Skating in Ice Paradise

Nordic skating in unbelievably good conditions in the beauty of the Finnish Archipelago which has the most islands in the world. The ice was amazing and the views of the islands of Iniö and Keistiö are very beautiful, especially in sunny weather. The tour was a Nordic skater's dream come true.
The tour took place at 15.2.2021. The morning was cold. We took a one hour ferry ride to the island where we started skating. At the start of the ferry ride, the temperature was -18 degrees Celsius (-0.4 Fahrenheit). 🥶 The temperature rose a few degrees during the ferry ride. The sunshine was already warming at this point of winter. ☀️ In the afternoon, it was only -3 to -1 degrees Celsius (26-30 Fahrenheit). We traveled a distance of 101 kilometers during 7.5 hours, including breaks.
Finding good ice for skating is not that easy. The most perfect black ice is usually formed at the time of year when it snows a lot. It is challenging to find strong enough ice that is not yet covered by snow. Skating on such ice as shown in this video is often preceded by a rigorous community effort in making and sharing ice observations. Each winter offers different ice and snow conditions, making it impossible to predict the optimal time window several weeks in advance. Most of the time, skating opportunities come with a day or two's notice and good conditions usually only last a few days or even less than a day until another snowfall hits.
WARNING! Skating on natural ice outside of maintained tracks can be life-threatening if you don't have the proper safety gear or skills to observe ice thickness and assess safety in ever-changing conditions, or if you're skating alone. The most important safety measure is to skate with other people who can help if you sink into the ice.
The safety equipment for Nordic skating includes:
- ice claws, for pulling oneself from the water back onto the ice
- ice pole for testing ice strength, sturdier than a regular ski pole (must withstand strokes through thin ice)
- lifeline (rescue cord), which is attached to the shoulder strap of the backpack at shoulder height
- dry bag (inside the backpack) that contains a full set of spare clothes; air is left inside the dry bag so that the backpack floats the skater in the water, making it easier to get back on the ice
- backpack with crotch strap prevents the backpack from riding up on your back when in the water to take full advantage of the backpack's buoyancy effect
- phone in a waterproof pouch that can be used to call for help
Nordic skating should only be started in an experienced company that knows how to assess the safety of local ice conditions. You may join your local Nordic skating club and participate in their safety training or look for guided tours from commercial operators.
#nordicskating #retkiluistelu #långfärdsskridskor

[@BonnieCurtis-h4h]

What a skating adventure.

[@nordiciceskater]

It was indeed a memorable trip. Quite rare to get such good conditions. Thanks for watching! 🙏😊

[@fishfoolishness4222]

Loved skating like this on the canoe trails in Alaska. This is MUCH more expansive. Who ever thought of clipping blades onto X-country ski boots is a genius.

[@Татьяна-т1ж9ж]

Волшебно!🎄❤

[@donnadalessio3853]

I am in AWE, just love seeing the world

[@nordiciceskater]

Thanks for your comment. I am too still in awe about this trip! For me, this was the sweetest ice in Finland during this season. It does not get much better.

[@kirticasiechetty5933]

What a glorious day on the ice! Thanks for the inspiration!

[@nordiciceskater]

It was! Thanks for the comment. Nice to get such feedback!

[@Buckshot9796]

Excellent!

[@nordiciceskater]

Thanks!! 🙏😊

[@ВячеславТитов-ь1у]

Да, беговые "норвежки" - это СИЛА! Мои любимые коньки!

[@grimper35]

Beautiful. Thanks! It brings up sad thoughts for me though. I live in the US, near Boston. When I was a kid (many years ago) we had full snow coverage all winter and all our lakes and rivers froze up perfectly. We spent hours and hours playing hockey on frozen ponds. Now? It almost never happens. We never have snow coverage for the whole winter; and we almost never get enough consistent cold weather for lakes and rivers to freeze to the degree that we can safely skate on them. So, I love your images. But they're also making me a little sad for our planet. Reminding me that we've screwed things up very badly.

[@valid2745]

I would just like to be in this paradise for a moment. Good luck, guys. Peace to you.

Thanks for sharing, this is amazing!

[@nordiciceskater]

Thanks for the comment! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@csaba5415]

I like how someone has placed a chair on the ice towards the end of the video. I have walked ice in such conditions in Finland and it is easy to see how you can trust the ice to the extent that you can simply have a chair on it to relax and enjoy the endlessness of the wide open space, without having to look at stones on the beach :). I have also had the pleasure of ice-skating on a Finnish lake (Kyyvesi) a few years ago. I learned ice-skating as a kid on a frozen lake and that time in Finland brought back memories. I still watched this video both in awe and envy. Such a beautiful activity. I think ice-skating is way too underrated as many might relate it to sliding about on an ice rink in the city. Of course it is cozy too but less serious stuff ;). I hope climate change will stay away for a while so that the ice won’t become too unpredictable too soon. Greetings from Oslo! :)

[@nordiciceskater]

Thank you for sharing your golden memories on the ice of Finnish lakes! 🇫🇮⛸❤️🙌

[@pfv1247]

Athletic, elegant, and beautiful. flow

[@nordiciceskater]

Thanks! 😊 For me, this was the most beautiful place I've ever skated. The Finnish archipelago is a great place to spend time in nature.

[@christinegerard4974]

Pure beauty !

[@nordiciceskater]

Thanks!! 😊🙏🙌

[@ВячеславДаниленко-ь4д]

Душевно, однако

[@fabianroll6961]

Great Video! I am quite a bit jealous. Havn't been on "real" ice since more than 10 years.

[@ВладимирСемёнов-щ9й]

По такому льду и 100 льник спокойно прокатить можно .Европейцам в этом плане повезло ,одна медитация.Класс

[@merjamannonen430]

Upeasti kuvattu !!! Mahtava keli ja ilma ollut luistella 👍 t. Iniön Lånholmasta 🌊 12.11.-22

[@nordiciceskater]

Kiitos paljon! Olosuhteet eivät tästä kyllä enää paljon parane. Ja mikä ympäristö! Kaunista on siellä Iniössä.

[@bodivasi3524]

Just discovered this -it is now one of my favorite videos to watch for relaxation!!

[@nordiciceskater]

Thanks a lot for the comment! 🙏 I am so glad to hear this. 😊🙌 I purposely did not cut the footage too much so that I can better remember this great experience.

[@jurismirnov1258]

It is my dream

[@nordiciceskater]

This was a personal dream come true after many years in Nordic skating! ☀️🧊⛸

[@hanilmandavia2605]

101 km :O how do we learn this beautiful sport? it has been on my wish list for while but I live in a country where ice skating is not possible, so I just get to watch videos of it. I really hope if I learn it someday, I skate like you guys!

[@juliusvysniauskas6967]

Impressive!

[@nordiciceskater]

Thanks! The conditions were a skater's dream come true!

[@missinformation4843]

I have inline and quad skates also have some ice hockey skates but unfortunately the winter months are not cold enough in the UK anymore for lake and river skating. This looks great. Enjoy

[@nordiciceskater]

It is a sad consequence of climate change. Thanks for the comment. Here in Finland, the last few winters, including this early winter, have had a lot of snow. In principle, less snow would be better for Nordic skating, but I don't complain about these conditions. It's good for cross-country skiing. Climate change has manifested itself more in hot summers in recent years.

[@quint3ssent1a]

How tf their ice is so clean... I mean, near me there are several lakes and a river, but the ice is buried under snow.

[@RiverWorksCo]

I miss skating a lot ffs. Wish I could be there too

[@MrJimgillnm]

A+

[@Northern_Delights]

Amazing ☺️

[@nordiciceskater]

Thanks 😄

[@livenhfree]

I want to move to Finland.

[@bikingviking3984]

kauneus!!!

[@alansmith101]

Beautiful! Are the ski poles carried for safety reasons?

[@nordiciceskater]

Thanks! Yes, they are one of the most important safety items. The ice poles we use in Nordic skating are sturdier than regular ski poles. An ice pole is used to test the thickness of the ice, based on which it is assessed whether skating is safe. They also help when skating against the wind, keeping balance on bad ice and when crossing wide cracks.

[@atlet1]

It's like that outside my door now and I was skating yesterday. Not so big though and not salt water.

[@nordiciceskater]

I assume you live in Sweden? I have seen some videos from there in the last few days. There have been very wonderful conditions.

[@atlet1]

@@nordiciceskater right! I live in southern Stockholm by a lake system flowing to the Baltic sea. My lake is Magelungen.

[@vasyapupkin15]

Awesome! Could you, please, clarify the date? I'm asking cause I want to match this wheather conditions with satellite images on that day and the day before. It could help me to better understand how it might look "from above" so I could use it for my own trip planning. Thanks!

[@nordiciceskater]

Thanks! I updated the date of trip into the video description. Good luck in your trip planning!

[@vasyapupkin15]

@@nordiciceskater 👍

[@juhakeurulainen9387]

Kiiskisen Hannu on joka ikisellä videolla 😀

[@nordiciceskater]

Ei ihan jokaisella tämän kanavan videolla, mutta sanotaan näin, että legenda on siellä, missä on kulloinkin parhaat jäät. 😊🙌🧊

[@LAMMAdaama]

I wish I had been there. ❤️⛸️

[@MojsterMb]

Amazing. How much time did you need that you traveled 100 km? What was outside temperature?

[@nordiciceskater]

Thanks for the comment! 😊 The tour lasted 7.5 hours, including breaks. In the morning, an hour before the start of the tour when the ferry trip started, the temperature was around -18 degrees Celsius (-0.4 Fahrenheit). 🥶 The air warmed up a few degrees during the ferry trip and considerably during the day. In the afternoon, the temperature was only -3 to -1 degrees Celsius (26-30 Fahrenheit). The sun was already warming at this time of the year. ☀️

[@MojsterMb]

@@nordiciceskater thank you!

[@Чуфут-Кале]

А сколько километров в день можно проехать, катиться? Какая это страна?

[@akirakirovich725]

Удивительно точное название ролика КАТАНИЕ В ЛЕДЯНОМ РАЮ. (хотя лёд и рай не очень гармонируют)

[@williambrochmann]

I'm surprised by the high cadence, what's the reason you don't take longer strides like you would in for example cross country skiing?

[@nordiciceskater]

Check out another video on this channel titled "Nordic Skating Technique". It represents a technique more akin to speed skating.

[@ЭйсВентура-в5э]

каааааайф

[@bigears4014]

How many hours to travel the distance

[@nordiciceskater]

About 7.5 hours, which includes several breaks (e.g. lunch).

[@oskarnowak1995]

What for are those sticks ?

[@nordiciceskater]

There are many uses for ice poles: - The most important thing is to test thickness of the ice in order to assess whether it is safe to skate; this safety matter can also be found in the description - Use your arms when pushing against the wind to reduce fatigue - Keep your balance more easily on uneven ice when the skate hits a surface obstacle - Keep your balance as you leap over a wide crack in the ice

[@oskarnowak1995]

@@nordiciceskater thanks for deep answer.

[@merjamannonen430]

Saas nähdä miten tänä talvena voi luistella ... Onko jäitä...🤔.

[@nordiciceskater]

Ei tosiaan joka talvi tule merelle hyviä luistelujäitä. Vaatii pidemmän kunnon pakkasjakson. Toisaalta nyt energiakriisin aikaan ei kovin kylmää talvea toivo, jotta vältyttäisiin pahemmilta sähkökatkoilta.

[@vladislavovich100]

Fantastic!!!

[@nordiciceskater]

Many thanks! 😊🙏

[@123marijn321]

Could you upload a version without music?

[@nordiciceskater]

There are no plans to release a stripped down version of the full artistic package.

[@wybornjones2023]

Среди островов запросто можно заблуждать ...

[@TM1Alan]

Don't skip leg day.

[@nordiciceskater]

Yeah, this was also a leg workout focused on muscle endurance.