town, with a site in Craigie understood to be among those on the table.
But with any potential new facility some years away, the need to keep the current clutch of young talent on the ice is now seen as an emergency.
Alex Strachan, chair of the Ayr Bruins Ice Hockey Club, added: "A new ice rink would be fantastic, but it's what happens in the interim that's the worry. We already lose enough kids who decide to go elsewhere. There needs to be a solution found for the here and now."
To sign the petition to save Ayr Ice Rink, visit: https://www.change.org/p/save-ayr-ice-rink
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