While We're Waiting For Good Ice

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Daniel Spada

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Jan 7, 2022, 8:50:16 AM1/7/22
to ADKNordicSkating, VTNordicskating
Ice Colleagues,
Joel Hornburg posted a link to a set of three YouTube videos by Krister Valtonen that describe "Icemanship"; "the art of skating on untouched and natural ice and continuously judging its suitability for skating".  I found them fascinating and very informative.  Here are the links:


Respectfully submitted,
Dan

Charlene Wallace

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Jan 8, 2022, 9:23:41 AM1/8/22
to Daniel Spada, VTNordicskating
These videos are so well done and informative! I learned a lot.

At around the 8:05 mark in the Ismannaskap 3 video, the author describes how the forces of wind and sun together can cause large plates to separate and move even on a cold day, stranding skaters.  A few of us experienced this phenomenon in January 2017 on outer Mallets Bay on Lake Champlain. That day, after we had skated from the inner bay out onto the outer bay, we heard a loud crack when the ice plate we were on broke away and began moving to the north with the wind, creating an uncrossable open gap between us and the inner bay where we had come from. Happily for us, after a nerve wracking skate away from the newly exposed open water (a wide-open seam just like in the video), we were able to get off the ice on the eastern edge of outer Malletts Bay (north of the opening to the inner bay) and walk along the shore beneath Red Rock Point to get back to the inner bay where we could enjoy solid ice all the way back to Bayside Marina.

The story in the video took place in Norway in February 2015. Some of those skaters had to be rescued by boat.

Thanks, Dan!

Charlene
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fritz senftleber

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Jan 8, 2022, 9:36:28 AM1/8/22
to Daniel Spada, Charlene Wallace, VTNordicskating
that is some good stuff...very informative..Fritz S

Catherine Bock

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Jan 8, 2022, 9:51:45 AM1/8/22
to fritz senftleber, Daniel Spada, Charlene Wallace, VTNordicskating
Yes,
Watching the videos is great especially because I get to hear Swedish.
I was talking to my Swedish friends yesterday and they are having a great ice season. No snow on the lakes.
I'd be tempted to go except they are not letting people into the country because of Covid. It's unfortunately too late to renew my Swedish passport now. 
Catherine

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Laura Bonk

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Feb 3, 2026, 3:43:25 PM (15 hours ago) Feb 3
to VTNordicskating, NHNordicSkating
Hello -- I kept this 2022 email in my skating resources folder. It's worth looking at these videos again after the rescue on Lake Champlain today.  Thanks to Dan Spada  and Charlene Wallace. 

Laura 

---------- Forwarded message --------From: Charlene Wallace <chardw...@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jan 8, 2022, 09:23
Subject: Re: [vtnordicskating] While We're Waiting For Good Ice
To: Daniel Spada <spada...@gmail.com>
Cc: VTNordicskating <vtnordi...@googlegroups.com>
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