Finland has recovered in the United States the world record for the largest “ice carousel”, thanks to the achievement of the inventor Janne Käpylehto on the frozen lake of Lappajärvi, in the south-west of the country.
The ice disc is 516 meters in diameter, 42 centimeters thick and weighs about 56,000 tons. Some 70,000 people can occupy its surface.
Machine breakdowns and sawing errors in late January had delayed completion of the ride, but Käpylehto and his team finally completed construction on February 6.
“Even a block of ice of this size can turn easily if it is regular, but with the slightest irregularity or the slightest problem, it will take a lot of cutting and a lot of extra work,” explains Tiina Saukko, a collaborator.