Doorn – In Doorn, the ice masters have been hard at work for days, and their efforts have paid off: as of 8:00 a.m. this morning, the skating rink is open as long as the weather permits. There are snacks and hot drinks, and it’s beautifully sunny. A real treat for skating enthusiasts.
TV segment (RTV Utrecht) by Ulrike Nagel.
Although skating is already possible on rinks like the one in Doorn, it’s almost certainly not going to be possible on large bodies of water or canals this week, says a meteorologist from Weeronline. With temperatures dropping locally to -9 degrees Celsius, it was the coldest night of the year, but that cold won’t last long enough to skate safely on open water. “To open ice rinks on a large scale, you need a few days of severe frost.” Starting Saturday night into Sunday, the cold spell will end and the thaw will set in.
But that won’t dampen the fun in Doorn. The ice there is black and as smooth as glass. “It glides like a dream.” Mayor Frits Naafs of the municipality of Utrechtse Heuvelrug is also present at the rink. “It’s still a bit early, but that’s how it should be. Thanks to the many volunteers from the Doornsche IJsclub who made this possible again. Fantastic!”
By around 9:00 a.m., the ice rink was already quite busy. “That’s the idea,” says ice master Theo Schippers. How long will the ice club stay open? “That depends on the sun.” In any case, the ice masters will keep working into the night to maintain the rink.
