Synthetic ice rink.

[londonicechamp]

Hi

Due to the lack of ice rinks in Singapore (now there is only one) and the ice hockey players need somewhere to practise their ice hockey for their Asian games in the next four years, Stamford American International School has built a synthetic ice rink. The only thing I can say is that their size is much smaller (about 10m x 20m), and also very costly, 10 Singapore dollars for half an hour skating, and only open for the public to try out for two hours, between 2 and 4 p.m. last weekend and this weekend.

I asked my coach about it. She said that if I am going to practise figure skating, then no use going to this rink, as no toe picks allowed, meaning no figure skaters are allowed, as it will dig a hole onto the ice. The coach said that only go for this rink if I want to try the novelty of synthetic ice rink compared to artificial ice rink.

londonicechamp

[Skate@Delaware]

I'm not sure if I understand...synthetic ice rinks are basically plastic-why would they say no toe picks? You can't dig a chunk out as with real ice as that is virtually impossible.

Synthetic ice is a good training aid as it helps build up your muscles; however, it will dull your blades so I would recommend not using it as often or using an old pair of skates/blades and saving your good skates for real ice.

[londonicechamp]

Hi Skate@Delaware

According to my ice skating coach in Singapore, it is useless for me to go to this synthetic ice rink, as they only allowed people with hockey skates on. Also, no toe picks allowed as the ice rink organiser is afraid that figure skates will leave a deep hole on their ice. 8O

Do not think that I will be going to this ice rink, as I can do nothing much more than just basic walking. I may as well save it for my regular artificial rink. :lol:

londonicechamp

[Skate@Delaware]

It's just as well, better stick with the good stuff!!!

[Layne]

I don't understand either. I can't imagine that anyone would attempt to jump on that surface (not that many public skaters could), so if the toe picks aren't hitting it why does it matter? It probably would indent the plastic, but not really take a chunk out of it.

Actually I don't understand why rental skates have toe picks anyway. They only serve to trip people and let kids learn to push off the wrong way.

[Isk8NYC]

Actually I don't understand why rental skates have toe picks anyway. They only serve to trip people and let kids learn to push off the wrong way.
Starting out on figure skates is ALWAYS better than hockey skates. The boots can be tied tighter and provide more support. The blades are longer and flatter, so learning to balance side-to-side is mastered more quickly. On hockey skates, they also have to learn how to balance front-to-back because you can crack your head open by rocking off the heel.

Rental skates are never in good condition, thanks to the users who flush the toilets with them and walk across the metal bleachers. Those skates (hockey and figure) always dull and sharpening them over and over makes them flat. The toepicks aren't the issue, it's use and abuse.

But people cause their own problems and then blame the skates. They get skates that are waaay too big - you can see their feet swimming in them. I can see it when someone has a wide foot, they need a bigger skate because there are no wide widths in rentals, okay. Most of the time, they rent too-big skates because they're ignorant or they are VAIN. They want to show off that they have big feet, they want to wear two pairs of thick socks (thinking they're so smart), or they want to be "comfortable" in loose-fitting skates.

Then they don't tie them properly, if at all, and wonder why they trip over the toepicks. They'd go down on their face in hockey skates too, with that recipe for disaster.

I've seen toe pushers in both hockey and figure skates, so that observation is wrong, too.

Most of the skills in the Learn to Skate program are designed for figure skates, at least above Basic 4/ISI Delta. The rinks have to provide them as an option.

[pedonskates]

We skated on some synthetic ice at one of the local resorts.
It takes a lot more power to move. It's not that a toe pick will put a hole in the surface, it's that it won't put one in, so you can't get the leverage to jump. Edge jumps are OK. Spins have to be on a different part of the blade.
I used an old pair of skates to prevent dulling my good blades.
Was definitely a good work-out for muscles. I was smoking on the real ice after skating on it.

[Layne]

Isk8NYC, I'm sure that's all true. I wasn't suggesting they only rent hockey skates, just that figure skates made for renting don't necessarily need to be made with toe picks on them except for the sake of looking traditional. Public skaters can't jump, and anyone who can jump probably won't attempt to do it in rental skates.

My rink is only 5 years old and the popular sizes of skates are in terrible condition. Some even look dangerous.

[FLskater]

I worked with two of my rink's coaches at a synthetic ice rink they had bought and set up at one of the local malls. You definitely have to bend your knees and push harder to get any glide. (Then once I got back onto real ice it was like - whoah, this is really slippery!) Some of the coaches and the better skaters from our rink were able to do doubles on the synthetic - so it can be done, and does not take out a large chunk like they can on regular ice. The type we had, Super Glide, did have some shavings that would have to be swept up, and there was a spray to help keep the ice in good condition, that apparently helped to "heal" the nicks in the ice, much like a self-healing cutting board.

Definitely do not use your own skates if you are going to try it - they dull the blades down really badly!

[Isk8NYC]

...figure skates made for renting don't necessarily need to be made with toe picks on them except for the sake of looking traditional. Public skaters can't jump, and anyone who can jump probably won't attempt to do it in rental skates. People take lessons in rentals, so they DO need the toepicks. A rink cannot have a separate set of skates for public sessions and another for skate lessons. It's a fungible commodity, so one fits all.

I've had students learning (and DOING) toe loops in rentals. With great talent, skates are just a prop, lol.
You wouldn't believe how many kids teach each other how to do waltz jumps on public sessions wearing figure skates.