Ice-skating: great fun for everyone

Although Helena Mikhailova says ice-skating is good exercise and great fun, the children sliding and slipping on the ice-skating rink seem to prove her wrong.

The ice skating lessons at the Aqua Park, which are in progress, are not only for children but also for adults who watch the youngsters who keep practising and do not get discouraged. They don't give up as easily as adults do.

"Ice-skating is not only for children. We also teach adults and there are a lot of people attending the lessons," said Mikhailova.

Mikhailova, who is from Russia, is there with three other professional Russian teachers. In her country, she is the renowned coach of the Samara team. Samara has two big ice-skating teams competing all over the world.

"These children are amazing," she said. "They slip at the beginning but after the third or four time, they start skating very easily."

This is the first time Helena and her team are visiting an Arab country. They travel all over the world to teach ice-skating, but their experience in the Gulf is unique.

"Teaching here is incredibly strange. You come to a country in the desert and expect people to be neither good nor interested in ice-skating. But it is the exact opposite. Lots of youngsters are very good, and even if a little embarrassed in their traditional dress, they manage to skate very easily."

Khaled Al Hajri came to the Aqua Park with his two children, five-year-old Abdullah and 11-year-old Mohammed.

Mohammad already knew how to skate, but since this was Abdullah's first lesson, he clung to his teacher's arm.

"They forced me to bring them here today and we will come here for the entire week so that they learn a little more skating," said Al Hajri, a Saudi national who is spending his summer holidays in Dubai. "They enjoy it and I am happy to see them while learning," he added.

Al Hajri, who admitted he knows how to skate very well, refused to demonstrate his ability. "I know how to skate, ice-skate," he stated, and continued reeling off a long list of sporting activities, but was too shy to demonstrate his skills in front of his children.

Several Saudi nationals had brought their children for the lessons and Al Hajri observed that such facilities are not available in his country. "It is a pity that we cannot practice ice-skating in our country. At least I haven't heard about the existence of a similar rink."

Eleven-year-old Naser, also from Saudi Arabia, explains that he has learnt ice skating in just one lesson:

"Maybe because I already knew how to skate. I am very good at skating, but on ice it is a little bit different," he admitted, speaking like a pro. "You see, if the ice becomes water, than you slip, and I slip a lot if this happens."

While Naser goes deep into technical details, a 10-year-old Indian boy stops next to him. He is Vignesh Nandakumar, who lives in Dubai with his family.

"I know how to ice-skate very well."

Listening to him, you are convinced that ice skating is child's play and suddenly feel this desire to try out this new sport and form of entertainment.