Adult speed skating growing sport on P.E.I.

Every Monday night a group of speed skaters takes to the ice at the Charlottetown Civic Centre. Its members are adults, retired from the sport or trying it for the first time.

"It's been a fun learning experience. Trying to keep up with the younger kids is a great challenge," said Rob Binns, who started the group four years ago.

Binns' two children are avid speed skaters and he's been involved in the sport since they began. He'd been helping out as an assistant coach and thought he could learn a bit more by trying the sport himself.

Now, he participatesin competitions for older speed skating athletes.

Kathleen Young isn't at that level, at least not yet. She's a new member of the groupand just started speed skating.

"[The skates are] alot slipperier than hockey skates that I'm used to. I had lots of padding on so if I fell it was OK."

"Oh my goodness it is a great workout," Young says. "I am sweating right now. I probably won't be able to move when I get to work tomorrow."

Young says the group is not only about the exercise, it is about friendship. After the skaters dolaps, they spend time togetherhanging out at centre ice.

Binns now trains for competitions alongside his kids.

His daughter and son, Kristen and Andrew, laughingly talk about their dad sporting the skintight speed skating suit.

Binns started racing wearing wind pants and a jacket over the skinsuit. Even as he started to lose the outer layers the kids insisted he wear a t-shirt.

"I just didn't want him to fall because that would be embarrassing for him," said Andrew.

Rob Binns has set four speed skating provincial records for men over 40, and the adult skating club he started has increased to 20 members.

"I'll miss when I'm not able to skate with the kids or when they are grown up and out of it. These are great years and it has been great fun interacting with them on the ice," he says.

The adult skating club meets Monday night at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.