Sweating it out on ice
Published: 17th May 2013 10:34 AM | Last Updated: 17th May 2013 10:34 AM | A+A A-
Sliding, spinning and gilding gracefully on the thick sheet of ice wearing steel-bladed skates may be something we Kochi folks, who are destined to spend their entire life right under the sun, haven’t experienced much. And, to get a feel of this winter sport, one needn’t anymore go country-hopping.
The fun and chill of ice-skating have already caught up with Kochiites at the newly-opened ice skating rink at Lulu Mall, Edappally.
And, the good turnout of children to learn and try out this shows that the rink has appealed the crowd reeling under summer blues.
On Thursday, amidst the thick crowd gathered around the rink to watch the ‘little men in action’, a few children were seen gliding like a whiff on the ice while others tottering on skates holding on for their dear lives.
Aash Asis, a UAE-national, stands apart with his dance moves on ice. “For me, ice-skating is cent percent enjoyment. I have been doing this for sometime and the experience is wonderful in Kochi also,” says Aash. If Aash finds skating on ice wonderful, Mohammed Zamil, a 12-year-old, has been sweating on ice for some time. “I am just learning it. It is not that easy,” says Zamil. His words, however, echo his determination to master the game.
Riya Bobby, a student of Vidyodaya School, exudes confidence on ice. “Since I know roller skating, I learned ice-skating easily. I will definitely come everyday,” says Riya.
According to Manikandan, who is in charge of the rink at Lulu Mall, learning ice-skating is not a Herculean task. “For children who are good at roller skating, learning to skate on ice takes just 15 minutes. Children pick this up easily. For those who want to learn the nuances of skating on ice, we have a coach who flew down from Saudi. Penguin skating aids are also supplied to the children as a learning tool,” says Manikandan. According to him, there is a huge turnout of children. “We have over 200 children everyday. The response has been awesome so far,” says Manikandan who adds that the rink is of world-class standards. “We have similar ones at Gulf countries too,” he said.
The charge for skating on ice for an hour is Rs 400. One can skate for 30 minutes by paying Rs 250 also.