Icemaking a Maria
It is an interesting experience to watch the preparation of the ice surface in the Karlstad hall. There is a head ice maker, but he has no problem with the Swedish national team guys or the assistant of the Swedish wheelchair team preparing the ice themselves. Even our Misha has already gained his trust. And so our small action unit of ice skaters, instructed amateurs, prepares the ice on their own and then trains on it for two hours. The equipment of the hall is exemplary, nothing important is missing here, not even all kinds of equipment for the coaches. Since it is an eight-lane rink, there can be up to sixty-four people here at a time, and the size and number of changing rooms, accessories and adjacent areas correspond to this. The entire interior is richly decorated with pictures from Swedish and Karlstad club curling history. Next to the hall is the ice rink, and other sports facilities are nearby. About two hundred metres from the entrance is a collection point for those interested in taking the Covid-19 test. The testing is free, as I was told by Maria Hendriksen, the new wheelchair coach. Maria was chair of the organising committee that hosted the 2012 European Championships in Karlstad, where the Czech women (skip Klímová) finished eighth and the men (skip Snítil) won a famous bronze medal. It was nice to meet her again and to see that curling still works just as well in Sweden.
rnphoto: ice crew