Ice skating in Finland

 Today we're going to discover one of our favorite and best-known activities in Finland: ice skating. 

Ice tracks with the town of Kuopio at sunset


Ice skating in Finland :

Ice skating is very popular in Finland. During the winter (October-April), there are ice rinks in every town. Many Finnish schools even have their own rinks. So it's easy to skate in winter. 

You can also skate on frozen lakes. However, the lakes are covered in snow, so machines are needed to remove the snow. In Kuopio, from January to March, there are large circuits maintained on the ice. 

When we came to Finland, we bought ice skates for the first week. So every week we go ice-skating on Lake Kuopio. 


Kuopio Ice marathon :

The town of Kuopio is well known in Finland in winter for hosting the Finland Ice Marathon. It's a race organized every year on Lake Kuopio. This year, it takes place on February 24, 2024. That's why the ice tracks are maintained and open to the public every day. 

In reality, the Finland Ice Marathon is made up of 4 races: a short one of 10km, a medium one of 25km, a long one of 50km and a very long one of 100km. It is during this race that the qualifiers for the Finnish championship take place. The race consists of several loops on the lake (see map below). 

Before we left for ERASMUS, we knew all about the organization of this race. That's why we set ourselves the goal of taking part in the 25km race. Before taking part in the race, we did a month's preparation and training. 


Track map for the Finland Ice marathon in Kuopio. 

The difficulties of ice skating :

Skating in Finalnde is not without its challenges. The school rinks are fairly well maintained and have edges to hold on to, which is very similar to French rinks. It's a great way to get started, or to remember the basics of skating. 

But skating on lakes is nothing like it. You need a fairly good level of skating to get started, and there are no barriers to hold on to or rest against. The ice is often more irregular, with bumps and holes. The biggest danger is cracks. The ice on the lakes is full of cracks (approx. 1 every 10 metres). You have to be careful to spot and avoid them. Cracks can lead to sudden falls when the skate gets caught in them. That's why it's not advisable to skate when it's snowing, as the cracks are more visible. 

Skating on lakes is harder, but it's easy to get used to. After many kilometers of training, you stop thinking about the cracks and avoid them without realizing it. 



Example of clearly visible cracks under a bridge 

Cracks are everywhere, even if the ice is 50cm thick. So there's no danger of going traver in February ;)


Tips for skating in Finland :

It's more profitable to buy ice skates than to rent them. We chose to buy them in a store (Prisma) for $35. 
However, it is possible to buy them in a second-hand store for around ten euros. 



Skating is one of the best things to do in Finland. So if you're coming, you've got to skate! :)





Written by Alexis DOURLENS
Pictures by Alexis DOURLENS
Pays/territoire : Kuopio, Finlande

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