MIDDLEBURGH: MIDDLEBURGH ICEMAN

Middleburgh Iceman

I was going to save the best for last .... but I got so excited researching all these astounding HK "sporting" opportunities that I just wet myself !!! Ice Sports in HK

Ice Sports

It makes the news when we get frost in HK. HK snow is unheard of (except for snorting) and Ice in HK is something found in Pimms. Unlike Jamaica, HK has never had an Olympic BOBSLED Team although we have been represented by female skaters in past Winter Olympics.

Yet HK has 5 (yes five!!) public Ice Rinks

Sky Rink at the Dragon Centre, Sham Shui Po. A 17,000 sq ft rink with simulated snow falls.
Glacier at Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong. Glacier hosts a Sunday Minor Hockey Leage (October to March), Skate for Love evenings and Asian Novice Figure Skating Championships.
Ice Palace at Cityplaza , Taikoo Shing. Regular themed events are held here, such as ‘Romance on Ice’ evenings and Chinese New Year celebrations. Their ‘Vision on Ice’ scheme aims to raise the local ice skating standard to Olympian level by nurturing talented young skaters.
Riviera Ice Chalet at Riviera Plaza, Tsuen Wan. It is the smallest ice rink but has a very strong and suscessful ice skating school.
Mega Ice at MegaBox, Kowloon Bay, It is currently the only international sized, rink and the largest in HK

One of the advantages of having ice rinks in shopping malls is that you can arrange your shopping trips to coincide with a session at the rink (a convenient place to park boyfriends, spouses and kids!!) and then go off to the food hall for a meal.

I know of at least one other private rink at the Aberdeen Marina Club and the Development Plan for the new town in Tseung Kwan O includes an ice-skating rink (61m x 30m) with spectator stands for 5,000 suitable for international ice sports competitions and an ancillary ice rink of a similar size (No Bobsled run though!!).

There used to be 2 other rinks in HK, at Whompua Super Ice and Tsuen Wan Plaza but these were closed during the Asian economical crises. Just over the border in Shenzhen there is the World Ice Arena which is the Training Center for the Chinese National Figure Skating Team.It goes without saying that there is a HK Skating Union which arranges courses for all levels so if you come to HK and want to learn how to skate.

Now I have fond memories of ice skating even though I am totally inept at it. When we lived in Melbourne #1 Son had the "hots" for a girl on skates and in order to maintain domestic harmony I allowed myself to be talked into taking him to the ice rink on Centre Road, Oakleigh.(a barn of a place) He was only marginally better than me and it was painful to watch him trail after her particularly when #2 Son who was only 7 proved to be a natural on blades. From the moment he put them on he was zipping around like he had been born on an iceflow, pointedly showing up his big bruv's singular lack of skills and didn't Patrick just know it!!.

And then of course there was Finland - I did a project in Helsinki (in winter) and was introduced to the finer points of ice hockey as a serious spectator sport. As it happens, in HK there are Canadian and US expats who like nothing better than to get on the ice with a puck and stick (so to speak).This article is worth reading.

We have an HK Ice Hockey Association and a league organised into four divisions for adults and children operating principly out of Megabox. The "Women's Ice Hockey in Hong Kong Organization" apparently welcomes all women - No experience required - although presumably ice skating is an advantage??

I mentioned that HK is without a bobsleigh team. It should be noted that snowless HK apparently does have a healthy skiing community with a HK Ski Association and national team. We also have a snowboarding community so there is hope that we may yet follow Jamaica's example.Afterall We have the worlds largest revolving carpet ski & snowboard training deck here in the heart of Hong Kong.