A skating trip to Davos Switzerland, combined with the International Masters Meeting held every mid-January, had long been an item on my personal bucket list. We had originally planned to go in 2011 but opted for the Canadian Masters Championships in Halifax as we thought that would be our only chance to skate long track in Halifax. Who knew the then temporary oval would be such a great success and that the City would decide to re-construct it as a permanent facility? As it turned out, however, the 2011 Davos International Masters Meeting was cancelled when the temperature uncharacteristically rose and the natural ice unfortunately melted.
The 2012 Davos Meeting and we, in turn, were however blessed with sunny skies, almost non-existent wind and perfect temperatures making for ideal skating conditions. Ideal, of course, if one is patient - in my excitement, I showed up on my first day to get on the ice ASAP for the daily open speed skating session from 10 am to 2 pm, but quickly learned that the more experienced skaters wait until about 11:15 after the sun has cleared the east mountain ridge. By 1:00 pm, folks are sitting comfortably outside on the south-facing benches beside the Eisbahn building.
The views of the mountains and the clean alpine air make this a speed skating experience like no other. The air and hence the ice is so clean, my blades needed only a slight sharpening after the first 3 days of skating - a welcome contrast to those of us who skate outdoors in less pristine urban environments.
There were only 14 skaters (3 women and 11 men) in the actual competition including 7 Canadians, 2 Dutch and 5 Swiss. The Canadian contingent featured a reunion of 6 former national team skaters from the 1970's and 1980's organized by Pat Kelly and including Nancy Goplen, Linda Love, Cathy Turnbull-Spence, Gary Goplen and Cam Tipping. For them, this was an opportunity to re-visit this famous and historic high altitude oval where they had raced and trained 25 to 30 years prior.
Combining the competition with the Swiss Sprint Championships, the meet organizers did a fantastic job including a very nice dinner and social gathering at the nearby Hotel Bundnerhoef on Saturday evening. Competition results can be seen here.
Canadian women on podium
Our trip to Davos was everything we hoped for plus some - highly recommended for those wishing to experience fantastic outdoor speed skating.
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