Långfärdsskridskor Äventyr- Lake Ice Skating Adventure

Today I went on an adventure and tried something new that I've never done before: ice skating on a lake with long ice skates. I actually have no idea how to translate "långfärdsskridskor" into English but they are essentially these really long ice skates that you strap onto cross-country-esque ski boots. I think each blade is about 12 inches long, so it's actually easier to balance than regular ice skates. The basic idea is to move the same way you would while waiting in the ski lift line and moving towards the ski lift by moving your skis in sort of a v-shape, I am awful at describing this, but that's how you're supposed to skate with long ice skates. I understood the technique in theory, but I found it to be much more difficult in practice. 

As stated above: easy in theory, harder in practice. ( I'm on the left of this photo and Beth is on the right)

I went ice skating on Lake Ekoln near Uppsala at a place called Hammarskog with Ulrika and Bengt-Ove (my first host parents), Axel (little brother from my first host family) and Beth (RYE student from California). I am so happy that they invited me to go ice skating with them, although I am not going to lie, I felt really nervous when they called the night before to tell me about the gear I would need for the following day which included: an apparatus that you put around your neck so if you fall through the ice you have two ice picks to dig into the ice and pull yourself out again (I have no idea what this is called in English), a backpack with a buckle around the waist so that if you fall through the ice, the backpack does not go over your head and push you further underwater, and in the backpack it is also important to include extra clothes in a plastic bag so you have something dry to change into if you fall through the ice. Needless to say, after this phone conversation I was both nervous and excited for the next day, having no idea what this adventure would have in store. 

Ice skating on the lake.

I ended up having an absolutely wonderful afternoon on the lake, even though Bengt-Ove lapped Beth and me a few times. I made it around the path on the lake three times, and I only fell down twice! This was my first time ever ice skating on a lake with long ice skates, so I was pretty happy that I only fell two times and only got a little bit wet.  After ice skating, we went inside the lodge for fika and I had a little sandwich and a coffee as well as a great conversation with everyone. 

From left: Me (clearly psyched to be ice skating), Beth, Bengt-Ove, and Axel. 

Overall, today was an adventure and a whole new experience for me. Before coming to Sweden, I would've never had the opportunity to go ice skating on a frozen lake with long ice skates, and even though I was afraid of falling through the ice at any moment, I had a terrific time ice skating. I would like to thank my first host family for taking me ice skating on the lake today, helping me up when I fell down, and for today's yummy fika. I am definitely looking forward to having more chances to go ice skating this winter both at the skating rink and on the lake. I'm sure I'll have plenty more stories about my ice skating adventures in the future, so stay tuned!

Thank you Ulrika for these great photos!