PROVIDENCE — Theresa Henson wanted her first time ice skating to be special.

So she made sure she was the first skater to hit the ice this season in downtown Providence.

Henson, 22, of Providence, her sister Deanna, and her friend Kelly Mallon were the first ones on the ice when the Bank of America City Center opened its skating season yesterday.

“I don’t know how people play sports on this,” said Henson as she careened around the oval.

Being the first ones on the ice feels special, said, Mallon, 22, of Providence – but that pristine, virgin ice can almost be too smooth.

“It’s so smooth, it’s like glass,” she said. “I think sometimes it’s better if it’s a little cut up.”

The rink, nestled in Kennedy Plaza among the buildings that make up Providence’s skyline, is 14,000 square feet, which the city boasts is twice the size of the ice rink at Rockefeller Plaza in New York. To be fair, however, its skyscrapers are a little taller.

“Last year more than 60,000 skaters experienced the thrill of gliding across the ice and this year promises to be just as exciting,” Mayor David N. Cicilline said.

The $3.7-million rink opened in the fall of 1998.

The start of the skating season was delayed slightly because of mild and wet weather, but will last until mid-spring.

The rink is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and weekends 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.

It’s also open on Thanksgiving from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m., in case any residents are looking to burn a few recently acquired calories.

Admission is $6 for adults, and $3 for senior citizens and children under 12. Skate rental costs $4.

Providence residents who present valid identification can skate free on the first Saturday of each month, with a $2 charge for skate rental.