Expense hunting. In a context of soaring energy costs, all French cities have sought savings. By lowering the water temperature in swimming pools, reducing heating in offices or turning off public lighting, municipalities have all opted for sobriety in order to avoid seeing their energy bills soar. In Rennes, the municipality had quickly made the choice to close its ice rink for four months, to the chagrin of ice sports associations. Mayor Nathalie Appéré (PS) assumed her choice, questioning the environmental impact of these activities. “Do you have to skate on the ice in 40 degrees in July? Probably not. The idea then germinated to install a large skating rink for the summer.
Opened on June 26, a month after icebreaking, the plastic track will be dismantled on Friday, September 1, marking the end of a first conclusive test. Welcoming around 200 skaters a day, the roller skating version of the rink nearly did as well as the ice rink in the summer. Above all, it will have made it possible to save the thirteen full-time jobs necessary for the proper functioning of the ice rink. “We didn’t expect to do so well. On rainy or very hot days, we were able to accommodate more than 300 people. This is proof that there was an expectation, ”said Benoît Croguennec. The rink manager already knows that his equipment will suffer the same closure every summer. “The operation without ice will be renewed, that’s for sure,” assumes Frédéric Bourcier, sports assistant for the city of Rennes.
State-owned Citedia, which operates the equipment, is already planning to rent more skates next year. “We had 150 pairs this summer, it was too tight”. Above all, it would be a shame not to reuse the track, the purchase cost of which flirts with 50,000 euros. An assumed investment which also made it possible to introduce another sport to many inhabitants who did not all have the chance to go on vacation.
At 6 euros entry (including skate rental), the activity is a little more affordable for practitioners but will not allow the ice rink to earn a lot of money. “These public facilities are not there for that. They are always in deficit but they have a social utility”, assumes Frédéric Bourcier. For the time being, the elected socialist does not want to hear about a total closure of the equipment as some members of his majority demanded a few months ago. “These practices like ice sports must become seasonal, that’s obvious. But we are not going to close them because they consume energy. The social cost seems enormous to me. It’s like closing the swimming pools. “Especially since ice rinks have experienced a marked resurgence of interest in recent years, with attendance up 20% on average in France since the Covid-19 epidemic. In 2022, the Blizz recorded more than 141,000 admissions, making it one of the most used ice rinks in France.
Motivated by the soaring cost of energy, the four-month closure has been scrutinized by many other French cities. In Rennes, it should make it possible to reduce the consumption of equipment by 20%, already lowered by heavy investments made in 2019. But if the Breton capital was able to afford such a long closure, it is because it does not There is no resident professional ice hockey team. “It is up to the federations to make an effort to adapt. They must agree to start their championship later and finish it earlier,” said the Rennes sports assistant. Last year, the announcement of the closure of the Blizz had grumbled the associations, whose end-of-year galas had been a little sacrificed.
“Having a track like that is a chance”
On the track, the summer skaters are rather in line with the observation of the chosen one. “I understand that we have to close it. It’s a green gesture and I don’t mind. We all have to make an effort of sobriety and then it changes a bit of activity. But I find that the closing is long, ”says Kaan, 20, who comes to the ice rink every week. “It seems logical to me. Ice skating is a winter sport,” says Alexandre. From the height of his 51 years, the dad came with his two children to test the roller track. “I wanted four-wheeled skates, like when I was young. It reminds me of my time. »
Like him, many of them appreciate the joys of roller skating, the tracks of which are extremely rare in France. “I’ve been quad biking for three years. Having a track like that is a chance, ”says Camille, who came from Caen with her boyfriend to discover the track. Passionate, the young woman created a community in Calvados. “I wish they would do the same with us. The plastic track is also a great opportunity for some to discover a complete sport that is not always easy to start on the street. “It’s quite hard I think, and I’m afraid of falling. I find it easier on the ice,” says Julia, clutching the barrier. Like her, most teenagers in the young people’s area of Dol-de-Bretagne had chosen this activity for fun.