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Practice time for ice-skaters at national camp in Shimla
by Nagendra Ranta

     Shimla: With snowfall, it's the perfect time to enjoy adventure sports like ice- skating and skiing here. Over two hundred ice-skaters are learning the techniques of adventure sports during an ongoing national camp here. Ice-skating normally begins in early December and continues till February. Clear skies and low temperatures provide series of uninterrupted sessions.

    And, this time of the season has rendered an ideal time for ice skaters from various parts of the country attending the 10-day national camp here. About fifty top ice-skaters around the country will be selected for the coming International ice-skating championship to be held in Czech Republic this year. The ice-skaters have come from various States including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Many of the participants have never enjoyed natural ice-skating rink before. Everyday the players get their lessons in sliding on frozen ice for four hours in the morning as well as in the evening. According to National ice-skating Coach K. Srikantha Rao this Ice Skating Rink located in the main city in Shimla, is the only natural ice-skating in South East Asia and offers an opportunity for the skaters to practice. "We have participants from all over the country. We have fifty top level skaters who have won medals in previous national plus each state is sending four skaters for the training camp. Thirteen to nineteen teams will be going to Czech Republic from here after the training camp and we have three types of training camp going out here, figure skating, speed and the third is hamutual camp also," said K. Srikantha Rao, National ice-skating Coach. Some of these ice-skaters have already represented India in many International Championships. "Well, this is the first time I have actually tried dried eyes and I really liked it and it is very comfortable, there is less friction on eyes and spins really good. This is the fourth day and I am able to do what I use to do on rollers," said Subudh Patel, National Silver Medalist. "I have never tried dried eyes till now. This is the first time I am trying. We got a good opportunity and they are providing us with ring and they also give us time to skate also. We hope that many other skating rings would be provided to us so that we can really practice regularly," said Avani, Asian Gold Medalist from Andhra Pradesh. The Shimla ice-skating rink has the largest open-air area with naturally frozen ice in the South East Asia. The Ice Skating Club of Shimla has already celebrated its diamond jubilee. For the Bollywood producers, this rink proves an ideal location for shooting an ice covered background not usually found in the country. Many Bollywood flicks like Woh Kaun Thi, Arzoo, Janwar and Moolakat are some of the popularly known moves shot here in the past.

     Now-a-days, skating on the ice is regarded as novel adventure for both local and tourists. An ice rink is a frozen body of water where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Some of its uses include playing ice hockey, figure skating exhibitions and contests, and ice shows. Many ice rinks consist of, or are found on, open bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, canals, and sometimes rivers; these can only be used in the winter in climates where the surface would freeze to a strong enough thickness. Artificial rinks can also be made in cold climates by enclosing a level area of ground, filling it with water, and letting it freeze. Snow may even be packed to use as the containment material.
-Jan 5,  2007

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