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Shimla
gets ready for ice-skating
by Hemant Chauhan
Shimla:
Winter in full swing, the only open air natural ice
skating rink in the hill resort of Shimla readies to welcome
enthusiasts. Founded by the British, the ice skating club
in the Himalayan hill resort is also home to South Asia's
only open-air natural ice rink. The skating rink is attracting
hundreds of tourists, children and adults, alike who have
come to enjoy this adventure sport. "It is an experience.
One must try it once in one's life. It is an adventure
sport," opined Rajshree, a tourist. The organisers are
also happy that the ice skating club has been a centre
of attraction for number of tourists during winters and
the number of tourists wishing to experience this recreation
of ice skating has been increasing over the years. "Ice
skating has been a very important chapter for the last
seven years. Couple of tourists who really come to the
state to see ice-skating because this is the only place
you can have this sport," said Devesh Banga, secretary,
ice-skating club. Skaters slide on the rocky hard ground
frozen with ice, which requires both balancing skills
and practice. The thin razor-edge skates on the ice tests
the enthusiasts' balancing endurance. Every year, the
club hosts a special winter carnival, organising ice-hockey
and skating competitions. Thousands of eager tourists
and ice adventure enthusiasts from all over the country
participate in this carnival. Millions of tourists visit
Himachal Pradesh every year and the figure has been increasing
by about 15 per cent annually. Tourism is the mainstay
of Himachal Pradesh's economy.
-Dec
30, 2008
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