Anyone skated on synthetic ice?
- Thread starter Goonzilla
- Start date
Doctor No
Registered User
I've done the treadmill, but nothing more than that.
After 30 minutes on the treadmill, my (goal) skates seemed a little dull when I was on the ice, but it may have just been me being more aware of the differences.
After 30 minutes on the treadmill, my (goal) skates seemed a little dull when I was on the ice, but it may have just been me being more aware of the differences.
LightningInABottle
Registered User
- Jul 13, 2015
- 19
- 0
My girlfriend has a rink in her backyard, I just tried it for the first time recently and it is different for sure, I had lots of trouble. She's had it for a while though and it seems pretty natural for her, so it just takes some getting used to. Apparently it makes the ice seem easier when your done, so you fly when you're playing on the real stuff. Also, they hadn't lubed it for a long time so that might have made it a bit harder. I loved the puck-handling on it though, I think if I got used to it it would be great, all in all I would definitely recommend it.
iamjs
Registered User
- Oct 1, 2008
- 12,583
- 985
Didn't like it at all. They had it outside of the 2012 Draft. It seemed like I had to change my stride just to get moving.
Is it ok to cruise around on and do stuff at half-speed? Sure, I guess.
Would I build a rink so I could have an alternative to on-ice training? I'm not sure I could say that I would.
Is it ok to cruise around on and do stuff at half-speed? Sure, I guess.
Would I build a rink so I could have an alternative to on-ice training? I'm not sure I could say that I would.
I skated on a Teflon "area" many years ago. It was more like a half rink in size or smaller. You couldn't glide very well compared to ice. I didn't think that the surface would hold up very long to my Bauer Panthers. I could see where I had skated. It looked like razor blade marks. You can renew the surface on ice. With the Teflon, you probably replace it or flip it over to the other side.
Does anybody know how they are doing this on big cruise ships? The one that I went on 2 years ago didn't have a rink. It did have a few billiard tables.
Does anybody know how they are doing this on big cruise ships? The one that I went on 2 years ago didn't have a rink. It did have a few billiard tables.
shoeshine boy
Registered User
- Aug 14, 2008
- 758
- 127
many years ago I had a friend who had a half-rink in his back yard for his kids to train on. the guy had more money than God. 
I did skated on it once. after a few strides it was pretty close to ice, imo but I will say that it really made you use proper form. stopping was pretty easy but going backwards was near impossible. my friend said that it was really hard on his blades though and I hated that it left little shavings all over the place. I don't think it lasted long at my friend's house though because the upkeep was just too difficult.
I did skated on it once. after a few strides it was pretty close to ice, imo but I will say that it really made you use proper form. stopping was pretty easy but going backwards was near impossible. my friend said that it was really hard on his blades though and I hated that it left little shavings all over the place. I don't think it lasted long at my friend's house though because the upkeep was just too difficult.
Reviving this thread to put in my experience. I just installed a 12 x 32 surface in my basement.
This is for training with my 8 year old son. It was already a finished basement and we had been spending each night playing in our sneakers on a laminate floor. I wanted to step it up and put in ice since the mechanics of playing in your sneakers don't really translate too well to the ice.
So I ripped up half the carpeting and layed this down on the concrete. I think your experience with how well it skates will vary greatly depending on what product you try. Some older technologies that are not well maintained (Glide enhancer not frequently applied) will behave much different than the new stuff.
I put in the Global Synthetic Super-Glide Slick surface. This reportedly does not need any enhancer because the lubrication is in the polymers. I plan to add Glide Enhancer anyway and see how that helps. When you first step on it you will be disappointed. My son immediately said I can't skate on this, am I supposed to walk? But if you shuffle your feet back and forth for ten seconds the lubricant starts to work. Do a couple hard strides and you are in business.
It definitely is a harder workout, but since it is a small space, that is not a bad thing. The puck slides ok, but also a little slower. If you use a sport court puck it will glide like on ice, but is very light.
Stopping is actually easier than on ice. You don't dig in as much. Yes there are little shavings generated and cuts in the ice. You just vacuum every once in a while. They say the scratches actually improve things over time. Also it is supposed to last 10 years per side, but all depends on how much you use it.
I haven't had it long enough to see how quickly your skates dull. All reports I have found is definitely quicker. I have a home sharpener so not too big of an issue. It won't ruin them in anyway. I will probably get cheaper steel dedicated for this since it is easy to pop the steel out with the new runners Bauer uses. Sill experimenting with what ROH to use. I was told going to 5/8" ROH might be best. I don't have a wheel for that so haven't tried it. So far used 1/2" round hollow and 3/8" Flat Bottom hollow. No real preference yet. I will get a 5/8 sharpening at my LHS and see if better before getting the wheel.
I am still setting it up as far as boards and a shooting tarp, but eventually hope to have it looking nice so my basement will still look finished. I would have liked to make it a little wider, at least 16 feet, but had posts and my stairs in the way.
This is for training with my 8 year old son. It was already a finished basement and we had been spending each night playing in our sneakers on a laminate floor. I wanted to step it up and put in ice since the mechanics of playing in your sneakers don't really translate too well to the ice.
So I ripped up half the carpeting and layed this down on the concrete. I think your experience with how well it skates will vary greatly depending on what product you try. Some older technologies that are not well maintained (Glide enhancer not frequently applied) will behave much different than the new stuff.
I put in the Global Synthetic Super-Glide Slick surface. This reportedly does not need any enhancer because the lubrication is in the polymers. I plan to add Glide Enhancer anyway and see how that helps. When you first step on it you will be disappointed. My son immediately said I can't skate on this, am I supposed to walk? But if you shuffle your feet back and forth for ten seconds the lubricant starts to work. Do a couple hard strides and you are in business.
It definitely is a harder workout, but since it is a small space, that is not a bad thing. The puck slides ok, but also a little slower. If you use a sport court puck it will glide like on ice, but is very light.
Stopping is actually easier than on ice. You don't dig in as much. Yes there are little shavings generated and cuts in the ice. You just vacuum every once in a while. They say the scratches actually improve things over time. Also it is supposed to last 10 years per side, but all depends on how much you use it.
I haven't had it long enough to see how quickly your skates dull. All reports I have found is definitely quicker. I have a home sharpener so not too big of an issue. It won't ruin them in anyway. I will probably get cheaper steel dedicated for this since it is easy to pop the steel out with the new runners Bauer uses. Sill experimenting with what ROH to use. I was told going to 5/8" ROH might be best. I don't have a wheel for that so haven't tried it. So far used 1/2" round hollow and 3/8" Flat Bottom hollow. No real preference yet. I will get a 5/8 sharpening at my LHS and see if better before getting the wheel.
I am still setting it up as far as boards and a shooting tarp, but eventually hope to have it looking nice so my basement will still look finished. I would have liked to make it a little wider, at least 16 feet, but had posts and my stairs in the way.
Last edited:
Yes, it creates shavings, but not as much as you would get from skating on ice for the same amount of time. They claim 10 years of lifetime on each side.
many years ago I had a friend who had a half-rink in his back yard for his kids to train on. the guy had more money than God.
I did skated on it once. after a few strides it was pretty close to ice, imo but I will say that it really made you use proper form. stopping was pretty easy but going backwards was near impossible. my friend said that it was really hard on his blades though and I hated that it left little shavings all over the place. I don't think it lasted long at my friend's house though because the upkeep was just too difficult.
I have not had any problem skating backwards once my skates are warmed up. As long as you are gliding smoothly you can skate backwards as normal. If you are catching then I can see losing your balance skating backwards or forwards. I could post a video.
shoeshine boy
Registered User
- Aug 14, 2008
- 758
- 127
you might try putting some furniture polish or glide enhancer on the puck. we recently made our own puck rebounder and bought some kind of panel board from Home Depot and found that polish not only on the board but also the puck itself really made a big difference.
Backyard Hockey
Dealing With It
- Feb 13, 2015
- 13,939
- 6,417
We had a few sheets we got 'second hand' and used on our patio as a shooting pad/small area thing.
I'm a bender, but my three boys are hardcore. They didn't like it.
- Dulls the blades FAST. After 45 min of skating, edges need to be sharpened. Fine if you have a Wissota sharpening station in your basement, but if you have to get skates sharpened basically every time you use the 'ice' at a rink, it will become a pain. My kids basically just used it like dryland tiles doing stick handling and shooting stuff in their socks or shoes.
- It creates a LOT of friction. You can hockey stop, turn, etc, but the push offs are hard. Some like that. Steve Chelios (Chris' brother) has a local training center and he uses it. Says it works the legs and push offs better which helps on real ice. Sort of like a batter swinging with a weighted bat in the on deck circle.
- It creates TONS of plastic shavings. They will be everywhere and I mean everywhere - stick to things and in certain instances, hard to get off pants and socks - anything with a woven texture.
- Not all synthetic ice is created equal. Some need glide enhancer, some don't. The stuff that needs it is messy as hell. The enhancer is glycerine based and could stain things. Think about it like when kids have buttery hands and wipe them on their pants. Have to shop around to get the good stuff.
- Size - for a rink to be good, you need size. For example, my backyard rink is 35x55. Works great for 2x2 games and drills/having fun. But I'd still love it to be bigger. Most people have limited space in a basement for any real size for kids bigger than mites. So, you could go outdoors, but the weather will beat it up badly. Oh, and this stuff is REALLY expensive. $200-250 per 4x8 sheet. Do the math.
So, is it better than nothing? Yes. It's fun here and there, but it's not the real thing. The biggest drawbacks are the cost and the blade dulling. Hey, it's skating. Any skating - especially in warm weather/off season - is better than none and my kids would gladly do that versus NOT skating. But having to sharpen after every use (prohibitive) is a bit of a deal killer.
The IDEAL set up would be if you had some acreage and could build a nice little semi covered structure or even pull barn. Maybe a loft area above on one side with a man cave and then a nice synthetic ice rink that's at least 20x40. And you MUST have your own skate sharpening and have skate sharpening skillz. So basically, a pipe dream!
I'm a bender, but my three boys are hardcore. They didn't like it.
- Dulls the blades FAST. After 45 min of skating, edges need to be sharpened. Fine if you have a Wissota sharpening station in your basement, but if you have to get skates sharpened basically every time you use the 'ice' at a rink, it will become a pain. My kids basically just used it like dryland tiles doing stick handling and shooting stuff in their socks or shoes.
- It creates a LOT of friction. You can hockey stop, turn, etc, but the push offs are hard. Some like that. Steve Chelios (Chris' brother) has a local training center and he uses it. Says it works the legs and push offs better which helps on real ice. Sort of like a batter swinging with a weighted bat in the on deck circle.
- It creates TONS of plastic shavings. They will be everywhere and I mean everywhere - stick to things and in certain instances, hard to get off pants and socks - anything with a woven texture.
- Not all synthetic ice is created equal. Some need glide enhancer, some don't. The stuff that needs it is messy as hell. The enhancer is glycerine based and could stain things. Think about it like when kids have buttery hands and wipe them on their pants. Have to shop around to get the good stuff.
- Size - for a rink to be good, you need size. For example, my backyard rink is 35x55. Works great for 2x2 games and drills/having fun. But I'd still love it to be bigger. Most people have limited space in a basement for any real size for kids bigger than mites. So, you could go outdoors, but the weather will beat it up badly. Oh, and this stuff is REALLY expensive. $200-250 per 4x8 sheet. Do the math.
So, is it better than nothing? Yes. It's fun here and there, but it's not the real thing. The biggest drawbacks are the cost and the blade dulling. Hey, it's skating. Any skating - especially in warm weather/off season - is better than none and my kids would gladly do that versus NOT skating. But having to sharpen after every use (prohibitive) is a bit of a deal killer.
The IDEAL set up would be if you had some acreage and could build a nice little semi covered structure or even pull barn. Maybe a loft area above on one side with a man cave and then a nice synthetic ice rink that's at least 20x40. And you MUST have your own skate sharpening and have skate sharpening skillz. So basically, a pipe dream!
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