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27-760: Alpine Ice (also known as Alpine Ice Sports Centre ) is an indoor ice sports and public skate centre, that opened in April 1985. It is located in the New Zealand city of Christchurch , in the inner-city suburb of Opawa . It is the current home venue of the Canterbury Red Devils in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League (NZIHL) and Canterbury Inferno in the New Zealand Women's Ice Hockey League (NZWIHL). The arena

54-413: A free heel. Since tour skating often involves walking between lakes or around sections not suitable for skating, the fact that the blades can be easily removed from the boots is convenient. In addition the following safety equipment is often recommended: Knee and elbow pads and a helmet are also commonly used. In late autumn/early winter the small lakes freeze first, sometimes as early as October. Next

81-400: A milder climate. The sport of speed skating uses a frozen circular track of ice, but in some facilities the track is combined in an enclosed area used for sports requiring an ice rink or the rink itself is used. Alternatively, ice cross downhill uses a track with various levels of elevation and a combination of bends. Long distance skating ( a.k.a. "marathon skating") such as tour skating

108-499: A more casual basis, often by children: Tour skating While Nordic skating usually involves tours over open ice on marshes, lakes, rivers, or sea, in the Netherlands skaters follow marked routes on frozen canals and connected lakes. Consequently, there are differences in equipment and skating styles between these two regions. Alaskans often include winter camping on longer journeys of a hundred miles or more. Nordic skating

135-631: A popular method of commuting in with Ottawa's locals. In 2011 932,331 people used the skateway. Starting in the 1990s The Forks area of Winnipeg, where two rivers join, has also been used as a skating trail, and by 2008 was longer than the Rideau skateway (though much narrower). Due to natural variations in ice conditions, the Assiniboine Credit Union River Trail , as it is officially called varies in length each year. Similar plans to turn Montreal's Lachine Canal into

162-414: A regular and seasonal basis. Alpine Ice hosts regular community-level ice sporting events for ice hockey , speed skating , and figure skating with a number of associated clubs, such as Canterbury Ice Hockey Association, Canterbury Alpine Ice Speed Skating Club, Canterbury Masters Figure Skating Club and Centaurus Ice Skating Club, using the venue. The arena also hosts national level ice hockey games during

189-447: A skating venue have been discussed since 2000, but were still awaiting the needed funding in 2012. In Joliette , Quebec, two parallel skating tracks, of 4 km each, on the L'Assomption River are linked to form a loop running through the center of the town. In Invermere , British Columbia, there is a 15 km skating track on Windermere Lake . Long distance skating on lakes and rivers in eastern Canada and north-eastern US

216-502: Is "The Stockholm Ice Skate Sailing and Touring Club" (SSSK) . Finland's largest tour skating association is Finland's Tour Skaters . America's largest tour skating association is Marathon Skating International , a Vermont-based skating group. Founded by Jamie Hess and a number of others, the organization was initially called, "North American Marathon Skating Association". Several associations in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Netherlands, and

243-697: Is a popular activity in Sweden but is also becoming more popular in Finland and Norway, where it is called långfärdsskridskoåkning (in Swedish) , retkiluistelu (in Finnish) and turskøyting (in Norwegian) . In Canada and the United States this style is often called Nordic skating . Other names used are trip skating and wild skating . Dutch skating is called toerschaatsen and

270-476: Is common but not as a method of travel or tourism, rather people skate in a circular route around the lake, or create an improvised ice hockey rink for a game of " shinny ", ringette , or broomball . However, starting in 1971, the section of the Rideau Canal that runs through the centre of Ottawa , the national capital, has been used as a skating corridor. This has become a major tourist attraction and

297-583: Is only performed outdoors and uses the available natural ice from frozen lakes, ponds, and marshes. Tour skating at times includes speed skaters, though tour skates are more common. Common individual sports include cross-country skiing , alpine skiing , snowboarding , ski jumping , speed skating , figure skating , luge , skeleton , bobsleigh , ski orienteering and snowmobiling . Common team sports include ice hockey , ringette , broomball (on either an indoor ice rink, or an outdoor ice rink or field of snow), curling , rinkball , and bandy . Based on

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324-534: Is regarded by some as a sport in its own right. Nordic skating originated during the 1900s in Sweden. It usually involves choosing your own tours over the open ice, sometimes in groups normally with safety equipment. Nordic skates differ significantly from the Dutch tour skates . Nordic tour skates are fitted with a blade approximately 50 cm long and are attached with bindings to specialized boots similar to walking boots or cross country skiing boots, often with

351-619: Is the only operational indoor ice sports centre in Christchurch . The first indoor ice rink in Christchurch was opened in 1952. Known as Centaurus Road Ice Rink, the venue was located in the southern-Christchurch suburb of Cashmere . The ice rink was owned by Mr. A F W Jones and the brothers Mr. Frank and Mr. George Kirkpatrick (Ice Rinks Chch Ltd). In 1953, the Centaurus Ice Skating Club was formed to utilise

378-537: The "Long Reach Speed Skates". Whelpley's skate factory was located at Jones Creek, on the Long Reach. Here, he turned out skates that became famous all over the continent. The skate had a blade seventeen inches long. The "woods" of the skates, at the widest point, measured less than an inch and a half. A screw protruded up a half an inch at this point. The skates were firmly attached with heel and toe straps made of heavy leather. "Long reachers" were ideally suited for

405-690: The NZIHL and NZWIHL seasons. Ice sports Winter sports or winter activities are competitive sports or non-competitive recreational activities which are played on snow or ice . Most are variations of skiing , ice skating and sledding . Traditionally, such games were only played in cold areas during winter , but artificial snow and artificial ice allow more flexibility. Playing areas and fields consist of either snow or ice. Artificial ice can be used to provide ice rinks for ice skating , ice hockey , para ice hockey , ringette , broomball , bandy , rink bandy , rinkball , and spongee in

432-790: The Olympic Winter Games today, would be held during the Olympic Summer Games . It was originally wanted to keep all of the Olympic sports together under one event and program, but due to environmental demands of some sports, it had to be separated. While most winter sports are played outside, ice hockey, speed skating and to some extent bandy have moved indoors starting in the mid-20th century. Indoor ice rinks with artificial ice allow ice skating and hockey to be played in hot climates. Outdoor winter sports will likely be severely impacted because of climate change in

459-634: The Royal Netherlands Skating Union. Despite its maritime climate in which real cold winters are rare, skating is traditionally the most popular winter pastime in the Netherlands even if many speed skating competitions have been moved indoors. Thousands of Dutch leap at the chance in cold winters to tie up their skates and glide across frozen lakes and canals, and sports stores all over the country sell out their skates. The skaters mostly use common such skates with long blades or speed skates , with long blades rigidly attached to

486-510: The U.S. are members of Skridskonätet  [ sv ] . Through Skridskonätet, the members of the various associations share information on where ice suitable for skating can be found. Skridskonätet also maintains a list of tour skating clubs in mainly Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, the Dutch skating is called Toerschaatsen , where skaters follow marked routes on frozen canals and lakes, which are coordinated by

513-479: The construction of a new and modern international-sized ice rink facility located at Opawa . The new rink, was bought by a company that included the current owner of the facility and was officially opened in April 1985 under the name of The Big Apple Ice Rink. In August 1992, Christchurch suffered a major snow storm, colloquially known as the 'Big Snow'. This storm was the largest snowstorm to hit Christchurch in 30 years. The Alpine Ice Centre suffered major damage during

540-578: The facility along with the general public. On 5 July 1953, the ice rink was badly damaged by a fire but was repaired and remained operational. In 1978, the ownership and operation of the ice rink changed hands, with Mr. Jaap de Haan purchasing the venue. The early to mid-1980s saw the ageing Centaurus Road Ice Rink hit tough times, first closing in 1983, before ceasing all operations in September 1984 and being demolished in March 1985. In 1983 work commenced on

567-674: The next century. Note : the Olympic rings next to a sport indicates that this particular sport is included in the Winter Olympic Games , as of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The Paralympic logo indicates the same for a sport not in the Olympics but in the Winter Paralympic Games . Sports that use sleds going down ice tracks or pulled by something: Some sports are competed in (or simply enjoyed) on

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594-484: The number of participants, ice hockey is the world's most popular winter team sport, followed by bandy. Winter sports at times have their own multi-sport events, such as the Winter Olympic Games and the Winter Universiade . Snow and ice during the winter time has enabled sliding as a means of transportation, using sledges, skis and skates. This also led to different pastimes and sports being developed in

621-513: The skating shoes. Ice-poles and other safety equipment are not carried. The Netherlands is home of Elfstedentocht , a 200 km distance skating race of which the tracks leads through the 11 different cities in Friesland which is a northern province of the Netherlands. Skate tracks on natural ice are maintained by the towns and communities, who take care of the safety of the tracks. In Canada, outdoor skating on natural frozen lake and ponds

648-479: The somewhat larger lakes freeze and become skateable. Light snow does not necessarily prevent skating and in some places tracks are ploughed to keep them open. In January–February parts of the archipelago in the Baltic sea often freeze. This is the time when long skating tours can be undertaken. Tours of 60–80 km in one day are not uncommon - some skate over 150 km. Sweden's largest tour skating association

675-501: The storm, with the roof of the facility collapsing. Reconstruction of the roof took nine months, with the ice rink closed for this time and re-opened in May 1993. As of 2024, the arena employs 30 people, including full-time and part-time employees. The arena's facilities were built between 1983 and 1985 and have been gradually updated with the last major upgrade coming in 2009. They include: The arena hosts public skating and holiday events on

702-625: The winter season as compared to other times of the year. Naturally, winter sports are more popular in countries with longer winter seasons. In the European Alps , St. Moritz became a popular winter resort in 1864. In the early days of the Olympics there was not much differentiation between the summer and winter games. These confusions would span from around the late 1890s until the early to mid 1900s. During this time, some sports considered to be winter sports and played or performed during

729-618: Was more common in the years between 1850 and 1900. One region of note was the lower reaches of the Saint John River in New Brunswick . In Saint John: A Sporting Tradition , Brian Flood writes: However, on the soles of the hearty ladies and gentlemen who lived along the St John and Kennebecasis Rivers, there was a different type of skate. They used the famous "Long Reachers". Around the year 1870, James A. Whelpley patented

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