For millions of ice skaters and hockey players around the world synthetic ice has been a valuable solution that helps skaters ice skate even when ice rinks are closed. Synthetic ice flooring is lightweight and very easy to install so it allows people to build rinks and skate just about anywhere that there has a hard flat surface.
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What Is Synthetic Ice?
Synthetic ice is a type of plastic that was developed first in the 1960s. The first version of artificial ice was interlocking flooring that you could install on a hard surface that sort of mimicked real ice. The problem with the first implementation of artificial ice flooring is that it had to be lubricated constantly in order to deliver a slick glide for the skaters. The first synthetic ice manufacturer was in the United States.
Why Was Synthetic Ice Invented?
As most people are already aware, ice is actually water that has been frozen. When the ambient temperature of ice becomes higher than the freezing temperature that keeps it solid, the ice melts and turns into water. It is extremely difficult to ice skate on water. As silly as this might sound when ice skating sports became popular in the culture, developers and investors came together to find a way to capitalize on the up-and-coming gold mine that had the potential to change the world.
The Benefits of Synthetic Ice
Although synthetic ice is made from plastic in a factory, it has proven to be a cleaner way to have an ice rink than real ice. The energy that it takes to keep a building cold enough to sustain frozen ice is taxing on the ecological structure of the planet as well. When an ice rink reverts to synthetic ice, it saves the constant flow of energy that is used to keep it cold. Synthetic ice can be installed and used over and over again without causing any toxins or energy issues to arise from its use. Real ice rinks, on the other hand, bring issues of refrigerants, exhaust from running machines for cooling, and other issues that synthetic ice resolves.
Where Synthetic Ice is Made
Synthetic ice is made in factories that develop high-velocity polymer plastic products such as slick tiles and other hockey aids. These manufacturers can be anywhere in the world. The best synthetic ice is created right in the United States. High-quality synthetic ice is manufactured in a way that includes built-in lubricants that allow ice skaters to glide across the surface similar to the way they would over ice. The quality of artificial ice flooring can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer depending on the way that they make the panels and the ingredients that they put into the plastic during the process.
Ice Skating on Synthetic Ice
Synthetic ice can be a great way to install a simple and affordable ice rink in the comfort of your own home. Although there is a bit of a drag for the skaters when they skate on it, the experience is very similar to skating on real ice. The positive side of having a bit of a drag when ice skating is that it is not enough of a drag to stop a skater from skating, but it is enough resistance to build strength and stamina on the rink. Just as working out with light weights can strengthen and tone muscles, skating with a bit of resistance can build muscles too.
Ice skating has been a part of human existence for thousands of years. Before there were metal ice skates, there were skates made from animal skins and bones. With synthetic ice, we can continue to skate even when it is hot outside. It is great that such an amazing invention has come so far.
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