Skating on natural ice during Christmas is the dream of many skating enthusiasts and can easily happen in Brabant this year. Ice master Wim Linders of the SVS Stevensbeek skating club has been looking at the thermometer and the ice with a slanted eye for days. Last night’s result gives him hope. “It’s getting really close now.”
Wim drills a hole in the ice and inserts a small stick: “We have to get above this red dot, otherwise we cannot guarantee safety.” He takes the stick out of the ice. “As you can see, we have almost two centimeters of ice here and that is really not bad for one night.”
But it’s still not enough. Ideally, the ice is seven centimeters thick, the ice master explains. “But if we get five to six centimeters, we still want to open.” We have to wait and see what the weather will do tomorrow: “The sun will shine tomorrow, but if there is frost and wind during the day, it will still freeze and we could easily get those five to six centimeters!”
The ice rink in Stevensbeek is a roller skating rink outside the winter. The track was flooded four weeks ago. “There is now between four and twelve centimeters of water on it. And ice is now forming on it very quickly,” says Wim. It remains exciting, however. “This afternoon the sun was just as bright. Of course, that shouldn’t be too crazy, otherwise it will quickly thaw on the side and we can’t use that.”
“When the time comes, we will of course first do a few test skates ourselves.”
But while the ice master measures the thickness of the ice again in another place, the sun continues to sink and the ice has a chance to strengthen.
If the ice is strong enough tomorrow, the volunteers will be ready. “We will be there very early in the morning. And when the time comes, we will of course first do a few test skates ourselves,” says the ice master with a smile from ear to ear.
The last time you could skate in Stevensbeek at Christmas? “That was in 2010,” Wim remembers. “Back then we could even go on the ice with Sinterklaas. But in recent years it has often only been for a few days or not at all. I really hope that we will have an old-fashioned winter again.”
“Letting people enjoy natural ice cream is a really good feeling.”
If it works on Boxing Day, the skating fun will probably be short-lived. According to current weather forecasts, the temperature will again rise above freezing on Sunday. “The weather gods decide,” says Wim. “But it would be great if we could open for a few days.”
So skating enthusiasts: keep your skates ready and be quick. It can happen suddenly, but it can also be over in no time. “Allowing people to enjoy natural ice cream really gives a very good feeling. I really hope it will work. We will wait and see,” says Wim.