Ice-skating begins at historic rink in Shimla

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Shimla, December 18

After successful completion of trials, ice-skating sessions started in Shimla today. Earlier, trials were delayed due to cloudy weather on Friday following which the trials were conducted on Saturday. Due to changing weather conditions, skating sessions have been getting hampered almost every year.

Members expect sessions till early Feb

• Last year, the sessions started on December 14 and ended on January 23. With barely any snowfall, only 32 sessions could take place in 2022-2023.
• A total of 52 sessions took place in 2021-2022.
• This year the sessions have started on December 18 and the executive members are hoping to stretch the sessions till the first week of February.
• Until the year 2000, more than 100 sessions used to take place every year.

As per records of the Shimla Ice-Skating Club, the sessions last year started on December 14 and ended on January 23. A total of 52 sessions took place in the year 2021-2022. With barely any snowfall, only 32 sessions could take place in 2022-2023.

This year the sessions have started on December 18 and the executive members are hoping to stretch the sessions till the first week of February. Until the year 2000, more than 100 sessions (between November and February) used to take place every year.

Ice-Skating Club’s organising secretary Pankaj Prabhakar said, “Changing weather conditions over the years due to global warming and deforestation have been affecting the sessions at the historic ice-skating rink for some years. Unlike earlier, we do not get the right weather conditions and temperature levels for ice freezing now. As a result, skating sessions are getting affected. We have been requesting successive governments to introduce an all-weather rink facility here.”

As many as 152 members have registered for these sessions in the 16 years and above category this year. The numbers are expected to increase in the coming days, added Prabhakar.

The area of the skating rink which was equal to the size of five tennis courts has reduced as a lift is being installed from the Lakkar Bazaar to Mall Road under the Shimla Smart City Mission. The ice-skating rink of Shimla was constructed in 1920 when tennis courts were converted into a rink by the Irish military official Blessington.