Jack Norqual makes California dream come true

Santa Barbara, California is a community of about 150,000 residents situated on the Pacific coast about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles. While fairly upscale with much to offer its population, one group in particular was conspicuously left out OF the cold: Hockey players and figure skaters.

With all its amenities, the city had no skating rink. Those who wanted to play hockey or figure skate had to drive up to 50 miles in each direction to get to the closest rink.

While a local developer initially set aside (and later donated) land in 1997 earmarked for a skating rink in the adjacent city of Goleta, it was based on the premise that it could be built by an independent organization.

For several years, a local group tried to figure out how they could finance building an ice rink on this land.  They had little or no success and faced the real possibility that the land would eventually be unavailable as a donation if something was not done soon.

Gretchen and Jack Norqual

Enter Jack and Gretchen Norqual, the generous Minnesota couple who had been wintering in the Santa Barbara area since 2004.

Jack, always looking for ice himself, saw a need and an opportunity to help create something very special in this sunny California region. Long-time philanthropists, the Norquals gave a donation to the Greater Santa Barbara Ice Skating Association (GSBISA), a non- profit, 501c3, in an effort to get things started.

The couple had been actively giving for many years to local community organizations where they lived and to schools where their son attended and played hockey, so this was not new to them.

A lifetime on the ice

Jack Norqual grew up in the Como area of St. Paul in the ‘50’s, the days of true pond hockey.  With Como Lake only a few blocks from his house, Norqual and his older brother Don, along with many local friends, honed their skating and hockey skills on the vast expanse of the frozen lake and the surrounding neighborhood ponds and parks.  It was here that Jack, and many from that era, found their passion for hockey and pride in their local neighborhoods and communities.

After attending St. Anges High School for one year, Norqual graduated from Washington High School where he played on the varsity hockey and golf teams.  He was captain of the hockey team his senior year.

He went on to attend the University of Minnesota for two years before transferring to the University of Wisconsin River Falls, where he was a member of the first UWRF Hockey Team in the ’65 -’66 season.  He was named MVP that year.  His on-going enjoyment for the game continues to this day, as Jack still plays in local recreational games and in adult tournaments all over the world.

California Dreaming

The passion for hockey and community pride stayed with Norqual through to retirement.

With no significant progress from their initial action, the Norquals gave a second (sizable) lead Matching Gift to get others to help out.  This also failed to stimulate the needed response.

In 2006, Jack finally volunteered as their Campaign Chair to lead an effort to raise the necessary capital, on a non-profit basis, for what would be the permanent home of a new arena complex named Ice in Paradise.

“I have never lived in a community without an ice rink”, Norqual said. “It was time for action.”

He used his extensive business experience and hockey connections to put all the necessary plans for success in motion.

Business Experience Comes into Play

Norqual’s initial work experience after college graduation included over 11 years with some of the leading edge technology companies in Minnesota including Control Data Corporation, Xerox Corporation and Dataserv.  This exposure to large successful companies served as the foundation for his future success.

The entrepreneurial bug struck soon, when he co-founded Winthrop Resources Corp, a new IBM computer equipment leasing company.  The business grew to 100 employees before it was sold in 1997 to TCF Financial.  It didn’t take him long to move on to his next venture, when, along with former Winthrop Resources partners, he formed Rush River Group.  The company made investments in both public and private companies and operated until 2012.

With hockey never far from his thoughts, Norqual purchased a well-known sports training company in 1994, called Acceleration Minnesota.  The training program uses treadmills to enhance speed/performance in both running and skating.

The concept was developed by John Frappier, an exercise physiologist from Fargo, ND.  This caught Norqual’s interest and not too long after he purchased the Stillwater and Coon Rapids locations, he decided to partner with his brother, Don, and expand.

Kurt Haring, Acceleration Plymouth owner, Minnesota Hockey Mag’s Scott Tiffany and Jack Norqual in recent tour of facility.

They added company stores in Eden Prairie, Arden Hills, Apple Valley, Brainerd, and Plymouth and also installed the Skating Treadmill and the training program at the University of Minnesota, where it still resides today.

Several years ago, Norqual donated an Acceleration skating treadmill and associated program to the USA Hockey (NTDP), National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, MI, as an integral part of their training.  The program is still in effect today in Plymouth, MI, and provides important training resources to the top U17 and U18 players in America.

Norqual finally sold the Acceleration sites to their respective managers to be owned and managed by them.  In the Twin Cities area, the sites in Arden Hills and Plymouth are still active and continue to train athletes for both hockey and other sports.

Norqual’s ties to USA Hockey became stronger when he joined the USA Hockey Foundation Board of Directors in 2000.  He has been an active member for 15 years.  The Foundation works to enhance the mission of USA Hockey by making grants available to numerous organizations that share it values.

Ice in Paradise – Final Path to Success

Jack’s resolve to “get it done” lead him on a challenging, but rewarding journey.

His involvement in the Santa Barbara community and his position on the USA Hockey Foundation provided Jack with many important connections to local business and hockey executives at all levels and was instrumental in securing the needed financing to put the Ice in Paradise project on firm ground and allow it to move forward.  But it was no easy task.

Luc Robitaille (on left), Norqual, Ed Snider (with sun glasses) and city official cut the ribbon at grand opening. (Photo/Jack Norqual)

He spent considerable time over several years meeting with local people who could help fund and contribute to the building of the complex.

Primary focus was on including another local resident, Ed Snider, founder and owner of the Philadelphia Flyers.  After several meetings with Norqual,  Mr. Snider agreed to give a significant lead gift.  

“Ed Snider’s support gave our Campaign great credibility and was a big inspiration to me as well as the Ice in Paradise board” , said Norqual.  

Other donors soon followed and this infusion of capital triggered ground-breaking on November 20, 2014, after 11 years of fundraising.

A good friend of Norqual’s, former NHL star Luc Robitaille, who now works for the LA Kings as President of Business Operations, also provided valuable support and advice and has been on the project’s advisory board for many years.  Jack and Luc had previous business ties related to the Acceleration training program.

The project cost was estimated at about $15 million (including the donated land valuation) and features two rinks, a standard NHL size rink and a 100 x 60 foot studio rink.

Norqual was not the only Minnesota native involved in the Ice in Paradise campaign as others played an instrumental role as well.  Fellow board member, and close childhood friend, Parker Anderson, was the Project Manager and represented Ice in Paradise in the building process.  They then hired Minnesota builders, Oppidan Investment and Engelsma Construction to build the arena.  He worked with local banks to secure construction loans and with suppliers to support the project with donations, labor, and even the Santa Barbara sandstone that drapes the front of the complex.

With local hockey players watching, Jack Norqual is first to take to the new Ice in Paradise main rink. (Photo/Jack Norqual)

Fast forward to October, 2015, and the arena’s un-official grand opening was a huge success with significant local and state media coverage … with Norqual at the forefront, and also the first guy to take to the ice.

(See local TV coverage (KEYT/KCOY News) of the event here and the Ice in Paradise Skates to Reality article in the Santa Barbara Independent here.)

“It has something for everyone,” which Norqual said was a key consideration when he first got involved. “We did not compromise. We felt that the people have waited long enough.”

The beautiful complex is one of a very few rinks that will support adaptive/sled hockey with special bench areas and there is even a study center for the kids in the corner of the second floor terrace.  Public skating, skating schools, youth and adult hockey, figure skating, parties and private ice are just a few of the planned activities and programs that are well underway.

Santa Barbara Sandstone drapes the main entrance of Ice in Paradise (Photo/Jack Norqual)

The local high school and adult teams are already enjoying “home” ice without long commutes and the prospect of local college club teams (very big in California) one day playing there are very real.  Supporters agree that the complex will have a lasting positive impact on the city of Goleta and the Santa Barbara region.

With about $8.5 million raised as of October, 2015, there is still a ways to go to complete fundraising activities.  In addition to general donations, there are naming opportunities and a Buy-a-Brick program where personalized bricks will be placed at the complex’s outdoor donor park.

Until this is completed, it’s a sure bet Norqual will be involved in some capacity, while he relishes the thought of skating on new ice, right at home, in sunny California.

For more information on Ice in Paradise activities and programs, visit their website here.

Acknowledgement:  Norqual has generously sponsored Minnesota Hockey Magazine Foundation’s annual golf tournament that raises funds to send kids in need to hockey camp.  Last year alone the Foundation provided 33 kids with the opportunity to experience a real hockey camp in White Bear Lake put on by Hockey Mom’s USA.  Norqual and many others made this happen.

The post Minnesotan Helps Bring Ice to Paradise appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Junior Rachael Bona and sophomore Hannah Brandt are among the top-10 finalists for the 2014 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the USA Hockey Foundation announced today.

Along with Bona and Brandt, the top-10 finalists include: sophomore defenseman Erin Ambrose (Clarkson); senior forward Brittany Ammerman (Wisconsin); senior forward Kelly Babstock (Quinnipiac); senior forward Christine Bestland (Mercyhurst); sophomore forward Sarah Lefort (Boston University); sophomore goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer (Harvard); senior forward Jamie Lee Rattray (Clarkson) and junior forward Jillian Saulnier (Cornell).

The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is bestowed annually upon the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey and this year will be unveiled at a brunch ceremony at Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Conn., on Sat., March 22, as part of the 2014 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four weekend hosted by Quinnipiac.

Brandt is the lone repeat honoree as she was also a top-10 finalist in 2013. Eight schools are represented in the top-10, led by Minnesota and Clarkson with two finalists each.

Amanda Kessel became the second Golden Gopher all-time to win the prestigious Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award when she took home the award last season. Krissy Wendell was Minnesota’s first Patty Kaz winner in 2005.

The three finalists, including the recipient of the 2014 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, will be chosen by a 13-person selection committee made up of NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey coaches, representatives of print and broadcast media, an at-large member and a representative of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States. The top-3 finalists will be announced on Thurs., March 6.

The selection process commenced earlier this month when NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey coaches were asked to nominate players for the award. Players who were nominated by two or more coaches were then placed on an official ballot, which was sent back to the coaches to vote for the top-10 finalists. The independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, tabulated the ballots.

Tickets to the 2014 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Ceremony and Brunch can be purchased at PattyKaz.com. Individual seats to the event are $65, while tables of 10 are available for $600. A select number of sponsorships and program advertisements are also available.

Rachael Bona, Junior Forward (Coon Rapids, Minn.)

Rachael Bona, a junior forward, currently ranks third in the nation in points (52) and assists (32). A two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week this season, Bona is second in the WCHA in conference points (38), is tied for second in goals (15) and is tied for third in assists with 23. The Coon Rapids, Minn., native is a child psychology major. She was named a 2014 WCHA Scholar-Athlete for her accomplishments in the classroom. This season, Bona has volunteered for the University of Minnesota’s Unlimited Dance Marathon to benefit the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital and at the Skate with Greats public outdoor skate at TCF Bank Stadium. She has also aided in the Gopher athletic department’s annual toy drive and food drive during her career.

“Rachael has taken her game to a whole other level this season,” head coach Brad Frost said. “She has become a complete hockey player who has a knack for the net. Rachael shoots the puck at a rapid rate and can fit the puck into tight spaces before defensemen or goaltenders have the chance to react.

“She has excellent hands, which creates space for herself and her teammates, and has increasingly become a play-maker on the power play as well as at five-on-five. The consistency at which she is producing as an offensive threat is impressive, and the fact that she plays in all situations – power play, penalty kill, etc. – shows the overall improvement and contributions she is making to our team.”

Hannah Brandt, Sophomore Forward (Vadnais Heights, Minn.)

Hannah Brandt entered her sophomore season as the WCHA Preseason Player of the Year. A right-handed center from Vadnais Heights, Minn., Brandt leads the nation with 36 assists and is tied for the NCAA lead with 55 points. She intends to study Health and Wellness in the Inter-College Program. Brandt was recognized as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete this season. She has volunteered with the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, Special Olympics Minnesota, Roseville Youth Hockey Association, Minneapolis Youth Hockey Association, University of Minnesota Medical Center – Fairview Hospital, Hope Kids and the Maplewood Care Center.

“Hannah is the type of player that immediately makes others more productive,” Frost said. “When she is on the ice, every one of her teammates automatically becomes more dangerous because of her vision, play-making, and hockey sense. Hannah is also incredibly gifted as a goal scorer, with a shot release second to none and puck handling skills that create chaos for defensemen and goaltenders. She understands the game at the highest level and is the offensive leader of our team.

“On the defensive side of the puck, she leads our team on the penalty kill, wins faceoffs, and is often times matched against the top lines of our opponents in key defensive zone situations. Most of all, Hannah is unselfish, deflects praise and cares deeply about the success of the program and her teammates. Hannah has proven to everyone over the past two seasons that she is indeed a special student-athlete both on and off the ice.”

ABOUT THE PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD

An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is annually presented to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. Selection criteria includes outstanding individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey. Consideration is also given to academic achievement and civic involvement.

ABOUT PATTY KAZMAIER

The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League defenseman at Princeton University from 1981-86. An accomplished athlete who helped lead the Tigers to the Ivy League Championship in three consecutive seasons (1981-84), Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died on Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.

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