I am putting together an event at our rink where some of the on-ice events will be skating, and some will be other events, such as a black gospel choir, glow-in-the dark baton twirlers, and other standing-moving type stuff.

Anyone know of what would work to put down on the ice for a surface that is not too expensive and can be put down and taken up rather quickly that is pretty slip-proof?

I tried the mats like the ones just inside the door of the rink that have the low grade carpet on top and kind of skid proof rubber bottom but it moved around.....sigh....any suggestions?

How about some sheets of plywood?

What about a big roll-up floor tarp like winter color guards/drumlines use on gym floors?

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2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Well, i would think plywood would not be 100% flat and might twist around on the ice. It would work, however if i could figure out something that would go under it.

Don't know about the tarp....it would have to not get bunched up somehow as people moved around on it, but that is a possibility...

Don't use cardboard - it freezes to the ice. We once had a show with about a dozen root-balled evergreens as the "curtain." Dragging them across the ice left a filthy trail of dirt and rocks, so I grabbed some empty pizza boxes and slid them across the ice on the cardboard. Then I REMOVED THE BOXES from underneath!

Some of the other helpers didn't remove the boxes. The rink manager was furious - it took four ice cuts to get the cardboard off!

We've occasionally had shows where one of the video/photo crews was on the ice. They used extra rubber mats from the rink flooring. Not all rinks have those mats though.

You can buy similar mats at Costco/BJs/Home Depot/Lowes/auto stores - they're called "workshop mats." They have interlocking "teeth" along the edges, some packages have straight finish edges. (Depends on how much you want to spend.) They're about a 1/2" to 1" thick and come in black or in colors.

To keep them from sliding, just wet the corners or edges and they'll freeze to the ice. A spray bottle works great. You can pull them up fairly easily, or you can run a scraper under the edge to free them when you need to clear the ice.

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I've used those carpeted rubber backed runners that offices, etc. rent during the winter season to protect their entry ways from the slush and rain. There should be an industrial rug company in your area that rents these things to offices, hospitals etc. We actually managed to get a company to donate the rentals for our competitions........they are the same runners that are used to put on the ice for medal presentations at competitions.

If you don't know where to look - next time you are in a grocery store, office, doctor's office etc. and they have those mats at the entryway -- ask them what company they use!

Not the special gym floor tarp that color guards and drumlines use on gym floors. That stuff is made to run around and dance around on. It's heavy, not like tarp you'd buy at Home Depot or wherever people buy tarps to cover things with.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Are you thinking of marley?

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Floor Tarp ....is called ..???? is that what someone asked is Marley?