Maybe if they had closed the swimming pool, organizers of a world record skating attempt would have reached their goal.

As it was, 857 ice skaters made their way around the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns Saturday afternoon, while thousands more opted to partake in the liquid H20 just across the way at the Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center's massive swimming pools.

"If we can get 10,000 people in the pool, we should be able to get them onto the ice," said Steve Kun, community relations director for the oval.

Planners of the annual Fire, Water and Ice event had hoped to lure 2,500 skaters to the oval to set a Guinness world record for the most ice skaters moving around the ice at one time. Seeing that there currently is no Guinness record for the number of ice skaters skating at once, the 857 figure will still be submitted for consideration of a new world mark.

Planners want to establish a record in hopes that other North American Olympic ovals can hold similar events to try to break it. The record-breaking movement is part of a plan to get more people interested and involved in speed skating in North America.

"This is probably the best oval in the world," 2002 speed skating gold medalist Derek Parra said. "A lot of people don't come out here. If I was a kid and I had this in my back yard I would be here every day. I can't imagine being a kid and having this."

Some of the swimmers did make it out of the pool to the skate.

A group of girls in bikinis joined the others in the 60-degree building and took their turn around the ice all the while insisting their weren't cold.

"I haven't been ice skating for ever and I haven't fallen over once," 11-year-old Deja Malachowski said after skating around the oval in her green bikini.

Some of the 857 didn't last long on the ice.

Jeremiah Brennan had never skated before and wasn't ready to learn Saturday. He skated about a foot and then got off the ice.

"I don't know how to skate. I barely know how to Rollerblade," he said, as his friend coaxed: "It's a world record skate, not a world record stand."

Everyone, except Raul Hernandez, said it was their first attempt at ever setting a world record.

Hernandez said he already set the record for "most laziest kid."

---

E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com