The big skating special: this is what you need to know for the weekend

Whenever there was a chance of frost, I would immediately look at the meadow in our village. Is there already a thick layer of water on it? Will it freeze long enough? Where are my skates anyway? I also had inside information, because the son of the ice rink owner was two classes above me, so I always knew well in advance when we could go on the ice.

I was there every evening. By the way, I got my most serious scars while skating. As a four-year-old girl, I fell on the sharp blades, which made me scream and end up on the table at my grandparents' house. They lived next to the frozen pond. And I once fell so hard that I saw stars, but I didn't let it show because the boy I liked was skating nearby. I once almost choked on a piece of smoked sausage from the snack stand. Yes, such good memories. The final piece was that I broke my tailbone. I never set foot on the ice again. But this weekend, I'm considering it anyway. This is what you need to know.

1. Whistle blown
The rescue brigade advises taking a whistle in case you fall through the ice. Yes, I'll start with the basics of safely getting on the ice. If you fall into the water, don't flail around like an idiot. Stay calm, do a Wim Hof, and call for help.

2. Stick to the inland waters
Even though the Gouwzee is almost completely frozen, three people fell through the ice there on Thursday. The open water is tricky, so just try a nice frozen pond first before you start making meters on the outdoor lakes.

3. Always swim towards the light
If you do fall through, see light and dark as a mantra. Always swim towards the light on snowy ice, even if your feeling tells you it's the exact opposite. And swim towards the dark part if there is no snow. Because of corona, there are no tours, which means the ice isn't being checked. This makes it extra dangerous on open water. So don't go on the ice alone, the ice masters urge us.

4. Avoid crowds
The safety regions are already warning; if it gets too crowded, everything will be closed. So skate at a good distance from each other and choose the quieter areas. For me, the end of the street was already closed on Thursday because everyone wanted to go to the Loosdrechtse Plas. And that would just be a shame. A bit like when we all went to the beach in the spring and had to stand in traffic for two hours but never arrived at the beach.

5. Sharpen your skates
It sounds like a particularly old-fashioned activity, but sharpening your skates is much safer. It ensures that you slip less quickly. At least, if you master the basics of skating, of course.

6. Where to skate?
Hospitality tigers in Utrecht are setting their sights on an eleven pub tour over the Oudegracht, in Amsterdam, a man angered the residents by breaking the ice with his boat, and around Rutte's little tower at the Hofvijver, a hole has been made for safety. Our country is full of great skating locations, but for now, everyone is mainly calling to keep it nice in your own neighborhood.