HK Hall OÜ is an Estonian company
We have 20 years of experience in our field. We are always on hand to support our clients and promptly resolve any issues. We are the biggest maintainer of pop-up ice rinks in Estonia, and our goal is to offer people a positive experience on the ice. In providing our service, we respond to our clients’ wishes and needs. We offer innovative and modern solutions. Ensuring safety on ice rinks is our priority.
Why establish a skating rink, and what problems does it solve?
Our mission is to help establish a cityscape with positive energy that also creates added value for residents and schools, together with visitors to the city. We strive to make the city space more attractive, and we invite people to become more active with their family, friends and colleagues, and to have a fun time.
Children are not physically active enough
According to data provided by the World Health Organisation, 81 per cent of 11-17-year-old adolescents do not engage in insufficient physical activity.
They spend their time indoors and behind the screens
Adolescents spend their time indoors because it is often also more convenient for their parents. More than two hours per day spent behind the smartphone, computer and TV screens.
They are physically weak and prone to obesity
Only a fifth of Estonian children gets enough physical activity. According to studies conducted in Estonia, it appears that children move even less than adults. Eighty per cent of students move less than an hour a day.
What does the Uisupark offer?
- Guaranteed winter pleasure for up to four months
- An opportunity for children to be active outdoors during the winter as part of the school curriculum
- A place to organise community winter events
- Skating is a sporting hobby that suits almost everyone
What kind of living environment do we desire?
- Opportunities to be active and spend our free time
- A versatile living environment
- To ensure that our children have a living environment and childhood with ample opportunities
- Safe community, joint activities and involvement
Why don’t we move enough?
- In Estonia, the period that is dark, damp and cold is very long
- Only a tiny portion of the winter is enjoyable and idyllic
- There are not enough opportunities for being physically active during the winter
Comparison of values
Finances: constructing an indoor ice rink is tens of times more expensive than putting together an outdoor skate park. What’s more, financing an indoor ice rink is a rigid process and depreciation costs are high. At the same time, it is possible to purchase the service of an outdoor skate park. Indoor ice rinks have running costs 12 months a year, whereas skate parks only have them for four months.
Location: pop-up ice rinks have been established near the Eiffel Tower and at the Rockefeller Center, while indoor ice rinks are usually on the outskirts of major cities.
Target group: pop-up ice rinks bring together a unique set of clients (incl. tourists). At the same time, indoor ice rinks have many returning customers.
Risks: indoor ice rinks have far more significant risks than skate parks.
Contribution to the living environment: this is more versatile with outdoor ice rinks since the location is more attractive and the target group is wider.
What does the Uisupark include?
Our skate park team has 20 years of experience in the field. Therefore, we know what is needed to administer an ice rink. Our service includes all the necessary components.
Assembly of the ice rink
- Construction works
- Technical area
- Refrigeration equipment
- Refrigerant
- Monitoring devices
- Lighting
- Railings
- Transport and storage
Service and ice rink area
- Rental of skates (incl. furniture)
- Cash register systems
- Skates, helmets and skating aids
- Booking system for schools
- Configured homepage
- Ice maintenance machines
- Technical area
- Music system
Risk management
- Turnkey solution
- Mapping of needs
- Offering an optimal solution
- Consultation and advice
- Insurance
ABC of establishing an ice rink
What’s most important is the willingness of local stakeholders to establish a pop-up ice rink in their area. Here we have listed the six most essential stages in establishing an ice rink.
Location
The best location is an attractive location because this guarantees the highest possible visitor footfall. For instance, a town square is an ideal place for it. Good examples of great locations include the Rockefeller Center in New York City and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Mapping of needs
Before ordering an ice rink, we help our clients develop the most optimal solution. We provide consultation on technical conditions and advice concerning the development for administration and financing purposes.
Procurement process
We offer our clients a working and comprehensive concept – a complete solution. Therefore, we assume the liability for risk for contractual workers so that the local government can focus on their tasks. We recommend taking approximately a year to prepare an ice rink procurement.
Building of a pop-up ice rink
Before opening the ice rink, there is a seven-day assembly period, during which we install all necessary elements. Well-performed assembly works are a prerequisite for the successful administration of an ice rink and as long a skating season as possible.
Administration
Daily management of an ice rink requires a manager-type leader. The local government can ask its subdivision, a local sports club or an entrepreneur to take over administration of the ice rink. One season requires about 2,000 staffed working hours.
Storing of the equipment
At the end of the season, we disassemble the ice rink. This process takes between seven to ten days. All the elements need to be transported and stored. The aim is to re-establish the pre-season situation as quickly as possible.
Feedback from our cooperation partners
We thank our cooperation partners for their trust.
Tarmo Sulg
Deputy Head of Department, Tallinn Urban Environment and Public Works
The old town ice rink in Tallinn is an excellent example of cooperation between the public and private sector. We believe that the Old Town ice rink is unique, adds significant value to the city and helps to create an image of a city with positive energy. During the wintertime, the ice rink is now an inseparable part of the Old Town. Thanks to the fact Tallinn’s schools can use the ice for free, in 14 years the number of visitors has grown tenfold, reaching 27,000+ students per season.
Tallinn Sports and Youth Department
We have known the managers of HK Hall for more than ten years, and we have enjoyed very broad-based cooperation with them. They have operated the ice rinks based on private capital for 20 years. In partnership with the City of Tallinn, they have created opportunities for skating in Tallinn’s Old Town and other districts of Tallinn. It is a great pleasure for the City of Tallinn to have such enthusiasts of their speciality as its partners.