Landing on Ice

Be it the television series Gossip Girl or Hollywood chick-flicks like Ice Princess,Serendipity or The Cutting Edge,the twists and turns in a romance happen on the ice skating rink. Hollywood had glorified the art of doing pirouets on ice and battling the cold wind over high-school dates at the rink. If you grew up on all this mush,it’s time to rejoice,as India’s first indoor ice skating rink,iSKATE,opened at Ambience Mall,Gurgaon,on Wednesday.

Located on the sixth floor of the mall,iSKATE is spread over 15,000 square feet,can accommodate 200 skaters in the rink,and boasts of a bar and a cafe. While there are penguin aids for children to walk on ice,adults can opt for professional classes to learn ice skating. “My son used to ice skate during our trips abroad and he wondered why he couldn’t do the same in his own city,” said Ankur Bhatia,executive director,Bird Group,that owns the property. He added,“Then it struck me that this was missing in the leisure market and we decided to open it.”

The idea of putting together a medium-sized rink,firm ice,stack of skates and a team of professional ice skaters deserves a thumbs up,but so far the ambience doesn’t live up to the expectations. Below-average food by Chef Nishant (the resident chef at the venue),dim lighting in the gallery and on the mezzanine floor,and the dull setting,gives the place a boring look. “The rink is of international standards,though I wish it had more breadth,” said 23-year-old Simrita Sawhney,an ice-skater.

We are told the rink can be converted into an ice disco zone,with laser lights,where karaoke nights and foam parties can be hosted. There are plans for expansion too. On the anvil are rinks in Delhi,Mumbai,Chandigarh and Bangalore.

The rink is open from 10 am to 10 pm,seven days a week. The price is Rs 300 on weekdays and Rs 400 on the weekend.