"It's fantastic, I'm so happy!" said Jane Susi. "It's a skater's dream. This ice is a real joy — smooth, strong and also totally safe."

Skaters are arriving from all over, including Tartu and Tallinn. For many, skating here is about the freedom and wide-open space.

"You just glide for kilometers at a time with nothing around, everything is so free," said Pille Ambur. "No cars, no high-rises. It's just incredible."

Meriliis Kotkas noted that skating on the sea offers the chance to stop at small shoals and islets along the way.

"This wild expanse, and almost like being in the Arctic," she said. "It's pretty epic."

Frozen bog ponds, another favorite skating spot, are buried under snow this winter, but the coastal sea ice has been ideal for nearly a month.

Tanel Tarendi said this winter is extraordinary, adding that he can't remember a winter quite like it.

"Maybe the winter of 2010-2011, when the entire Väinameri Sea and Pärnu Bay froze over enough that you could easily skate to the smaller islands and cover 50–150 kilometers," he recalled.

While some skaters focus on speed or long-distance routes, most agree the biggest joy comes from exploring the outdoors and discovering new places.

"Last time I set out from Liu Harbor, skated out to Manija, then on to Sorgu and back," said Joosep Tammemäe. The nearly 60-kilometer route took him and his group five and a half hours, including breaks.

Safety first on the ice

Experienced skaters, however, stress the importance of safety. Kotkas, a professional hiking guide, always carries ice picks, spare clothes in a waterproof bag, a throw line and ice spikes.

She also recommends tour or Nordic skates, which have longer blades and glide more easily over snow and uneven ice than figure or hockey skates.

Tarendi warned that novice skaters should never go out skating alone, while Kotkas advised leaving open sea ice to more experienced skaters.

Enthusiast communities, meanwhile, share information online about safe skating spots.

"We have excellent ice maps this year — kudos to them," Susi said. "Friends share tips, you check them against the ice maps, word spreads and that's how the best spots are found."

Early mornings and late evenings remain the most memorable, she added, with the low-hanging sun casting especially beautiful light.

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