On Glossy Black Ice

Skating tour on the black ice of Näsijärvi on January 7, 2023. At its best, the ice was as glossy and smooth like the lid of a grand piano. 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