Ice skating in SP helps to miss the Winter Olympics

There were almost three weeks of competitions that only appear in Brazil every four years — and that, for this very reason, generate curiosity by showing skis, sleds, skates and other ice and snow equipment sliding on the television screen. But the Beijing 2022 Winter Games ended on Sunday (20).

For those who will miss you, it is possible to feel a little of that sporty cold in São Paulo. At Arena Ice Brasil, in the Morumbi region, visitors experience an icy breeze as soon as they arrive. Inside, temperatures usually stay between 8ºC and 20ºC throughout the year, whether winter or summer.

That’s because the place houses two rinks for practicing ice sports, which are kept under negative temperatures and where skating, curling and hockey classes are offered – all of them Olympic sports.

The complex has 4,000 m² and has a 27 meters long by 18 meters wide skating rink, in addition to the largest curling rink in Latin America, certified by the World Curling Federation.

To slide over the four-centimeter thick frozen layer, you pay R$60 during the week, or R$70 on weekends and holidays. The complex offers the necessary equipment, which includes helmets, knee pads, elbow pads and skates, ranging from numbers 26 to 45.

Monitors teach you how to take your first steps on the ice and are on hand to help anyone who slips and falls to the ground. The situation is common among beginners who are still getting the hang of laminated shoes, but it ends up causing laughter — and some wet butts.

Images of distant landscapes, with snow-capped mountains, complete the decor — after all, we have to forget that we are in a structure set up in the middle of a supermarket parking lot, in a city where it doesn’t snow, in a tropical country.

The curling rink, which has three lanes measuring 44 meters long and 15 meters wide, can be reserved for playing with friends or family, in groups of up to eight people. Prices range from R$69 to R$99. A short class with basic instructions on the sport, which resembles a bocce ball below zero, costs R$20.

This modality requires a little more skill and strength. The sport consists of throwing and keeping granite stones as close to a target as possible. To throw the object, you have to crouch, bend one of your knees, which is almost glued to the ground, and slide the stone along a stretch until you push it.

The place has a Teflon sole for easy sliding. But, until you manage to balance your own body during the throws, it is common to slip to one side or the other and end up lying on the floor. Children and teenagers are the ones who have the most fun with falls.

The closed room is also the coldest — the temperature there usually does not exceed 10ºC. The tip is to go prepared for the cold and take a warm coat, wear pants, sneakers and avoid short clothes.

The space opened in 2020 and, a few months after opening, had to be closed because of the pandemic. Activities resumed in July last year. Since then, public demand has increased, says Matheus Figueiredo, president of the Brazilian Confederation of Sports on Ice, which manages the complex.

In January of this year, for example, the space received 1,300 people. Enrollment for weekly skating classes counts 150 students. According to Figueiredo, the training center was created to form leagues for national competitions and popularize winter sports — in addition, of course, to being a recreational space open to anyone interested.

“Brazilians want to know the ice, and there is a challenge to overcome the fear of taking risks. These are modalities that people of all ages can practice”, he says. The place also has a schedule of cultural events. Until the 28th, a small exhibition is on display that tells the story of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

To participate in the schedule and sports, you must buy tickets on the website or on site. If you decide to go to exercise or just to break the ice and get to know a different sport, don’t forget to keep the care related to Covid: wear a proper mask, keep the distance and get vaccinated.