Helsinki Icepark is the hottest meeting point in town

Tourists and experts rub shoulders - and occasionally collide - on the rink in the Railway Square

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By Juha Salonen
     
      Even though cold winds are sweeping over Helsinki’s central railway station square and the sky is a leaden grey, everybody is having fun.
      Skaters are performing pirouettes, sliding on the ice, and occasionally tumbling down, all in high spirits.
     
The seasonal outdoor ice rink, known these days as "Helsinki Icepark", has proved very popular since its introduction in November 2006, and is now attracting more people than ever.
      In December 2008, the number of skaters climbed to 12,000 from the previous monthly record of some 10,000 visitors.
      On the week between Christmas and New Year, a crowd of up to 1,000 people turned up to skate every day.
     
The same pace has continued, and there was no risk of skating alone last Sunday, either.
      By 1:30 p.m., a total of 130 skating enthusiasts representing all ages and levels of skill had bought a ticket.
      Karoliina Bergman was lacing up the skates of her four-year-old daughter Peppi.
      The Bergmans had come to Helsinki Icepark from Vantaa’s Varisto several times before.
      ”This is our fourth visit. We came here, as there has been no ice in Varisto”, said Karoliina Bergman.
      She also noted that the ice in Helsinki Icepark was excellent.
      ”The surface of the ice is very smooth, which is why it is easy for even a little child to skate. Besides, they play good music here”, Bergman added.
     
A young couple in their twenties was tottering along the edge of the ice rink. Their style of skating without bending their knees was a sure sign that they had not been on skates for long. And so it proved.
      ”For me, this is the first time on skates in my entire life”, Anita Siggins laughed.
      No wonder, as one seldom sees any ice skating in Australia, the country of her birth.
     
Arm-in-arm with Siggins, Briton Chris Butcher was doing his best to keep his balance. He said that he had not skated for four years.
      ”Actually we were looking for the Helsinki Cathedral, but when we saw the ice rink we decided to give it a go”, reports Chris, who first met Anita in Australia.
      They ended up on a weekend trip to Helsinki largely by coincidence.
      ”We intended to go to Lisbon, but when the flight was cancelled we just chose another trip to some other remote city”, reported Siggins, who now lives in London.
     
Meanwhile, a furiously spinning pirouette could be seen in the centre of the ice rink.
      Mala Shrestha was polishing her figure skating programme, without being discouraged by a crowd of people swarming around on all sides.
      ”I am used to this. When I am training with my team-mates and we all are on the ice at the same time, you need eyes in the back of your head”, Shrestha smiled.
      Soon a crowd of small fans were surrounding her and teammate Ninni Toivonen, trying to do similar pirouettes to theirs.
      ”This is relaxing as a counterbalance to our sports club’s training. We often ask small skaters whether they would be willing to come to the ice skating school of our club”, reported these two figure skaters, who belong to the sports club Helsingfors Skridsko Klubben.
     
Working at the skate rental booth, Oleg Donner said that from time to time the demand for skates has been outrunning the supply.
      ”Between Christmas and New Year all medium-sized women’s and men’s skates ran out, when Russian tourists stepped off their buses and came to skate en masse. Indian tourists also seem to favour the ice rink. Frequently they want to go skating many times during their stay here”, Donner reported.
     
The facilities of the rink include a skate rental booth and a café, and it is open daily until mid-March. For detailed information on opening hours and services, see the link below.
      The admission fee is EUR 4.00 for adults and EUR 2.00 for children under 18, students, senior citizens, conscripts, and unemployed persons. The tickets are valid on the day of purchase, and they can be paid only in cash.
      The rental fee for a pair of skates is EUR 5.00 for adults and EUR 3.50 for children under 18.
      Children under 12 should wear a helmet. Helmets may be borrowed free of charge.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 12.1.2009


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Ice rink opens at Helsinki railway station square (24.11.2006)

Links:
  Helsinki Icepark

JUHA SALONEN / Helsingin Sanomat
juha.salonen@hs.fi