Weaving through Beijing’s traffic-laden streets with little protection but a pair of wheeled shoes could justifiably strike you as terrifying. But fear not, you don’t have to dice with death (or the scorn of pedestrians) alone. Safety comes in groups such as Beijing United Skaters (www.0106666.com in Mandarin), who organise activities in and around the city.
Alternatively, for those who want to practise their skills away from the homicidal traffic, venture beyond the Sixth Ring Road to
Woodward Beijing. Equipped with a 3,000sqm indoor street course, mini ramps, a foam pit, a vertical ramp and a smaller outdoor concrete street course, you can inline skate, board or bike till your extreme heart is fit to explode, as well as rent skateboards and bikes. Open Thursday until Sunday, at 68RMB per day for one person, it’s not too expensive, but making your way out to Daxing district can be a hassle.
For something more central, we suggest heading to
Tuanjiehu Park, near Sanlitun, where it’s just 40RMB to test your moves on its special skating rink – although there are no fun jumps to play on.
Beijing is home to several ice rinks, but to simply skate or maybe even try your hand at a bit of figure skating, we recommend the
All Star Ice Rink at Solana Lifestyle Shopping Park. There you will find
Camilla Underhill (139 0136 6140), a figure skating coach who has been teaching in Beijing for the last two years. Group classes cost 210RMB per person per hour while it is 300RMB for one-to-one tuition. Alternatively, just pay the 30RMB entrance fee and slide your heart out until Houhai is frozen enough to skate on again.
For something a little more rough-and-tumble, try Beijing’s ice hockey scene. We suggest joining the
Beijing International Ice Hockey Club, which regularly practises and plays games at the
Hosa Ice Rink, near Gaobeidian. While you don’t need to be a professional to play, the ability to skate and handle a stick is a must. You can join the club for a yearly fee (2,700RMB; 1,700RMB for students; contact peking_puck@yahoo.com for details), or if you are only around for a few months, spots are also available at a reduced rate. For spectators, all matches are not only free, but so is the beer readily distributed in the stands. So drink up!
Alternatively, for those less skilled in the art of ice hockey, or who feel they are a bit too rusty to join the big boys straight away, less competitive ice hockey games are held weekly at the ice rink at
Longde Plaza in Changping district. Matches are organised by enthusiast Daniel Bell (contact daniel.a.bell@gmail.com to sign up) and all levels are welcome, with three-on-three games held on Monday and Thursday nights (9-10.30pm) for just 100RMB per person. At the very least, it’s a good way to find your feet on the ice.
And finally, if you prefer warming the stands to hitting the ice, the Asia League Ice Hockey’s China Dragons return to play their home games in Beijing in 2011 after having relocated to Shanghai for the past two seasons. The team has now made their base at the
Hosa Ice Rink. Be sure to visit
www.alhockey.com for schedule updates and ticket pricing.
The Qiaobo Snow and Ice Park in Shunyi offers year-round indoor skiing (240RMB per day for weekdays, 9am-6pm; 330RMB for weekends, 9am-6pm; 198RMB 6-10pm daily). The fee includes ski and snowboard rental, so at least you don’t need to lug any equipment with you. The two slopes (300m and 200m) will not challenge experienced skiers or snowboarders, but for novices it is a good opportunity to test your skills or even take some classes (from 150RMB per hour).
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