At the IJsbaan Haarlem you can practice almost all ice and skating sports by joining a club: long track skating, short track, figure skating, bandy and even ice hockey.
1. Recreational longtrack skating
Becoming a member of an ice club means that you will receive lessons or training once or more times a week with a group. Fun and conviviality are the main focus. Do you have to skate competitions as a member of an ice club? No, the choice is yours. As a menber of an ice club you can skate recreationally for relaxation, to exercise in the fresh air or to improve your fitness and skating technique. Once or twice a week you go on the ice with a group during the winter season. There are classes in the mornings and in the evenings. Most ice clubs also offer a summer program to keep your fitness and flexibility up to par with training on a racing bike or inline skates. There are also clubs that offer boot camp, dry or training in the dunes in the summer season.
2. Competitive longtrack skating
You are at the right address at the ice clubs if you want to compete. You can start with the competitive sport at – almost – any age. The skating competitions for pupils, juniors, seniors and masters are held in Haarlem on Saturday and Sunday evenings. On Monday evenings you can participate in marathon competitions at the IJsbaan Haarlem. There are marathon competitions at all levels and from young to much older. All these competitions are organized by the Baanvereniging Haarlem (BCH) (only in Dutch), the umbrella organization of the ice and skating clubs that train at the ice rink in Haarlem. The BCH website contains a lot of information about competitive skating. If you want to compete, you not only need to be a member of an ice club, you also need a competition license from the KNSB.
2.1 Training for competitions
Training for long track competitions and marathons takes place during the KNSB (Royal Dutch Skating Union) training hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Competition skaters then train in small groups on the ice under the supervision of a qualified trainer from the ice club of which you are a member.
2.2 Information about becoming a member of an ice club
For more information about recreational or competitive skating at a skating club, contact an ice club (in your area). They will be happy to help you. See an overview of the skating clubs at the ice rink Haarlem and their websites at the bottom of this page in Dutch.
3. Other skating sports
In addition to clubs for long track skating, there are clubs for figure skating,
short track skating, bandy (hockey on ice). Fun, enjoyment, sports and fitness: that is what skating at a club is all about.
4 G-Sports – Ice Skating
For G-athletes lessons are given on Saturday mornings by Stichting Aangepast Schaatsen Kennemerland (ASK).
