Sunday, November 23, 2008

Synthetic Ice

Attention ice skaters: Global warming need not keep you from your favorite activity. At the American Museum of Natural History, a new rink has opened using--get this--synthetic ice. According to the website, The rink is made of an artificial ice, or "synthetic ice," surface that allows ice skating blades to glide smoothly. The use of synthetic ice has environmental benefits; natural ice requires a significant amount of electricity for refrigeration, and the synthetic surface is made of 100% recyclable and non-toxic materials. The synthetic ice does impose some skating limitations: skaters cannot use skates with double blades.

Weird. Doesn't require cooling. Sounds like fun, though. And he rink at the museum is so pretty!

4 comments:

Laura A said...

I wonder: Does in require a Zamboni? Probably not!

We've been thinking of going to this, though you have to pay full price even if you buy your own skates.

But it's really hard to beat Bryant Park!

MacBeth Derham said...

No. There's no Zamboni...I always enjoy watching the ice grooming. Oh well. I have not tried the surface, but I am having a hard time imagining what it's like. Probably not quite as nice as the real thing. And $10 a session...I feel old! When I was a kid it was 10 cents to skate at a rink, or free on the creek behind my grandmother's house, or in the park near my cousin, or, better yet, in my cousin's yard, on their home-made hockey rink!

Ah, those were the days. Hoping for a big freeze on Lake Ronkonkoma, like we had a few years ago. Heck, a few years ago, we were skating on the street in front of the house!

Alice Gunther said...

A couple of years ago, I thought seriously about putting a surface of this stuff down on the floor of the basement!

MacBeth Derham said...

You so should, Alice. It would be a blast!