Natural ice skating begins in Winterswijk

Skaters can take to the natural ice in Winterswijk for the first time this winter. The large rink managed by the Winterswijkse IJsvereniging opened at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, NOS reports.

"It’s absolutely happening," said Henk Te Selle, the association’s ice technician, with a broad smile. Te Selle and his team of volunteers have worked tirelessly to prepare the ice, and their efforts paid off. "The ice is perfect," he said.

The preparation process is always unpredictable, said Te Selle, as the success of ice-making depends on weather conditions. "With the volunteers, we give it our all every evening when there’s an opportunity to make ice. It’s always a waiting game to see if it works out."

Over the weekend, mist disrupted their efforts. However, the clear skies and low temperatures overnight created ideal conditions. “When there’s fog, there’s no radiation, and the ice doesn’t grow,” explained the association’s chairman. “It doesn’t even need to freeze hard; it’s all about that radiation. That’s when you get much better and easier ice.” Last night, however, conditions were clear, and the temperature was just right.

Using a drill, the ice team measured the thickness of the ice at 8 millimeters—sufficient for skating, at least through the morning. "The temperatures this morning won’t rise much, so skating will be possible until the afternoon, at least," Te Selle added. He remains hopeful for extended skating conditions. "With a bit of luck, maybe we’ll have fun on ice all day."

This isn’t the first time Winterswijk has led the way for natural ice skating. Last November, skaters also took to the ice thanks to an experimental method by the association that kept the rink’s surface cold enough to form a thin layer of ice, even though the air temperature hadn’t dipped below freezing.

Additionally, Winterswijk hosted the first natural ice marathon of last season. The KNSB, the Dutch ice skating association, awarded the event to Winterswijk over Haaksbergen, despite both locations having ice thick enough for the competition.