Canterbury’s Staveley Ice Rink holds off helmet rule changes after fatal falls

A Mid Canterbury ice rink is “strongly recommending” helmet use, but has held off making them compulsory after a man died following an accident on the ice.

Victor Schikker, 67, died in hospital earlier this month after he fell at Staveley Ice and Curling Rink.

His family has described his death as a tragic accident during an event that Schikker, who worked with PGG Wrightson for 49 years, had organised.

Staveley Hall Society chairman Rob Withers said they are waiting for the outcome of an investigation into Schikker’s death before making a decision on mandatory helmet use.

The committee has held two meetings since the incident and discussed making helmets mandatory but held off, he said.

WorkSafe is investigating the incident at Staveley.

The accident was two weeks after Kymani Hiley-Hetaraka, 13, died after a falling during a school trip at the Alpine Ice Sports Centre in Christchurch.

The Christchurch facility has since made helmet use mandatory.

Withers said the Staveley Hall Society is awaiting WorkSafe and the coroner’s findings.

Victor Schikker, 67, died in hospital earlier this month after he fell at Staveley Ice and Curling Rink. Photo / NZME

“It is not mandatory at the moment but we strongly recommend people wear helmets.

“The first thing you see on entry is a sign recommending people wear helmets on the ice.

“We have enough helmets for everybody and a lot of people are bringing helmets.”

Helmets are compulsory for school groups, he said.

It is also mandatory for people curling to wear grips on their footwear, Withers said.

“It’s stretchy rubber that goes over your shoes and has coiled springs underneath which cut into the ice.”

The rink season ends on Saturday night and the committee will debrief in September.

The Hall Society has existing use rights with the Ashburton District Council to run the rink and recently completed a $1.4m upgrade project to the site. The group has used the site since 1951.

Ice rink patronage numbers are much higher than last year, while it is the second season with the refrigerated rink in operation, he said.

Curling numbers had doubled and skaters have benefitted from more open days, Withers said.

Like skiing, risks and accidents can happen on the ice, and ensuring the safety of its users is paramount so people keep coming back, Withers said.

“It would be detrimental to us if people thought we were too dangerous.

“We assess the ice for the conditions each day. If we think it’s too dangerous, we just don’t open.”

The rink is volunteer run and every dollar goes back into the running rink and supporting the wider community, Withers said.

“We are not a commercial operation.

“Everything we do on that rinks gets returned to the community.”

Whether it’s to pay for a new bridge across the river into the rink or for a replacement roof at the Staveley Hall, the funding goes back into the community “as a way to repay volunteers by making our community better”, he said.

Council chief executive Hamish Riach said that “while we feel for all involved, council has no involvement in the operation of the Staveley Ice Rink or the land it occupies”.