The outdoor ice rink at the Bossard Arena is ready

As autumn slowly sets in, the ice rink at the Bossard Arena opens. The weather of the last days played along nicely, so that the timely opening for the start of the season was never threatened. Though the job was completed on time, this is not always such a straightforward affair for the specialists at work, as ice remains highly susceptible to the surrounding weather conditions.
 
In 2016, for example, high temperatures and a strong breeze caused the top surface to be blown away and prevented a timely start altogether. "This year, these currents and such extreme temperatures did not appear that strong," states managing director of the ice rink, Jürg Casalini. “We were lucky from Monday to Wednesday. These were overcast days to our advantage and the fog spared us from too much sunlight.”
 
“Decisive for the ice is the sunshine. Then follow the wind and then the temperature,” explains the expert. If such weather appeared more frequently in the next few days, there would be a risk of a watery ice surface. "I am convinced of a successful opening however. Nevertheless, in the next few days I am wishing for fog rather than wind." Simply producing the whole ice in the first place, costs more than keeping it intact later. "In winter, it gets colder and darker at the same time. Accordingly, the ice is less likely to melt." For monitoring purposes, the thickness of the ice is measured daily. Yet, Casalini does not fear any postponement whatsoever. "I have been managing director here for 30 years and only had to delay the start of the season twice."
 
The outdoor ice rink is open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 9.45pm, on Saturday from 8.15am to 9.45pm and on Sunday from 9am to 6pm.