0:00 0:00 1x

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here .

Employees at the Shops at Heavenly Village in Lake Tahoe had just finished preparing the mall’s skating rink when an unusual local arrived to take a nighttime spin on the ice.

A black bear that locals named “Charlie” made his debut as the first guest on the rink this year, sliding across the ice shortly after 10 p.m. on Thursday, according to staff.

The bear crawled under the roped barriers to cross the ice, ignoring the “No Skating without Skates” sign plastered at the entrance. It’s debatable whether claws count.

“The ice had probably just frozen over when one of our employees, Danny, spotted Charlie skating and got that photo,” Dreu Murin, a spokesperson for the Shops at Heaven

See Full Page