What Is Synthetic Ice & What Are the Advantages

If you are a coach, avid hockey player or community center manager, you are fortunate enough to be investigating artificial ice when the product is better than it ever has been!

Imagine the floor of your basement, garage, or a fitness room covered in a pure white material. It is made of interlocking panels which are made of a material called VHMW-PE (Very High Molecular Weight Polyethylene). Read and remember that well, there will be a quiz later!

If you are looking for other options, our All-Star Dryland Flooring Tiles work quite well for hockey practice. You can drive on it, but you can’t skate on it. It is slick though, so you can simulate skating when you wear socks or special booties. There are other Synthetic Ice products on the market, but our customers, partners and pro athletes who have tried it tell us our product delivers greater value and a greater skating experience. If you want to become a better hockey player, HockeyShot has you covered.

Here’s how our Synthetic Ice conversations often go

You: “Great. Pure white flooring tiles. I can just imagine all the scratches, stains and bumps in it. My storage barn isn’t exactly level either.”

HS: “Actually, our Extreme Glide Synthetic Ice is very resilient to skate blades, scuffs and scratches. It is self-lubricating, so you don’t have to wax the floor, or use liquid chemicals to condition it like some other artificial ice surfaces.”

You: “Is it even close to the smoothness and slipperiness of ice? Or will I feel like I’m skating through beach sand or oatmeal?”

HS: “Our Ice That Doesn’t Melt is made with the best (technical details alert) coefficient levels of friction on the market. The hardest part of skating on it is the takeoff, once in motion, it feels like the real thing! Our Synthetic Ice has been tested at 10-15% more friction than natural ice. The Ottawa Senators, one of only eight teams to make it to the second round of the 2017 NHL playoffs use it. EA Sports is a video game company. They use it for when they want to study how real hockey players play the game!

You: “You said the surface is made of interlocking panels. Won’t my skates, or my team's’ skates rip open the tiles at the seams?”

HS: “Nope! Our Dovetail interlocking panels stay locked tight, far better than other artificial ice products on the market with spline or square edge connections. Once you get a few skate marks on the ice you can’t even tell where the seams are.”

You: “My daughter and I are hockey players, but my son and wife are into figure skating. Can they use it to practice their double loops and camel spins?”

HS: “Absolutely! Skaters of all levels can use the Extreme Glide Synthetic Ice. For beginners though, we recommend they wear a helmet and protective gear like elbow and shin pads. Our materials are between ⅜ and ¾ of an inch, but between the slipperiness of the surface and the hardness of the ground beneath it, safety precautions are recommended just like on natural ice. They can skate backwards, forwards, and make hard stops. We do recommend not using the picks on figure skates to maximize the longevity of your synthetic ice setup.”

You: “OK, so I imagine you can take a shot on Synthetic Ice, and make a pass. But is it possible to stickhandle? And if I put this outside, will it be damaged from the sun or weather?”

HS: “You can definitely stickhandle like you do on ice. You should check out our YouTube video. It will amaze you what you can do. Our Synthetic Ice is denser than other products on the market, and for the most part, all you have to do to maintain it is sweep/ vacuum it occasionally to keep sand and other materials off it. You could even use a pressure washer and it wouldn’t damage your panels. Plus, stay stress-free if you install your synthetic ice panels outside because our panel is UV protected.”

You: “How long will the artificial ice last? We have a lot of skaters in the family.”

HS: “Usually our product will last between seven and ten years, per side! That’s right, you can use both sides of the panels, and they are quite resilient over the long term. Depending on frequency of use, and the number of skaters that use it of course.”

You: “What if I have to trim some of the panels for installation? Do I need to hire a pro, or buy special tools for that? I’m not really good with ceramic tiles or hardwood flooring. Could I install this with my brother? He’s a little handier than I am, but not much.”

HS: “Yes, you can install our Synthetic Ice product quite easily. If you have a rubber mallet, a measuring tape and a skill saw, you can install HockeyShot Synthetic Ice easier and faster than you might think. We provide you with clear instructions, and our interlocking tabs makes it easy. If you check out the Extreme Glide Synthetic Ice page, you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions, videos, pricing guide, and information about our Incentive Program promotion.”

You: “Sounds great! Thanks for all the information. I can’t wait to install Synthetic Ice in my storage barn. My family and friends will love it.”