Clammy hands, shaking knees and all eyes focused on the thermometer; will it work this week? Managers of the ice rinks in the north of North Holland have all hopes for a few centimeters of ice this week. “With a few nights of frost it might work,” is the fervent hope of Klaas Bregman of IJsclub Julianadorp.
“I wish I could say when we can open,” says Klaas Bregman of IJsclub Julianadorp. “The weather forecast doesn’t really look good, but of course we hope that we can open.”
This is also what Rudolf de Groot from the ice rink in Breezand says. “I also see the night frost and I hope for the best, but I don’t really know about North Holland. But yes, the sense is certainly there. Even if it is only for one afternoon for the children, right.”
In Winkel the skating blood also flows much faster. If it were up to Laura Vleggaar from IJsclub Winkel, the ice rink would open on Thursday. “The track is closed, but the ice is not that thick yet. We still need a few more nights of frost. I already received a photo of the track from a volunteer in the app group. Yes, it is already quite alive. Very nice of course.”
In Anna Paulowna the ice situation is even worse. “There is a bit of ice on the shady side of the rink. I’m afraid we won’t make it this week,” fears Arjan Rempt from the ice rink in Anna Paulowna. He keeps an eye on the thermometer ‘skating feverishly’: “We had nothing here last night and it was only minus one at sunrise.”
The track has been under water for a while, but the grass is emerging. “We couldn’t mow, because we also had the circus. They wanted grass for the horses. Yes, then it started raining and we couldn’t get on it anymore. It made a difference now that we didn’t have to pump so much, because the track was standing. already under water,” the ice master concludes with a laugh.