Skating enthusiasts can skate on natural ice rinks this weekend
In various places in the Netherlands, skating enthusiasts can skate on natural ice rinks this weekend. For instance, the ice rink of the Hard Gaat-ie ice club in De Lier was opened on Saturday morning, making it one of the first natural ice rinks where people can skate this season, Omroep West reported.
Jong en oud genieten van schaatsen in Winterswijk. De wonderbaan is weer volop in trek. pic.twitter.com/CRqYoCQqJw
— WimRuesink (@WimRuesink) December 2, 2023
Wim van den Berg, chairman of the ice rink in De Lier, is excited that the ice rink can be used again. It was not yet clear on Friday whether the ice would be firm enough for skating by Saturday. But thanks to the favorable weather conditions on Saturday morning, there was a happy outcome. “We started on time yesterday and hoped that the weather would stay clear. Unfortunately, it became cloudy around midnight, but luckily it was clear again at 5 a.m., so we made it,” he told Omroep West.
With temperatures between 0 degrees in the northeast and +3 degrees in the southwest, it is unclear how long the ice skating fun will last, according to Weeronline.
Nevertheless, people, young and old, are drawn to the natural ice rink. Van den Berg knows this too, predicting early in the morning that it will be very busy during the day. However, according to him, it is still unclear how long the ice rink can remain open.
The Doornsche IJsclub is also open, where children and beginners can practice their skating skills on the ice. On Friday evening, the preparation of the ice rink was in full swing, Theo Schippers, manager of the ice rink, reported. On Friday, the ice rink club had decided that the weather forecast was good enough to create a nice ice surface, the AD reported. The ice rink was then able to open its doors at around 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Geen natuurijsmarathon maar schaatsen op natuurijs in Winterswijk voelt voor de schaatsers als een jubelton. pic.twitter.com/pmbJBBVx2O
— WimRuesink (@WimRuesink) December 2, 2023
However, only certain parts of the ice rink can be used. "Only the back lap and the crab rink are open. There is a thin layer of ice there," the club told AD.