Young speed skaters from Dunedin and Christchurch shared the ice with the "All Black equivalent'' of the speed skating world at the Dunedin Ice Stadium yesterday.
Eight members of the junior Korean short track ice speed skating team raced about 15 skaters from Dunedin and Christchurch at the stadium, for the Dunedin short track ice speed championships during the weekend.
Dunedin Ice Stadium coach Brett McCormack said the championships not only provided an opportunity for skaters to race at speeds of up to 50kmh, but also gave New Zealand skaters a chance to race against the best.
"To Koreans, skating is what rugby is to us. They are the junior All Black equivalent really.''
Competition entrants ranged in age from 5 to 30, but improvements could be seen in all skaters over the two-day event, he said.
"We can learn a lot from the Korean team and we have, because skating is their national sport, where as here it is not widely known.''
Mr McCormack hoped having such a high-calibre team at the rink would attract more people to the sport and the "best skating facility in New Zealand''.
Canterbury Alpine Ice Speed Skating Club president Roderick Jones said a mentor-style relationship had been fostered with the junior Korean short track speed skating team in 2011 when the New Zealand Winter Games were held in Dunedin.
The championships were highly competitive, Mr Roderick said.
"For us it is super-competitive.
"Ninety percent of the kids that compete want to go as far as they can in the sport.''
The high level of speed and competition meant the sport was not without injuries, he said.
"There has been a broken hip and a broken leg.''
The Korean team also competed in the South Island speed skating championships in Christchurch last weekend, as well as training camps with the Dunedin and Christchurch skating teams.
Junior Korean short track speed skater Eun-Seok Oh, of Suwon, said he trained six hours a day, every day.
"It is a little bit hard but it is fun.''
Korean coach Jung Seomgeun said he had skated for 31 years and visiting New Zealand skating rinks was a chance to develop "skating friendships''.
"It is a teaching friendship. We learn about New Zealand and we can teach more about skating.''
He hoped the junior team would return for the Dunedin short track championships next year.
Results: Winners - Primary girls: Ju-Yoon Min (Korea); primary boys: Sung-Yoon Kim (Korea); juvenile girls: Ye-Young An (Korea); juvenile boys: Eun-Seok Oh (Korea); sub-junior women: Amelia Skyes (Christchurch); sub-junior men: Ethan De Rose (Christchurch); junior women: Penny Burridge (Christchurch); junior men: Ethan De Rose (Christchurch); senior men: Mark McCormack (Dunedin); masters men: Ken Howie (Christchurch).
