Explainer | Winter Olympics: inspired by the Beijing Games? Here’s where you can skate, ski and curl in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong’s tropical climate might not scream winter sports, but you can still have a go if you want
- Whether it’s skating, ice hockey, or indoor skiing, there are plenty of options to experience an Olympic sport in the city
As a tropical city where winters are warm, Hong Kong is far removed from the ski slopes and Olympic-sized ice rinks available in mainland China.
The city’s never-ending search for space also does not bode well for Hongkongers who might want to try out the sports featuring at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
But all is not lost, and there are several options available to budding skiers and ice skaters in the city. While the outbreak of the Omicron variant has closed rinks and other indoor venues, here’s a list of six Olympic sports you can try out once social-distancing measures relax.
Curling
Many residents have picked up their brooms and turned on their pancake-shaped robot vacuum cleaners to try out curling at home, especially after the South Korean women’s team went viral during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games.
But if the corridor at home is too cramped for your liking, the Hong Kong Curling Academy offers beginner courses at many of Hong Kong’s shopping centre ice rinks, for adults and kids.
The school offers novice classes and children’s courses at ice rinks around the city. All are welcome as long as you are older than 8. Equipment, including the brooms and the stones, will be provided.
An ice-less version of the sport is also available in Ball Room, a party room in Kwun Tong. The target – called the “house” – is much closer to the starting point, however.
