THE CONTINUING unseasonable temperatures have started to melt the first-ever ice rink created outdoors in Paphos for the Christmas holiday season.
Lubos Salnac is a guard and ice master of ‘Cyprus on the ice’, the company responsible for setting up the rink in the Town Hall gardens said: “We are having huge problems during the day as the sun is so strong, the top of the ice is being turned to water.”
The rink was originally due to be open all day, but because of the balmy weather it is currently not opening until 3pm when temperatures start to drop somewhat. Until then, a layer of water covers the top of the 200-square-metre rink, which does not freeze over completely until the sun goes down completely.
As some tourists still head for the beach, many would- be skaters however are praying for a change in the weather. “It has been upsetting to turn people away,” said Salnac.
Matteous Stylianou, 9, says has been looking forward to trying ice-skating at the Paphos rink.
“I’m going to make sure that my parents bring me every night that it’s open, I want to learn how to skate properly.”
Salnac added: “I can advise people who want to try skating to come down at around five o clock and I can assure you that every day at that time, the ice will be frozen and safe to skate on.”
The ice master has played ice hockey for more than 14 years in Slovakia, and is currently in the process of establishing a Cyprus ice hockey team.
George Demetriades, who also works for the company added: “We are hoping that the weather will turn colder and it won’t continue to be as sunny.”
He explained that the temperature isn’t so much of a problem as the constant beating of the sun’s powerful rays on the ice. The rink only opened to the public on Monday evening and skaters took to the ice for the first time ever in Paphos. “There were between twenty and thirty people on the ice,” said Salnac.
Salnac says the ice is about 7cm thick and the layer of water, which appears daily, is about half a cm deep. “It will take no more than an hour and a half to freeze later on,” he said.
Another huge problem for the ice would be rain, which is being forecast for the Paphos region at the end of this week.
According to Salnac these problems could be eliminated if the ice was protected under a cover. “I have recommended to my bosses that the rink really needs to be covered with a tent. Its up to them I’m not sure if they will erect one of not.”
Skaters are charged €7, which includes the hire of the skates and entry onto the ice for an hour.
“Obviously if people have their own skates we will give a discount,” Demetriades said.
The ice rink is due to stay in the gardens until January 6 and is open daily from 3pm to 10pm – weather permitting.
