The West Coast of the U.S. and Canada obtained hit with sub-zero temperatures over the weekend as a chilly entrance swept by the Midwest. Northern California and Southern Oregon reported uncommon seasonal lows round -5 and -10 C, leading to excessive chilly that even froze over Hayward Area on the College of Oregon, reworking one of the vital well-known tracks on this planet right into a skating rink.
As a substitute of sporting spikes for his or her Monday morning exercise, the Oregon Geese observe and subject staff was seen skating on the observe, turning their typical apply into extra of a speed-skating session.
You don’t see ice skating at Hayward Area each day.
🎥 Simeon Birnbaum’s IG pic.twitter.com/Wif8SlWi0J
— chris nickinson (@chrisnickinson) January 16, 2024
The video was posted to Oregon freshman Simeon Birnbaum’s Instagram story on Monday, the place he was additionally seen sporting a Staff Canada package T-shirt. Though Birnbaum is from South Dakota, he has Canadian roots, having spent his early years in Alberta, the place he discovered to skate, in line with Runnerspace. He transitioned from hockey to trace in his early teenage years and is now a sub-four-minute miler with the College of Oregon observe and subject staff underneath coach Jerry Schumacher.
The sight of individuals skating on Hayward Area has sparked a couple of concepts. First, envision an epic NHL Winter Basic recreation in that stadium. With a capability of as much as 25,000 followers and oval-shaped grandstands paying homage to an NHL area, the venue may present a super setting and environment for a recreation.
I do know the latest Winter Basic between the Seattle Kraken and Las Vegas Golden Knights at MLB stadium T-Cell Park in Seattle on Jan. 1 accommodated far more followers than Hayward, however let’s get NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on the telephone to rearrange a future Winter Basic matchup between the Seattle Kraken and L.A. Kings at Hayward.
The second concept includes Hayward Area internet hosting a long-track velocity skating World Cup occasion in January or February. This cross-up between two of the most well-liked summer season and winter Olympic occasions could be unreal. Whereas I’m no skilled on velocity skating, I’d solely suppose that having track-meet-style races may very well be extremely entertaining, particularly if wind or snow turns into an element. Although the College of Oregon won’t allow both occasion, it doesn’t damage to begin the excitement.
