Synthetic Ice Rinks
Are you looking to skate year-round in your backyard, on your driveway, or in the basement? Synthetic ice is the answer. Don’t let a warmer climate or short winter season keep you from getting the ice time you need.
Synthetic ice rinks can be both temporary or permanent. You can use your driveway or yard as a flex space for multiple activities, or as a dedicated rink area.
Perfect for figure skaters and hockey players as a unique and cost-efficient development tool. Rocky Rinks offers full hockey room remodels from framing to finished. Include a bench area with lockers and skate-friendly flooring to complete the look.
Moreover, synthetic ice rinks are ideal for small-skills and goalie training areas. Adding synthetic ice surfaces to a refrigerated facility can optimize training by providing dedicated spaces for specific drills, enhancing overall performance.
Synthetic Ice is Great For
- In-Home Training: For athletes who need constant practice, synthetic ice rinks offer a convenient solution. Whether in the yard, garage, or basement, a home rink means training can continue regardless of weather or time of day.
- Backyard Fun: For warmer climates where natural ice rinks never freeze, and where refrigeration is out of the budget, enjoy convenient ice time in the comfort of your own backyard. With a synthetic ice rink, impromptu hockey games and practice sessions become a regular activity, fostering a love for the sport and bringing families together. Convert an existing sport court from basketball to hockey or build a dedicated surface for your synthetic ice.
- Professional Training: Serious skaters and hockey players benefit from having a professional-grade surface at home. This allows for more frequent practice sessions, honing skills without the need to travel to a distant rink.
- Facility Enhancement: Ice rinks and sports facilities can add synthetic ice areas to create versatile training environments. This allows for focused skill development, such as stickhandling and goaltending, in addition to traditional skating.
What is Synthetic Ice?
While researching synthetic ice rinks, you may have encountered multiple types of synthetic panels of varying sizes and thicknesses.
Synthetic ice is essentially a high-density plastic sheet impregnated with a lubricant during manufacturing. These sheets have a low coefficient of friction, and although they are not exactly like real ice, they mimic the surface incredibly well.
Types of Synthetic Ice
There are currently two main types of synthetic ice panels: extruded and sinter-press. Both are quality products that will last for many years. The choice comes down to your application.
Extruded
This is the standard self-lubricating ultra high molecular weight polyethylene product that most experience when skating on synthetic ice. Great for hockey players, home training, and commercial training use. This is a lower-cost option, which with adequate thickness for your application, could be exactly what your project needs at an affordable price.
Sinter-Press
Sinter-press synthetic panels are recommended for recreational and figure skaters. They are produced using a manufacturing process that is more involved and results in a “floatier” feel on the ice with minimal resistance.
They are made to deliver the most authentic “ice-like” skating experience available on the market. For those who need to deliver a casual, fun, or very ice-like experience and cannot go with a refrigerated rink, sinter-press synthetic ice is the better choice.
Contact us for help choosing the best synthetic panel for your needs.
Where Can I Install a Synthetic Rink?
The main requirement to install a synthetic ice rink is a level surface that is hard enough to provide a suitable subfloor for the synthetic panels. You can install it indoors by converting a space like an unfinished basement or extra garage, or outdoors by preparing a rink site to support the ice.
Note: when installing synthetic ice outdoors, you must account for the thermal properties of the panels which cause them to expand and contract as temperatures change. You must be careful to select proper material thickness, UV resistant formulations, and creative installation methods to make sure your ice will perform in all conditions.
Suitable Subfloors
- Wooden Stage
- Concrete/Asphalt Driveway
- Unfinished Basement
- Garage Floor
- New Pour Concrete (Dedicated Slab)
- Existing Sports Court (Tennis Court, Basketball Court, etc.)
Synthetic ice allows you to skate almost anywhere, and you can easily convert an existing space for a temporary rink or year-round skating.
Where Can I Install a Synthetic Rink?
The main requirement to install a synthetic ice rink is a level surface that is hard enough to provide a suitable subfloor for the synthetic panels. You can install it indoors by converting a space like an unfinished basement or extra garage, or outdoors by preparing a rink site to support the ice.
Note: when installing synthetic ice outdoors, you must account for the thermal properties of the panels which cause them to expand and contract as temperatures change. You must be careful to select proper material thickness, UV resistant formulations, and creative installation methods to make sure your ice will perform in all conditions.
Suitable Subfloors
- Wooden Stage
- Concrete/Asphalt Driveway
- Unfinished Basement
- Garage Floor
- New Pour Concrete (Dedicated Slab)
- Existing Sports Court (Tennis Court, Basketball Court, etc.)
Synthetic ice allows you to skate almost anywhere, and you can easily convert an existing space for a temporary rink or year-round skating.
When Synthetic Ice Isn’t The Best Choice
If your application requires an easy, casual, skating surface for a public ice rink or an approachable family activity, synthetic ice likely won’t satisfy your skater’s expectations of classic ice-skating fun. Although in certain circumstances, either due to budget limitations or unique locations like a rooftop or unreasonably warm rink location, synthetic ice can still bring winter magic to an event. If you’re in a warmer climate and are in need of a fully authentic winter amenity, you’ll want to explore outdoor rink refrigeration. For a year-round solution, an indoor ice arena could be what your family or community needs.
While synthetic ice is a great supplemental surface for athletes, if you need a high-speed performance surface for figure skaters or hockey players looking to get in long strides, we highly recommend refrigeration.
If you have a barn or other structure in your yard, even residential skaters can enjoy a 12-month rink with the right refrigeration system, a tight building envelope, and some additional equipment
Interested in Your Own Home Rink?
Ready to bring the rink to your home or facility? Whether you’re looking to create a personal training space, add a new attraction to your backyard, or enhance your professional facility, we have the expertise and products to make it happen. Let’s get you skating year-round, anywhere you want. Get started on a rink design below.