
Skating On Thin Ice
Clip: Episode 2 | 3m 2sVideo has Closed Captions
The sounds generated by skating over black ice are out of this world.
In Sweden, a group of skaters search for black ice: The freshly formed ice is only just thick enough to hold a skater’s weight and is perfectly smooth. This is a very dangerous activity that should only be attempted by at least two expert skaters. The sounds generated by skating over black ice are out of this world.
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Skating On Thin Ice
Clip: Episode 2 | 3m 2sVideo has Closed Captions
In Sweden, a group of skaters search for black ice: The freshly formed ice is only just thick enough to hold a skater’s weight and is perfectly smooth. This is a very dangerous activity that should only be attempted by at least two expert skaters. The sounds generated by skating over black ice are out of this world.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
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Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship"They say 3.2cm (1.26 inches)" "is the thinnest you can skate on," "and when it's almost 10cm (3.9 inches)" "you can almost drive a small car on it."
Oskar takes the lead navigating a safe route across the lake.
"I would never ever skate alone, that's so dangerous."
"It's important to be quite focussed" "because you never know if the ice is getting thinner" "or what's going to happen."
"Part of your brain has to be..." "scanning the ice and looking for dangers."
There are lots of different kinds of ice but the Holy Grail is newly formed black ice.
It's smooth, clear and precariously thin.
"If the conditions are perfect," "when it freezes it becomes purely black" "...and that's the most magical ice to skate on."
"The sound from the ice when it's quite thin" "sounds very strange."
"Almost like laser beams."
"It's a sound from another world."
"It's almost like watching the Northern Lights," "...but with your ears."
"Sometimes when there's a little bit of water on the ice," "it feels like you're skating in the sky or something," "because the reflections are incredible."
"Living in the city...
I love it," "but it's quite hectic, so when I come out" "I'm not so stressed."
"You constantly see this beautiful nature" "...and when you skate - you get happy from it."
"So the more you move, the happier you get!"
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