Skating makes the Finnish winter more enjoyable
When Kabira Khanna and her husband moved from India to Finland in 2018, they first lived in Tampere, where she studied Finnish. She emphasises the importance of language skills in integrating into a new society, and she speaks fluent Finnish today.
The first winter in Finland was a new experience for the couple accustomed to the sun.
Khanna tells us that she was wondering, “What can you really do here?”
In response to that question, skating became part of her life. The hobby grew so close to her heart that she even named her daughter Kiira after a well-known Finnish figure skater.
A hobby that brings people together
In two years, Khanna has reached 50,000 followers from all over the world on her social media channels. Her popular videos focus on travel, food, different seasonal activities, recycling, clean air, forests and experiences of adapting to Finland.
Her greatest passion, however, is skating.
“It’s an easy hobby because all you need are skates, and there are a lot of free skating rinks.”
According to Khanna, her first experiences on the ice were clumsy. But her slow and steady practice paid off and soon she started to glide on the skates, and finally she felt like she was flying on the ice.
She and her family have lived in Espoo since 2020. She finds skating to be a safe hobby.
“There’s amazing nature and wonderful people here – nobody laughs when I fall,” says Khanna, praising her hometown.
Her favourite skating rinks are in Puolarmetsä and Tapiola. In addition to skating with her family and friends on weekends, she has also been actively involved in the Espoo liikkuu project as an organiser of the Ystäväluistelu skating events.
“It was a really great event for skaters of all ages, and it also provided a natural meeting place for people from different cultures,” she says.
In the coming winter, Khanna also plans to try out skiing and ice swimming.
“I want to bring tourists here from around the world and show them the Northern Lights, offer Karelian pies and help them enjoy winter sports. I also want to encourage Finns to enjoy outdoor activities in the fresh air!”
Read also Ice skating rinks and ski tracks depend on the weather
Text: Nora Gullmets
This article was originally published in the Espoo-lehti magazine 3/2025. Read other Espoo-lehti articles.