Synthetic Ice

[sk8 0]

Has anyone used or trained on synthetic ice. I live in NJ and outside of our team practice it is very difficult to train during open skate. Very crowded, no sticks or pucks and in most cases we can not even skate backwards. Figure skaters have much more practice time available.

I am not looking to replace ice time just supplement it. Setup a few cones and practice turns, crossovers, skating backwards, stickhandling and shooting. I do this now on rollerblades.

I looked at a company "superglide" who makes synthetic ice for outdoor use. Could be an answer to my practice dilema.

[irbenaid 0]

About a year ago I emailed one of the synthetic ice companies (I don't remember which one). I got a price on a 20 x 30 rink and it was over $5,000.00. If you have that kind of $$$ and space in your yard I doubt it could get any better than that!!!!

[devilsrule711 0]

yeah i do it every tuesday with my dad to get him back on the ice its weird but you get used ot it doing turns is a lot different you dont dig into the glice as you would on ice crossovers are good on it it also after 2 half hour sessions takes your entire edge completely off adn i mean completely

skating backwards is different too its only really good for shooting passing, and crossovers and how to learn to hockey stop since it doesnt catch as much as it would on ice

its very pricey, lasts a while, and you need a lot of space to do it, and boards or in a room with cement block walls

if you do it outside youre going to have to figure out a way to let water drain when it rains or put a tent over it

good luck with it

PS where in NJ are you? you might be close to where i go

[biff44 0]

You can not put this stuff outside. Dirt will blow onto it, then get embedded in the plastic, and it is trash after that. You need to put it into a basement/garage/barn. Wherever you do put it, it has to be a very flat area.

It is great for shooting. It is a little weird for skating, but you can really work up a sweat. Typically it is an enclosed small space, so you really get to work on tight turns and edges.

It is excellent for stick handling practice (much better than some fake ball).

It beats the pooh out of your skates. Either you have to sharpen them before going back onto real ice, or you need two pairs of skates--hockey and synthetic ice.

Keep watching ebay. I got 1/3 of a barn full of the stuff for $2000.

[jimmy 194]

I'm going to put a big synthetic ice training area in my new store. Quite a bit of my customers are training on it weekly already and have given me great feedback. Essentially skating on it is like skating on regular ice that's been skated on for 1 hr.

If you want to put it in your home, you can find the low cost sheets, 1/4 inch for about $5 a sf. 2-3 year life per side.

[biff44 0]

Dude, road trip to Toronto. Just bring at least a 2 ton truck, and drink Molson on the way!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...focusZbsQQfviZ1

If that link does not work, go to ebay and do a search for item # 7231032783

[sk8 0]

I thought of the impact on keeping it outside. I looked at Viking ice and they clearly state that it can not be used outside. I guess this is because their product has a plywood core. I found a synthetic ice manufacturer, superglideskating, who states that thier product can be used outside. See the links below.

http://www.superglideskating.com

http://www.superglideskating.com/faqs.htm

It looks like you build a frame out of 2x6's and then cover with plywood for the surface - pressure treated. Then you lay the synthetic ice on top. They state that a roof is not required but one does helps keep the dirt off which will dull the blades. I was thinking that I can use a large tarp to cover when I am not using it and wash the surface down every few days.

[biff44 0]

And when the ultraviolet rays hit the plastic.....

[devilsrule711 0]

... itll warp

[cja5150 0]

I'm going to put a big synthetic ice training area in my new store.  Quite a bit of my customers are training on it weekly already  and have given me great feedback. Essentially skating on it is like skating on regular ice that's been skated on for 1 hr.

If you want to put it in your home, you can find the low cost sheets, 1/4 inch for about $5 a sf.  2-3 year life per side.

Jimmy,

I'm pretty sure I know who you are. You own a hockey shop in southern New Hampshire? Your wife also works in the store?

I haven't seen you advertise your business here, maybe it's against the MSH rules?

I started going to you recently, and you customized a new radius for me. The new radius has really improved my game! You really know what you are doing!

I've never seen a shop where the guys actually ask you questions about your skating style (12 questions), and then keep a record of how you've been sharpening the skates. It's the most professional sharpening business I've ever seen, and clearly the most consistant edge I've ever had.

Your shop is 1 hour from my house, and 30 minutes from my work, but I think it's worth the drive once a week for a clean edge.

Let me know if it's ok to reveal your identity, and why you chose "Jimmy" as a screen-name!

-Chris

[BK 0]

Dude, road trip to Toronto. Just bring at least a 2 ton truck, and drink Molson on the way!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...focusZbsQQfviZ1

If that link does not work, go to ebay and do a search for item # 7231032783

"You are bidding on one 7 square foot panel."

[Ti-girl 0]

My dad put in synthetic ice in our old barn growing up. It was okay. We used it more to practice shots and for me to get some time practicing being a goalie. The other half was astroturf so we could practice feilding balls for ball season.

Now that my two youngest bro's have quit hockey and are playing lax, it's all astroturf.

We also have a full sized rink outside in the winter. Yay for living on a farm.

[biff44 0]

Utraviolet light will destroy most plastics, making them crack and crumble in no time. I would not try that unless the company swears on a stack of bibles that they put the proper additives into the plastic formulation to reflect ultraviolet light.

[sk8 0]

I need to do more research on this. The investment exceeds 6K. Here is a quote from superglide's FAQ's. The link to their website was submitted earlier. I watched the video and the skating demo looked great.

Can a Super-Glideâ„¢ skating rink be damaged by frost or heavy sun exposure?

No, it can't. Super-Glideâ„¢ is UVA protected and very tolerant of temperature extremes.

Thanks for the info and advice. I could always just move North!

[biff44 0]

The operational statement on ebay is: "Up to 1200 square feet available". Unless I am still asleep, that cyphers out to be 150 two by four foot panels.

You email the guy and say you want 30 or so panels, and negotiate a good price. Should be at least 1/3 of new!

As far as outdoors use, you also have to figure out how to install the panels, as any big rink will shrink and inch or three in the winter, and expand back in the summer. Are the panels self locking? To use my viking panels in the unheated barn, I had to do a fairly elaborate fastening system to keep the panels tight without buckling.

[hockechamp14 0]

Someone should invent a surface you can rollerblade and ice skate on. It would allow the sick roller players to play against even NHL guys. Would be fun to watch as long as they could handle the ice puck.

[cardinalhcky26 0]

my dad has it in his roller hockey rink it is pretty sweet we have a training program over the summer its nice.