BIG CROWD SKATING

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31725, 8 July 1968, Page 12

BIG CROWD SKATING

2000 Visit Lake Ida Almost 2000 people yesterday visited Lake Ida, where both weather and ice conditions were excellent for skating. More than 20 acres of the main lake were covered with ice up to 6in thick, with the surface hard and fast Because of the hard, smooth ice, the first-aid room, staffed by members of the Hororata branch of the St John Ambulance Association, was busy dealing with cuts, abrasions, and injured knees and ankles. The president of the Lake Ida Winter Sports Association (Mr A. E. Lyttle) said last evening that roads and car parks had been cleared of snow, but windrows of snow restricted the parking area. “Tempers Frayed”

Inconsiderate parking by motorists wasted a lot of space in the parking areas and caused tempers to fray, said Mr Lyttle. One driver held up traffic by changing a tyre in the middle of the road. Further congestion was caused by inexperienced drivers getting stuck in a cutting which had a little snow in it. More trouble was caused by cars travelling too close together on the slippery roads, said Mr Lyttle.

The weather was exceptionally cold yesterday, with the air temperature being about 20 degrees, and the ground thermometer registering between 18 and 20 degrees of frost all day, Mr Lyttle said. Yesterday morning there was a frost of 26 degrees. Lake Ida is also expected to be busy next week-end, as the four-day New Zealand ice skating championships will begin there on Thursday.