The Original Korean Winter Sport

Korea is not a flat country. In fact, I've been told by Koreans that roughly 75 percent of it is covered by mountains and hills. The remaining 25 percent is divided between human establishments and Fields. I personally feel that having such little flat land in a country has causes a very strong economical streak in Koreans, so much so that they seem to always know what to do to best preserve any and all land or materials that come into their hands.

This being said, Korea has the most ingenious winter tradition of any that I have previously witnessed. While mountains abound in this country, lakes and ponds do not. So during the winter season, some generous Korean farmers flood their small Fields with water just enough so that it freezes and provides a smooth surface on which children (at heart) can play.

I don't know what the proper name of this sport is, so I've since named it Butt Skating. The pictures should provide ample enough evidence as to why it has been labelled as such. I've never felt so entertained while sitting outside in winter before! Hah, while that was a really specific "never", it's true!

Our adventure began on a day that couldn't have been more than 15 degrees outside, with a hefty amount of wind to boot. We were unloaded out of the car and shepherded to a small shack next to the Field, where we were given the butt skate and two sticks. The butt skate is literally a square board that has two skates on the bottom! We were told to sit down,

use the sticks to propel ourselves forward (or back, or to the side), and we were off! The adventure only lasted maybe 30 minutes because of the frigid temperatures, but those few minutes were precious for the chance to learn yet something new about this fascinating place.

The Original Korean Winter Sport

Seoul, South Korea