LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — We know life can be a slippery slope.
It's full of adventures and experiences, but you never really lose what's in your roots.
Jim Dinger lived all over the country before moving to Lexington. Over the years, he felt part of his roots drifting away.
On a Friday night at the Lexington Ice Center, a sky painted purple drapes over a building made of white metal, blue italicized lettering, and plenty of tradition.
"Yeah and it just went on from there, from '81 to present day," Dinger said.
Since 1981, Dinger's chuckle echoes off the walls and fills the space capped by a soaring ceiling.
"The Thoroughblades came to town and that really gave it a spark," he said. "There were more people who got interested in hockey."
His interest began as a boy in central Pennsylvania.
"I became an ardent Hershey Bears fan," he said. "We wore sweatshirts and jeans. And rolled newspapers up and used them as shin guards."
We aren't entirely sure if that's what Dinger wore one night in Lexington in August of 1981.
"We quote 'played that night,'" he said. "Somewhere around August 21st or 22nd, it was a Friday, we put the last screws in the board down here."
Those screws — fasten the board and the rink for the future.
"Right now, at my age, it's not so much about winning," Dinger said. "It's the beauty of teamwork."
His age, you might ask?
"I'm 78," he said. "I just had a birthday."
Another trip around the sun, skating the way, for the new generation.
"I would much rather give a beautiful pass to somebody and let them score than just score myself," Dinger said. "This building means to me, a sense of relaxation, a sense of camaraderie."
The building, the Lexington Ice Center, is where Jim helped build the culture of that very camaraderie.
