Vail Producer Brings Ice Spectacular to Reopened Dobson Arena

Aspen —“Dobson Arena would draw in high-level coaches to come whether it was for one or two months or just a couple weeks. It was a big deal,” Eddie Shipstad said.

The producer of Vail’s Ice Spectacular isn’t just renting an arena for a weekend. He’s leveraging a legacy that stretches back decades. Shipstad announced the show, featuring seven Olympians, and ticket sales immediately soared. The meet-and-greet is sold out. Show tickets remain available.

The event takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 23. It marks the reopening of Dobson Arena after extensive renovations.

Shipstad’s connection to the venue is generational. His father managed Dobson Arena in the mid- to late-1980s while the family lived in Edwards. Eddie himself skated at the arena’s grand opening. He competed there as a five-time National competitor. He later served as a principal soloist with Disney’s World on Ice across the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and Japan.

“‘There’s nothing like being a kid in Vail because your parents just kind of let you go — you can hop on the buses,” Shipstad told the Vail Daily. “And every year, coming up to Vail for the Vail Invitational Competition was a must.”

That freedom defined his youth before his family moved back to Colorado Springs. But the draw wasn’t just accessibility. It was the quality of the ice and the prestige of the competition.

Shipdad spent countless days at Dobson. He trained there in the summer alongside Nancy Kerrigan, the 1994 Olympic silver medalist and 1992 bronze medalist. He trained with Paul Wiley, the 1992 Olympic silver medalist. A bronze statue of Wiley now stands at the Beaver Creek ice rink, alongside one of Kristi Yamaguchi.

The Vail Invitational, held in July, was the engine that kept the arena relevant. It drew top judges from across the nation. Judges volunteered their time, but they knew they’d be treated like royalty. That respect attracted elite skaters. They wanted to see what the top judges thought of their programs before the competitive season fully ramped up.

“Typically when you get the best judges, people hear about it, and then they want to go to that competition,” Shipstad said.

His father’s reputation helped, too. As the 16-year manager of the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, he knew coaches nationwide. When he moved to manage Dobson, that network followed. Coaches sought good ice time and the benefit of high-elevation training.

Now, Shipstad is bringing that same gravity back to the valley. The current show features Ilia Malinin, who performed a backflip at the 2024 event. The 2018 debut featured Dorothy Hamill.

The pattern is clear. High-profile talent. Deep local roots. A venue that demands respect.

Shipstad isn’t parachuting in. He’s returning to the scene of his own history. The renovations are done. The ice is fresh. The Olympians are booked.

The short version: Vail wants to remind you that it’s still a destination for elite skating. The question is whether the new arena can replicate the specific, gritty allure of the old Dobson days. Or if it’s just a shiny box with a famous name attached.

Shipstad says the level of judging back in the day drew the top skaters. He implies that standard still applies. Locals will have to decide if the ticket prices justify the nostalgia.