Synthetic Rink

[pinesiskin]

Hi all--

Headed to Zermatt for some skiing over Christmas and just found out that the rink in the center of town is artificial. Huge bummer for my skater. Having never skated on artificial, should she even bother? Rentals are generally horrible, but we may be able to bring some old used skates in her size. Would never use her regular ones on synthetic. Just trying to manage expectations!

Thanks!
Beth

 

[Minz]

I just looked it up and the rink is actually ice, albeit artificial ice. It's not that fake plastic stuff.

From what I understand, artificial is what most skaters use, even if you're skating outside. Pretty much all training facilities are artificial ice unless that facility was constructed around a frozen pond lol.

 

[pinesiskin]

Oh! So they just mean, commercial ice rink? Like every indoor ice rink, as opposed to natural pond water?

 

[pinesiskin]

I just spoke to someone in Zermatt who said it was definitely an "artificial ice rink" but I guess that's what they mean! I was thinking horrible synthetic--phew!

 

[Minz]

Yeah, I’ve looked at some pictures and as far as I can tell, it’s normal ice, so you should be good.

If it was really synthetic (the plastic stuff), I’d honesty just say just use the rentals. I’ve skated on it before and at least in my experience it was terrible. You literally can only push forward and glide like one foot, and maybe try a single swizzle. Edge usage/control is essentially non-existent, and even skating backwards is pretty much out of the question.

 

[jersey1302]

Synthetic ice can vary greatly in quality. I’ve seen ones that are like skating through muf and had one that was almost as good as real ice where I could do everything on.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Yeah, I’ve looked at some pictures and as far as I can tell, it’s normal ice, so you should be good.

If it was really synthetic (the plastic stuff), I’d honesty just say just use the rentals. I’ve skated on it before and at least in my experience it was terrible. You literally can only push forward and glide like one foot, and maybe try a single swizzle. Edge usage/control is essentially non-existent, and even skating backwards is pretty much out of the question.

I tested one of the first plastic ice sheets out of curiosity, back in the 1980s when it was still a new idea for night clubs, industrial shows, etc. Good thing a friend warned me to use a pair of old skates because one scratch spin and there were no edges left on the blade. Shortest time I ever spent "skating".

I've always assumed plastic was referred to as synthetic ice, but that artificial ice just means water poured onto a sand or concrete surface with freezing pipes and groomed by a Zamboni, as in every indoor and outdoor rink I've ever skated on. (Except for the popular natural ice of the Rideau River in Ottawa, I guess, but although I lived in that city for two years, I never got around to skating outdoors on the river.)