The popularity of skating rinks in Russia has increased significantly over the past year and a half. There are more than 30 of them in our city. And the skating rinks are not empty. Today, at skating rinks you can meet people of all ages - from very young children to elderly grandparents. And this is not surprising.

Firstly, ice skating does not require large financial investments. Secondly, this type of sport and recreation is accessible to people with varying physical fitness.

Unfortunately, ice skating in most Russian cities is only possible in winter. Of course, in cities that have professional hockey teams, the skating rink operates both in summer and autumn. But even that one starts working at the end of July. And many people want to ride all year round. There is a way out of this situation.

Today, skating rinks with artificial synthetic ice are being built in Russia. Synthetic ice consists of slabs of special plastic that are joined together. Then a special liquid is applied to them, which allows them to skate. The skates used are the same as for “normal” ice. The durability of one side of the coating is from 3 to 5 years. Then the slabs are turned over to the other side. And you can ride again.

Surprisingly, the speed on such a skating rink is only 5-10% lower than on regular ice. At the same time, a synthetic ice skating rink does not require much maintenance, and there is no need to create complex cooling systems. Synthetic ice can be laid both indoors and outdoors. In winter, this coating can be filled with ice so that the surface is less subject to wear.

So let's calculate the costs and profits. 1 sq.m of synthetic ice costs around 250 USD. 200 sq.m. will cost 50,000 USD, i.e. about 1,300,000 rubles. Let’s say that 5 people visit the skating rink in an hour, i.e. with a 10-hour working day, 50 per day. Each of them will pay 100 rubles for riding. We will receive 150,000 rubles per month. 1,800,000 rubles per year.

The calculations are preliminary and do not take into account the costs of electricity, staff salaries, and rent of the area for the skating rink. But anyone who wants to take this seriously can do the math for themselves.

You can also earn income:
— from renting out skates;
— holding corporate competitions in hockey and curling (this sport is almost undeveloped in Russia);
— work of a small cafe at the skating rink.

Since the skating rink is collapsible, i.e. mobile, other options for its use are possible. For example, organizing outdoor children's parties or holding weddings. Imagine, the bride and groom exchange rings or dance a wedding dance on ice. I think it's amazing.

I invite everyone to express their thoughts about the idea. Your opinion is very interesting whether this idea can take root in Russia.

Skating- one of the most favorite and popular activities at any time of the year for children and adults. People start skating from a young age and continue skating until old age. After all, in order to start skating you need three things - skates, ice and a good mood. Therefore, business at ice rinks will always be in demand. An ice rink business can be of three types: a business at an open-air skating rink (natural ice), a business at the opening of an ice arena (artificial ice) and a business at synthetic skating rinks. In this article we will look at the nuances of all these types.

Business specifics, start-up capital for natural ice skating rinks

The relevance of the skating rink business idea increases many times over with the winter season, this is due to the fact that it is possible to organize a skating rink in winter without any capital costs or the purchase of special machines. Water and frost are the two foundations of your ice business.

Opening your own business at an outdoor ice skating rink is profitable, profitable, and simple - you don’t need to build capital structures, you can recoup your investment in one season. If the weather conditions of the region allow, the use of natural ice makes it possible to implement a business idea with a small start-up capital. So the opening of an ice skating rink with an area of ​​1800 sq.m. and arrangement of the adjacent territory of 200 sq.m. will require an investment of $60,000.

Natural open-air ice skating rinks make money by renting skates, using the sides of fences as advertising platforms, providing a field for various events and promotions for other companies, and placing retail outlets and vending machines on their territory. The profitability here is quite high - 60%, seasonal income even in small cities (200-300 thousand inhabitants) can reach $130,000, net profit is about $80,000. The main disadvantage of a business idea: seasonality.

Choice of location, infrastructure of an open-air skating rink

The optimal places to open an ice skating rink are the central areas of the city, popular and busy squares, proximity to attractions, city Christmas trees, shopping centers, seasonal fairs, and distance from competitors are welcome. If it’s on the outskirts, then with the convenience of transport interchanges and access roads. To rent a suitable plot, you must obtain permission from the local administration and enter into an agreement. Clear, level and tidy the area, fill it with water, and install temporary barriers.

According to the standards, at least 7.5 sq.m. must be allocated per rider. Thus, the capacity of the 30x60 m ice arena will be 240 people. A significant competitive advantage will be the presence in the adjacent territory of not only a rental and sharpening of skates, but also storage rooms for things, an area for comfortable changing of clothes for visitors, shops selling snacks, hot drinks, vending machines, free Wi-Fi, lighting in the dark days, musical accompaniment. Various competitions and events can be held on the territory of the skating rink, all of which will attract as many visitors as possible.

Calculating the costs of starting a natural ice skating rink business

Arranging an ice skating rink will require costs of $26,500-27,000 (filling a field of 1,800 sq.m. - $1,500, purchasing and installing wooden fences - $26,000), the adjacent territory (pine log frame 36 sq.m. - $4,000, two luggage storage - $200, delivery, installation, registration $3500) - $7700. Purchase of equipment for a rental point - $14,800: children's skates - 18.5 USD/pair, adults - $19.2, hockey skates - $22.3, 220 sets of each type, 3 racks for storing skates - $900, benches and sales stands – $650. Other (site decor elements - $1,500, loudspeaker, music system - $1,400, lighting fixtures - $830, skate sharpening machine - $700, household equipment, clothing for instructors) - $5,500. starting advertising campaign – $700, design and registration – $460, working capital – $3000.

Profit

Average price for skate rental: 2.3 USD per hour for adults, $1.8 – for children, $2. – sharpening, $2.3/hour for instructor services, $0.75 – storage locker rental, fine for exceeding the time limit – $2.3. Additional sources of income: advertising on the sides of the skating rink, rent for the placement of vending machines and retail outlets.

Staff

To maintain an open-air ice skating rink, you will need 4 administrators, the same number of workers per rental point, and about 10 instructors working in shifts. The wage fund will be $7,000.

Current expenses

The main current expenses of a business at an ice skating rink include payment of rent and utilities (electricity) - about 750-800 USD. per month, maintenance of the skating rink and sports equipment (cleaning and restoring the surface, drying skates) - $500-550, advertising and themed events, parties, discos, hiring animators - $600.

At the end of the season, certain costs will be associated with the dismantling of the skating rink - $1,500.

Specifics of business on indoor artificial ice rinks

Business at skating rinks can be year-round. For this purpose, so-called indoor ice arenas with various types of artificial ice are equipped.

The cost of setting up such an arena depends on the “appetite” and capabilities of the business organizer. The cost of construction and equipment of the premises can vary from 300 to 100,000 thousand rubles.

To organize a skating rink, where the ice is “frozen” artificially, you need a refrigeration machine called chiller. This installation forces refrigerant through a pipeline located inside the skating rink, thereby cooling the surface to sub-zero temperatures. Water spilled on this surface freezes, forming the ice surface of the skating rink. An industrial chiller for a large ice arena costs from 20 million rubles.

Earning money on the ice arena

Earnings at a year-round ice arena consist of the traditional and main part - skating (both on open natural skating rinks), and an additional part - organizing various events: related to skating (figure skating, hockey, etc.) and not related to skating (musical performances, festivals, sporting events, etc.), for this purpose the ice is covered with insulating mats.

Synthetic ice skating rinks

Synthetic ice— a synthetic skating rink made of special thermal panels (plates). Thermal plates are made of a unique polyolefin-based plastic. They have a low coefficient of friction and increased wear resistance. Additionally, the surface of the panels is periodically treated with a special lubricant (emulsion), which improves gliding on skates.

From the comments to this business idea: There are synthetic ice panels that do not require special lubricant treatment. All necessary components are already included in the boards during production. Of course, the cost of such ice will be much higher than that of “synthetic with emulsion”, however, over the entire service life, which is at least 5 years, this difference is leveled out in favor of the new generation of emulsion-free panels.

The characteristics of such ice are close to artificial ice. People skate on synthetic ice rinks using regular skates with steel blades, or you can use special skates that help improve the consumer properties of artificial ice. The use of synthetic skating rinks does not impose any restrictions; you can skate on them, play hockey, and figure skating.

The key advantage of using thermal panels to organize a skating rink is cheap service.

Artificial synthetic ice can be mounted on any flat and durable surface; they do not need cold; also, the panels are not afraid of precipitation and temperature changes. They can be installed both indoors and outdoors. It is enough to keep the surface of the synthetic skating rink clean, removing dust and dirt from the surface as necessary, and periodically renew the emulsion layer according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Thus, a synthetic skating rink can be installed on almost any free area - in a shopping center, school, library, home, street square or backyard. Summer and winter. From synthetic panels you can organize a stationary skating rink, a mobile outdoor skating rink for events, or rent out the panels for holidays and events.

Video: synthetic ice, demonstration of possibilities in an apartment

The cost of 1 square meter of synthetic ice thermal panels is from 4,000 rubles.

Once on the way from the skating rink, we started talking about which skating rinks are better: artificial ones or with the most natural ice? And is it really possible to ride on artificial ones even at temperatures slightly above zero...

When it comes to artificial skating rinks, there appears to be some confusion regarding the terms used to describe the type of ice used. This could be artificial ice, which is still water, albeit specially purified and frozen by a refrigeration unit. And this could be synthetic ice, which is also often called artificial, which creates confusion: such ice no longer needs water.

Artificial ice

Photo: http://masterxoloda.ru/2/item/kak-zalivayut-iskusstvennyj-katok

To create artificial ice, refrigeration units are used, connected to complex systems of cooling tubes located at the base of the rink.

With the help of such installations it is possible to maintain the required ice temperature even at above-zero air temperatures. At the same time, the optimal ice temperature for figure skating is around -3..-4 degrees: at this temperature, the ice is quite close to the melting point, therefore it is softer and less likely to chip during jumps.

In turn, hockey players prefer slightly colder and harder ice with a temperature of -5 degrees: such ice is more resistant to the active destructive effects produced by ten field players.

Open city skating rinks with artificial ice allow you to skate even in fairly warm weather: at different skating rinks the maximum operating temperature is indicated in the range of +7..+9 degrees.

One of the most ambitious skating rinks with artificial ice is the high-mountain skating rink Medeo in Kazakhstan, which operates for 8 months a year: the thickness of the ice coating is as much as 2.3 meters, and 170 kilometers of cooling tubes are used to artificially freeze the ice!

Synthetic ice

Photo: http://stroitehnika.kz/catalog/service/stroitelstvo_sportivnyh_obektov/sinteticheskij_led1326783056.html

It is essentially ice made from polyethylene, abbreviated UHMWPE: ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

Such “ice” no longer cares about the surrounding temperature, so it can be used completely freely in shopping centers and even on beaches: the permissible temperature of synthetic ice is in the range of -70..+70 degrees.

Synthetic ice is sold in the form of rectangular sheets 1-2 centimeters thick and about 2x4 meters in size, which are laid on the most even, solid base and tightly joined to each other. The service life of such panels is about 10 years: five years on each side.

It must be said that this invention is not new and was first tested for skating back in the 1960s.

To improve gliding on synthetic ice, special lubricants are used on its surface. There are also “self-lubricating” options with lubricant integrated directly into the ice material

And although synthetic ice is currently inferior in skating quality to “water” ice, a number of commercial advantages make it a popular material for creating a skating rink:

• Possibility of use at high positive temperatures
• mobility in transportation and installation
• significantly cheaper and easier surface care

* The calculations use average data for Russia

Until recently, it was difficult to imagine that such a popular winter entertainment among children and adults as an ice skating rink could become an idea for your own business. Moreover, it is quite profitable: its profitability is estimated at 30-50% (sometimes we are even talking about 70%!). However, as in any other business, the “ice” business has both its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include the still low level of competition in this segment, various options for organizing a business depending on the budget you have, as well as the high demand for such services. Among the disadvantages are, first of all, the seasonality of the business and the cost.

Ice skating is one of the most common types of winter entertainment in our country and abroad and at the same time a useful and exciting sport. There are two main ways to start this business - by renting an existing skating rink or building a new one from scratch. In the first case, the costs will be much lower, but the lease agreement is usually issued for only one year, so it is far from certain that after this period you will be able to extend the agreement. It is quite possible that you will have to look for a new location or even a new idea for business. Building a skating rink from scratch will require considerable investment. Although in this case it all depends on which version of the skating rink you choose.

Types of ice skating rinks

There are two main types of skating rinks - roofed and open-air. Outdoor skating rinks are simpler in design and faster in construction. It will take up to twenty million rubles to create a good arena from scratch. Although it all depends on the area and the technologies used. For example, the world's largest ice skating rink, which is located at VDNKh in Moscow and has 53 thousand square meters. meters, cost 1000 rubles per 1 sq. meter.

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Depending on the region, the operating period can be up to eight months per year. But this option is not the best for the southern regions of our country, where winters are not cold and long enough. In addition, outdoor skating rinks are in no way protected from adverse weather conditions. This means that precipitation may cause inconvenience to your skating rink's patrons. And, in addition, they directly affect the quality of the ice, and even special equipment cannot always help here.

Rollers under the roof, in turn, are divided into rollers under an air-supported structure and rollers under a metal structure. In an air-supported structure, which is built like a tent, the walls and ceiling of the skating rink are supported by specially directed air flows. For the construction of ice skating rinks, only high-quality structures made of metal tent material are used, which are distinguished by their high quality and durability. An ice rink can be of various shapes and sizes, for example, rectangular, round or oval. If necessary, skating rinks can be equipped with a grandstand, a locker room, additional devices for monitoring temperature, humidity and other indicators, as well as other necessary additions. The air-supported design of the ice skating rink allows for the best use of the internal space of the skating rink. In a skating rink of this design it is much easier to maintain the required temperature. The air pressure in such skating rinks does not exceed the difference in atmospheric pressure between the first and ninth floors of an ordinary building. The human body does not notice such changes in pressure levels, and therefore does not cause discomfort.

The ice skating rink itself can be installed either directly on a hard ground surface or on an existing sports ground by installing a hard floor.

The construction of such a skating rink will require at least two to three months and about 45 million rubles. In this case, the skating rink will have to be equipped with a system for reusing heat and forced thawing of ice. To increase the profitability of the project, such skating rinks have additional internal infrastructure. On their territory, for example, cafes are equipped, shops and other establishments are opened.

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Skating rinks covered with metal structures are located in permanent buildings. As a rule, these are sports centers and shopping and entertainment complexes. This skating rink is the most expensive. Its construction will cost about 100 million rubles. The high cost is due to the requirements for tightness, thermal insulation and recovery (returning part of the materials or energy for reuse in the same technological process) of the skating rink. In addition, particularly high demands are placed on the appearance of such a skating rink. However, rollers with metal structures are considered the most profitable. Firstly, they can be used all year round. Secondly, in such an indoor complex it is possible to provide additional services that bring significant profits. The latter type of skating rinks are most common in large cities. In regions, as a rule, skating rinks of open type or with air-supported structures predominate, since they require less investment and pay off faster.

Construction technology

In general, the technology for building an ice rink is practically the same, regardless of the type of rink: first the surface is leveled, then a system of cooling pipelines is laid (their cost is estimated at 65 thousand euros), which are filled with sand. Water is sprayed layer by layer on top of this structure, which freezes under the influence of the refrigeration unit. The latter is usually a solution of ethylene glycol. The arena is pre-equipped, which is limited on all sides by the sides (its construction will require another 60-63 thousand euros). You will also need special equipment that will maintain the optimal temperature for the ice (at least another 200 thousand euros), and additional equipment for skating rinks (about 100 thousand euros).

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Ice fields can be built using not only backfill systems (as in the description above), but also concreted systems (HDPE pipes in concrete) and ice mat technology. The first two systems are the most common and date back several decades, so we will not dwell on them in more detail. But the technology of ice mats is new. Ice mats are a tubular cooling substrate made in the form of flexible tubes made of ethylene propylene diene ternary copolymer (EPDM), which are connected parallel to each other in strips 120 mm wide. Ice mats have a great advantage over backfill and concrete systems: they completely replace the cooling plate of the standard solution for the skating rink substrate, which reduces the cost of constructing the substrate by more than 30% and significantly reduces construction time. Using this technology, ice is frozen directly onto the ice mats, minimizing the thermal resistance between the ice and the coolant. Thanks to this, the use of ice mats reduces energy consumption by 20% compared to a concrete slab when using the same refrigeration units under the same conditions. The maximum change in ice surface temperature across the entire field is no more than 0.3°C (world norms are no more than 0.5°C).

Additional expenses

In addition to the costs of the actual construction of the skating rink, you will also have to purchase special equipment - an ice harvesting machine that restores the quality of the ice. A new car will cost 5 million rubles. You can find used equipment that will cost half as much, but it will cost much more to repair it than you will save when purchasing it.

Make sure you have the right number of skates of each size. You can calculate the approximate number of skates, taking into account the fact that with an ice surface area of ​​1800 square meters, about 750 pairs are needed. Of these, 250 are in rental, 250 in drying, 250 in reserve. The quality of skates directly affects the duration of their use. A pair of skates costing 3,000 rubles will last 1-2 years, but cheap Chinese-made skates wear out within a month. Skates are dried from moisture either using a special dryer with an antibacterial ionizer, or in a natural way. In the latter case, visitors will have to provide disposable socks. You will also need a skate sharpening machine. About 2.5-3 million rubles will be required for skates and related equipment.

The most significant expense item for an ice rink is electricity. It is required for lighting (and this applies to both indoor and outdoor skating rinks), maintaining a comfortable temperature in the locker rooms and the temperature of the ice surface. Total energy consumption is about 40-50 kW per hour.

Ice skating rink as a business

You don’t have to build a skating rink, but rent it. This will allow you to start a business with less investment. However, finding a suitable area will not be easy. If the skating rink is state property, then you shouldn’t even hope to rent it. And owners of private skating rinks rarely rent them out. And even if such an option can be found, the rent may be too high.

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Whichever skating rink option you choose, you will need to register as a legal entity. You also need to register with the tax authorities. If you plan not to rent, but to build your own ice skating rink, then you will need to complete a large amount of additional documentation: from the construction plan to approvals from various institutions. The entire package of necessary documents will cost 100-200 thousand rubles.

When determining the area of ​​the skating rink that you are going to build or rent, keep in mind that for comfortable skating and better preservation of the ice surface, about 7.5 square meters of area per person is required. The main income comes from individual visitors. The entrance ticket costs about 150-200 rubles on weekdays and an average of 500 rubles on weekends. As a rule, this price also includes skate rental.

A profitable option is to rent out the entire skating rink. As a rule, it is rented by companies for various public events, as well as various figure skating schools and hockey sections. Corporate clients usually rent skating rinks for the evening. At the same time, the rental price per person increases as the total number of visitors increases. This is due to the need for additional costs for subsequent cleaning of the complex, as well as for restoring the quality of the ice surface. Hockey clubs and figure skating schools do not bring in much profit, but they help increase profitability because their classes are usually held at times when there are few other visitors (usually during the daytime hours on weekdays).

An additional source of income for ice skating rinks is advertising. In this case, advertising inscriptions and images can be placed on any media - on the sides, on banners of various formats inside the complex, on entrance tickets and even on the skating rink itself under the ice. The cost of advertising is determined by the owner of the skating rink. It depends on the traffic of the place. Advertising on the ice surface will cost from ten to even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year (in the latter case we are talking about special skating rinks where sports competitions and performances of professional skaters take place).

Ice skating staff

This large-scale business, of course, cannot be done without hired workers. All personnel can be divided into two main categories: service workers and workers who service the skating rink itself, leveling the ice surface. The quality of the surface depends on the qualifications of the ice pouring technologist, so this specialist is considered one of the most important in the ice rink staff. A small skating rink will require at least twenty people to operate. Over a larger area, the staff approximately doubles.

Features of the ice business

The ice skating rink is a seasonal business. Moreover, seasonality applies not only to outdoor skating rinks (which is quite understandable), but also to indoor ones, despite the fact that the latter can operate all year round. But still, ice skating is perceived by most people as exclusively winter fun, so there are few people who want to visit the skating rink during the hot season.

The location of your skating rink is also important. But here you need to take into account a large number of different nuances. So, at first glance, a skating rink in the city center will be more popular than a skating rink in a residential area. However, a large shopping and entertainment complex with popular stores (such as Mega) is more preferable, even if it is located outside the city. Transport accessibility is also of great importance: pay attention to the availability of a convenient access road and places for cars if your skating rink is located in a separate building or in the open air.

Keep in mind that the active operating season of an ice skating rink rarely exceeds four months. During this time, of course, all investments will not be recouped. However, you can significantly increase your profits if you take care of advertising your services in advance. In this case, traditional advertising (radio, television, outdoor advertising, print media), as well as advertising on the Internet, works well. The advertising budget will be from 30 thousand rubles per month. If you decide to create your own website with information about the services offered, prices, work schedules, promotions, etc., then budget not only the cost of its creation, but also its promotion.

Think in advance about the pricing system, the range of services that you can offer to your visitors, the payment system (the opportunity to purchase a subscription, the fee charged for entering the skating rink or for one skating session, an offer for corporate clients) and discounts. Let's say a few words about discounts. As a rule, ice skating rinks offer discounts on children's tickets, as well as discounts on visits during off-peak hours.

The optimal location for an ice skating rink (the assessment was based on the income of such complexes) is in large cities on the territory of a shopping and entertainment center. Opening a skating rink in the region is a risky business. If your city with a population of less than 700 thousand people already has at least one ice arena, it is most likely not worth organizing another skating rink. Although competition is also present in large cities, and one way or another you will have to take this into account. Try to find your competitive advantage. The high quality of services provided in large cities cannot be such. It should be the default. These include concern for the safety of visitors (barriers around the skating rink, security of the complex), timely provision of medical care if necessary (by the way, a physician must be on staff by default), comfortable wardrobes and heated undressing rooms with lockers for storing clothes and personal belongings of visitors. Additional services (all of which are provided, of course, for an additional fee) include rental of sports equipment (for example, protective equipment, hockey equipment), the services of a coach or instructor, a canteen or cafe at the sports complex, guarded parking, light shows, performances etc. In small towns, all these services are considered more of an excess, which leads to an increase in the cost of admission, so if your skating rink is located in the region, your main goal is to reduce prices as much as possible (arrange seasonal discounts, sell season tickets at a favorable price and etc.), rather than improve the service.

Think about what else you can offer your visitors. Perhaps the idea that comes to your mind will become your main competitive advantage. Some people organize parties on ice, light shows, and hire animators who work with young children while their parents skate. Some organize romantic dates on ice, discos and theatrical performances in which actors glide across the icy surface of the skating rink.

Income and expenses

A small indoor skating rink will cost approximately 10-15 million rubles. Profit can be made from entrance fees, rental fees for skates and sports equipment, rental of ice rinks by corporate clients, as well as additional services. These include: skating lessons, skate sharpening, a cafe or canteen, advertising on the territory of the ice complex.

If everything goes well, then one such skating rink can bring in from 4 to 8 million rubles per season. But this calculation is correct for a skating rink located in a large city in a busy place and with a capacity of 100 thousand visitors per season. The payback period for such a business depends on many factors, from weather conditions to the economic situation in the country. The average payback period for an ice rink is three years.

We should not forget about possible risks that can greatly darken the life of an entrepreneur. As mentioned above, these include, first of all, the lack of guarantees for the extension of the skating rink rental agreement for the next season. For this reason, experts advise trying to conclude an agreement for several years at once, but most landlords do not agree to this.

Other risks involve the failure of critical equipment. First of all, this concerns the ice harvester. The slightest downtime is fraught with large losses, especially if it happens at the height of the season. For this reason, you should not save on equipment by buying used machines.

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Synthetic skating rink (synthetic ice) is a special surface that imitates ice on a skating rink. The surface is made up of special thermal plates or thermal panels synthesized on the basis of polyolefin - a polymer material with reduced friction and wear resistance, which makes it suitable for figure skating, ice hockey, and curling.

Synthetic ice, as a rule, is made up of panels secured end-to-end with planks or a special cutout of the “saw”, “dovetail” type, etc. It is important that the synthetic skating rink is located on a perfectly flat, smooth and stable surface, for example, on asphalt, wooden floors, soil, or special platforms.

Synthetic ice is often referred to as artificial ice, which leads to confusion because artificial skating rinks are primarily created from ice generated by refrigeration units during the process of freezing water at the skating rink.

Origin

Synthetic skating rink based on polymer technology has been practiced as an alternative to natural ice made from frozen water for more than four decades. DuPont is a pioneer in the use of plastic for skating. The first such skating rink was built in the 60s of the last century from polyformaldehyde, invented a decade earlier.

Features of polymer panels

Today, polymer panels of some brands are made from plastic using technologies from the middle of the last century. But do not forget that synthetic skating rinks have some distinctive characteristics. To make sliding comfortable, it is necessary to use a special lubricant made from ethylene glycol or silicone compounds. Therefore, when comparing skating on natural ice and on a synthetic skating rink, do not forget that the latter is only an imitation of ice. The lubricant gradually becomes covered with dirt and dust.

Another difficulty caused by the use of synthetic panels for skating rinks is how they are attached to each other. If the butt-butt fastening method is used, the seams may come apart after some time, creating grooves where the blades can easily get stuck. The use of planks as a connecting element reduces the likelihood of the structure spreading. One of the reliable methods of fastening is to use cutouts of the “saw” and “dovetail” type.

Newest technologies

Progress does not stand still: over the past decades, innovations have improved the performance of polymer compounds, reducing the difference between synthetic ice and real ice. Special synthetic compounds combined with high-quality lubricants, which when dry are absorbed by the surface of the synthetic panels, allow the skating rink to remain clean and comfortable to slide.

The properties of polymer panels responsible for moisture resistance and resistance to corrosion, temperature fluctuations, and ultraviolet radiation have been improved. The installation and fastening methods have been improved, which prevents the seams from coming apart. Overall, skating on a synthetic skating rink becomes more comfortable and safe.

Caring for synthetic skating rinks is becoming easier, as biodegradable lubricants are increasingly used, which easily decompose under the influence of ordinary water. This is an excellent alternative to silicone or ethylene glycol based lubricants and significantly reduces cleaning time.

Synthetic ice has a hardness 10-15% higher than real ice, and this is comfortable for beginners and children, for training, practicing elements in curling or hockey.

Synthetic skating rinks are gaining well-deserved popularity in many countries, this is due to their lower cost compared to real ice, as well as the fact that practically no funds are required to maintain and maintain the skating rink. In countries such as the USA and Canada, famous for their achievements in hockey and figure skating, there is a network of hockey clubs and schools that use synthetic ice, based on its low cost.

The synthetic skating rink does not require special operating conditions, is easy to install, can be installed indoors and outdoors, which makes it popular for installation in almost any climate zone, on beaches, in parks, in shopping and entertainment centers, circuses, etc. .P.

The use of synthetic ice serves as a good imitation of natural ice, especially in situations where organizers do not have the financial, technical or other opportunity to install a skating rink made of conventional ice.