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EQUIPO MEXICANO DE PATINAJE DE VELOCIDAD SOBRE HIELO

Parte de la Federacion Mexicana de Patinaje Sobre Hielo y Deportes Invernales, A.C.

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2007-2008

Welcome to Mexico Speedskating. With our goal to participate in the winter Olympics of 2010, we proudly invite you to accompany us in our quest through visiting our website and contacting us.

Sponsorship Opportunities are available and welcome.
Please contact the Mexican National Speedskate Team Leader for more information on how you can participate in sponsorship.

Contact: Team Leader Mexico

JANUARY 2008 NEWS! TEAM Mexico returns to Mexico City, MEX Jan 12th, for closing ceremonies.

Ice Speedskating in Mexico City! It was with great pleasure Team Mexico returned to Mexico City to partake once more in a very historic moment in ice speedskating for Mexico. From the heart of Mexico City's, famed Zocalo (center plaza) a group of speedskaters demonstrated short track speed skating to thousands who had gathered in the stands and around the rink. The event was live-cast on channel 5 tv in Mexico and aired on Saturday, January 12, 2008, 7pm-8pm. Mexico Team member Eric Kraan and Team Leader Kimberly Simons Kraan were proud to have participated in this incredible historical moment for Mexico.

Accompanying Team Mexico skater Eric Kraan were: Andrew Love, a US speedskater, US Speedskating member Travis Joiner, and Olympian Derek Parra, all of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Andrew Love was excited to return and re-live the dream (as he describes during the press conference) of once more of skating on Mexican Ice. during the press conference Eric Kraan makes notes how the success of the rink can only be measured by the huge smiles and giggles of laughter witnessed from skaters. As we visited the rink on Thursday and Friday, the last few days of public ice, even nearing close, skaters lined up hoping to skate just one last time on the rink. Skaters were saddened to learn the ice was closing, but with 400,000 users and some 5 million visiting the ice during the short time between Dec 01, 2007-Jan 11, 2008, one can easily measure the success of the rink in the zocalo simply by shear numbers multiplied by bright smiles.

Many thanks from our hearts go out to the government and mayor of Mexico, the event organizers, and the many volunteers, and police (skate patrol) who brought this rink to life, and whose dedication and diligent work in making this event a major success is duly applauded. We can only say our gratitude is immeasurable, and that we are happy to have had the opportunity to not only have participated in the opening & closing event ceremonies, but to have had honor to meet so many wonderful persons while there, and to share a common love of ice sports. This event has afforded us, Team Mexico, the opportunity to promote speedskating in Mexico, and as result we have received numerous inquiries, so we are certain to see the sport develop as we continue work towards our goal of establishing the sport in Mexico.

Thank you to all who possess a love of ice sports.

Sincerely,

           Eric Rijk Kraan Osmanchuck and Kimberly Simons Kraan

                                                      Mexican National Ice Speedskate Team

Press Conference with the Mayor of Mexico City.

(photo credits: Jessica Love)

Start Line during the event. 7 laps to go!

Eric Kraan leads out the skaters in the first lap.

To view more Mexico Speedskating photos click here.

Please visit the online disccussion group:
Team Mexico Forum

OPENING of the GIANT ICE RINK in the ZOCALO, MEXICO CITY, MEX

UPDATES: DECEMBER 01, 2007: Photo Images from the rink:

Eric & Sebastian survery from atop a tour bus, while visting the most sacred
'El Angel De La Independencia'.

Morning rink preparations in the zocalo. The National Palace beyond in the background. The flag is bigger than life. The zocalo plaza can hold 60,000 persons.

Night shot of the Ice arena, and
the City Gov't Building in the background.

Eric feeling back at home in Mexico in the shadow of the Angel of independence.
It's a sunny & warm 77º

Read more about the rink here: Mexcio City - Largest Ice Rink

DEC 02, 2007: VIDEO: MEXICO on ICE in MEXICO CITY

DEC 02, 2007: VIDEO: MEXICO CITY SPEEDSKATING on ICE search "skate zocalo"

DEC 10, 2007: More Media Event & Video Web Link Information:
Fun video for Eric's' Derby Girls: Morning of Dec 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HELrGb6exHo

Andrew Love's Blog spot: pictures and video links: http://www.andrewlove.org/blog/

KWTV(texas): news broadcast event video: http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/12034591.html
video link:

VERY GOOD VIDEO!! http://video.ap.org/v/Default.aspx?g=3e43195d-06f4-4345-9c8e-5e70c0e0b9ee&mk=en-ap&f=1139949&fg=email - search for: "skate zocalo"

Video from a Fan: 'the Mexicans have finally blown my mind": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIxMmejK5PY

More video and news can be seen here:
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/465001.html

http://www.reforma.com/

NEW YORK TIMES: general event article

More images: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/coberturas/esp173.html

More images of skating and the rink in Mexico: posted here: http://foto.rompres.ro/index.php?d=-1&q=Mexico%20Ice%20Skating

Thankyou everyeon for your continued support.

On behalf of Mexico Speedskating, SkateNow, llc is hosting a Web Forum for Team Mexico Ice Speedskating, so we can begin to get skaters more involved and commucating with each other. Please click here for the official web site: Team Mexico Forum

We need your support. We are in need of speedskating equipment. If you have old skate gear or equipment you can donate, please contact Speedskate Mexico.

Contact: SpeedskateMexico

last update: 12/12/2007
photo credits: Kimberly Kraan, Don L. Nelson, Eric Kraan