Sand and ice: Beachside holiday ice rinks draw merry crowds

It's a sunny, crisp day at the beach in Alameda. Kids comb for shells, tossing driftwood into the surf for an eager pup, as kite surfers catch a breeze and skaters twirl double Salchows on the ice. OK, you got me, I'm making that last part up. Nobody's doing double Salchows. More like triple wobbles and never-ending knee-crunch tumbles. But the part about ice skating at the beach is true!

Despite the inherent contradiction, these opposite qualities attract the crowds, and an increasing number of holiday ice rinks have been popping up in recent years along California's sandy shorelines and bayside waterfronts. From the Little Ice Rink at Alameda's beachside South Shore Center and the annual holiday ice rink at Embarcadero Center -- with the Ferry Building and the bay as a backdrop -- to a make-your-heart-melt Ice Kingdom outside the Queen Mary in Long Beach and a palm-tree-studded rink at the historic Hotel del Coronado near San Diego, we're taking you on a mini tour of this year's sunshine on ice: The Little Ice Rink, Alameda Advertisement This 4,100-square-foot seasonal rink, complete with mini Zamboni and color-changing LED lights at night, is set up in the parking lot near the Petco store at the South Shore shopping mall, backdropped by pleasant pink sunsets over Crown Beach. Off the Grid food trucks are just steps away from the rink for lunch breaks on Saturdays, and Panera Bread will be serving coffee, hot chocolate and cookies on select days. 

The annual ice rink at the beach at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. The annual ice rink at the beach at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. (Hotel del Coronado) And, for extra fun, Mondays are Ugly Sweater Day and Wednesdays are '80s Night (there was lots of Van Halen in the air on a recent evening). And the San Jose Sharks' mascot, Sharkie himself, will stop by the rink at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 21. The rink: Alameda South Shore Center, 523 S. Shore Center Way (off Park Street near Otis Drive); www.thelittleicerink.com Frosty details: Open daily through Jan. 19. Tickets $10 (with your own skates) to $15 (includes skate rental); $6 to $10 for children ages 8 and under. 

Holiday Ice Rink at Embarcadero Center, San Francisco Backed by a view of the San Francisco Ferry Building, Bay Bridge and the bay itself, the Embarcadero Center ice rink has been a San Francisco tradition for more than 25 years. Ninety-minute skate sessions start at every even hour. Off the Grid trucks will be parked nearby from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays, and it's a great chance to wander the shops at the Ferry Building -- pick up a muffuletta at Boccalone, cheese samples at Cowgirl Creamery or some winter chanterelle at Far West Fungi. Then stroll the Embarcadero and take in the glittering Bay Lights installation on the bridge.