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Nairobi boasts the only ice-skating rink in East and Central Africa and the largest on the continent: 15,000 sq foot of ice on the second floor of the Panari Sky Centre, and now offering 100/- off adult entry prices. The winter wonderland Solar Ice Rink, larger than the rinks in both Cairo and Johannesburg, can hold up to 200 skaters at a time, to the background of flashing fairy lights and a wide selection of ‘holiday’ hits.

On a normal day the rink is nowhere filled to capacity “but”, says Jarmon Kwasinda, one of the instructors at the rink, “over a good weekend we can get up to 2,000 people, mainly bolstered by corporates using the rink for team building on a Friday night”.

Wednesday night is Ice Hockey Night: with most of the skaters coming from the embassies and the UN.  Says Jarmon, “they are usually the ones who know how to skate well enough to wield an ice hockey stick and stay upright at the same time”.  But anyone is welcome to join, and Jarmon is very keen to get a local Kenyan league together.

Mr. Kwasinda began his career as a rollerblading instructor, with blading and skating very closely linked.  “There’s no reason why those children who are taking roller-blading classes in school can’t become great ice skaters too.”  Jarmon runs a street child roller-blading programme in his free time, and is looking for sponsorship to bring those kids onto the ice.  He believes that, with the right funding, he could build a strong children’s ice hockey league; and indeed some of the private schools have expressed an interest in sending their children for hockey coaching.

For those who make it, it’s chilly when you first enter the rink, kept at a cool 12°C; but once one has struggled, or gracefully glided, around the circuit a few times, sweaters are discarded and infectious, fun-induced grins warm even the most icy of bones.

And as one’s body warms up, so does one’s confidence, which is one of the things which makes the sport so special for Kenyans.  Learning how to balance on the blades using physical and mental control – and often bloody-minded determination - is psychologically fantastic.  Moreover, spending an hour doing something so very out of the ordinary is often cited as being the best medicine for the spirit.

Jarmon adds: “there’s no need for recreational skaters to have strength or stamina: all they need is confidence, concentration and self-esteem”.  There are always two instructors on the ice for tips and support.  Age and inexperience are just not issues: there are boots and ‘zimmer frames’ for two year-olds up, which are included in the price of the ticket

Physically speaking ‘fitness skating’ provides a superior cardiovascular  workout, helping enthusiasts to lose weight, increase their endurance and tone their muscles: all the outstanding aerobic benefits of running or jogging without the pounding and stressing of joints associated with those activities.

A gentle turn around the rink, stopping every five minutes to take photos, isn’t going to give one a maximum cardio workout; but moving continuously and swinging your arms for the full hour will significantly increase the aerobic benefits.

Says one fitness skating expert:  “Can you lose weight by skating 30 minutes a day three times a week?  Yes.  But imagine how much more weight you could lose if you skated 60 minutes a day, three or four times a week”.

Fitness skating is also an excellent method for toning muscles. The major muscles worked are the quadriceps and hamstrings, however the entire body will benefit, particularly the lower back and abs.

If you’re keen to take up fitness skating seriously, then it’s best to visit the rink during their off-peak hours: any week day, and the early morning sessions at the weekend.

If you go on a Friday afternoon you’ll probably find Jarmon ‘escorting’ an elegant woman around the rink: this is Lesley whose husband took her ice-skating for her Birthday in May – and who now returns every week without fail. “ Jarmon is wonderfully patient: he has helped me to improve in leaps and bounds”, she says, “and ice skating is not only good exercise but great fun and a good way to meet new people.  It’s much better than the gym where everyone’s hot and sweaty and take themselves so seriously!”  Lesley is often seen enjoying two one-hour skating sessions in one day.

Yet the reason for the new cut in the entry fee is a dip in attendance over the past few months: caused by road works, increased traffic jams, as well as the tightening of belts going on around the country.  Says Jarmon, “when we first opened we had 200+ skaters every single day of the week.  Now we’re certainly down in numbers, but there are new things happening at the Panari which should pull people in”.  These new things include the re-opening of their two cinemas in the run up to Christmas, meaning that families will be able to combine skating with a trip to the movies. With lunch or supper at the food court this makes a trip down the Mombasa Road more enticing.

And as the season of goodwill looms closer, perhaps the most wonderful aspect of this sport is that there’s always a great mix of shapes, sizes and races, all colliding into each other... and then helping each other up with an apology and a smile.

*          Take socks and wear layers which can be discarded.  Tracksuit bottoms better than jeans

*          Rates:  Children: 500/- per hour; Adults:  700/- per hour

*          Times:

11am – 12pm

1pm – 2pm

3pm – 4pm

5pm – 6pm

7pm – 8pm

9pm – 10pm

*          For further information:

www.panarihotels.com.

Tel:  0725 694600 / 1 / 2; 0733 649600 / 1 / 2

*    If you’d like to sponsor street children as part of an ice hockey league venture, please call Jarmon on 0724 801678