my brother’s friend had an entire basement of it! it was super cool, it was built like a hockey rink and was nearly the size of one lol. him and his brothers all played hockey and his parents did as well when they were young, so it just made sense for them 🤷
@evey6900 That was actually my first thought when I watched this video & learned about synthetic ice. I thought that I would've loved to have had it in my parent's basement when I was younger.😂 My parents had an unfinished basement with a big, open, concrete floor. There was only one ice rink around back then (in the old days 😂), and it was somewhat far away & kind of expensive.
I’m honestly glad you are. Synthetic ice can be really bad for the blades since it only moves with friction, causing the blades to really heat up after skating
It dulls your blades super fast! Putting glycol on the ice helps you glide better, but yes, your feet are on fire after an hour or 2 on it! When I did ice show contracts on plastic ice, I always took an old pair of blades, as they'd get wrecked!
having skated on both, I find synthetic ice fine for casual use, but I would only consider jumps on the real thing. there's a huge difference in the feel, and I can't imagine trying to stick a landing on the fake ice.
Off ice practice is crucial to development of skills! If you don't have an off ice spinner I really recommend ones, plus butt pads and other pads for practicing off ice jumps :)
@@pamelam1101 ty for the advice!, I do ballet as well so that helps me with spins, but i misplaced my spinner so ty for reminding me i need to order another lol
You're right, off ice training is very important to work and train muscles, also stretching is important, etc. That will help you with figures and postures, it will strengthen your muscles
Last year the mall near me had a synthetic ice rink set up, but it was so difficult to skate on it that most people were falling over constantly, some kids even gave up on skating and started crawling. (Even with those helper penguin thingies) The staff just used normal shoes to walk on the synthetic ice. I was the only one doing laps cos I already had experience in skating.
I’d imagine it’s good for building initial strength. 🤔 Kinda like how deshanking dead pointe shoes and using those versus soft shoes helps build strength in your feet for ballet.
I had no idea this existed! The nearest rink to me is a half hour drive away, and more notably I have no car. This is not exactly a game changer for me since I also have no space or money for synthetic ice, but it's a very cool thing to know exists!
Girl I didn’t know u can skate on that stuff I have 2 small sheets to replicate ice for when I shoot (for hockey) but now I gotta get some big thing to practice skating during off season!
I didnt even know this was a thing, as someone who has always been interested in figure skating but lives so far out in the middle of nowhere that there just Isn't an ice rink near me im intrigued lol
synthetic ice is so expensive if you want some that work. my brother plays ice hockey and he got idk how many feet but it wasn’t much for around $500 USD. it was probably for the size of double a hockey net.
honestly i was never a big fan of synthetic ice lol but i'm glad it worked for you and that you're moving onto more elaborated steps❤ keep it up!! you're an inspiration!
Oh my gosh I would love to buy it off you if you’re willing! I can’t afford it new and as a fellow 15 year old beginner I would love a way to practice at home! No worries if you aren’t interested but I would really appreciate it!❤️❤️
As someone who can neither rollerblade nor ice skate, can you use rollerblades as at least some form of training when you're not able to go to the rink regulary? Or are they just too different?
My thoughts exactly (about the roller blades as an analog for ice skates), I think the main problem with this is that most rollerblades are built more like hockey skates than figure skates. When I had rollerblades I just went to the park and used the courts to skate on (when people weren't using them). It was useful when I started renting the hockey skates at the rink (don't worry, I actually wound up buying a pair with blade guards from the pro shop). lol Most of the casual skaters I was seeing at the rink mainly used hockey skates over the figures from the rental counter. Both types of rental skates were very stiff and uncomfortable after a while, especially with wide feet.
i used synthetic ice back in lockdown during my 2 last jnr season- was very convenient but i did use a different pair of skates just bc the friction destroys the blades and i had an extra pair
I have never had synthetic ice before but after watching this I think I rather stay on real life besides I’m learning jumps and spins that need more room😅
My dumb brain thought she was talking about synthetic "legs" and started identifying the fake one, then heard "eyes" so looked at them and finally read "ice"💀💀.
I’ve been meaning to ask you about this. I finally have the space to get synthetic ice. Any tips on what you would do differently getting it again? Brands, size etc
Our school did an ice skating thing for an end of semester celebration that used synthetic ice, and idk if the one we had sucked or if it's just like that, but imo it just... wasn't it... It was really awkward to skate on and you barely moved, I just didn't like it.
Honestly I wouldn't get rid of it. Because it seems like a great space to workout at home. Or, I would donate it to a teen center so that the kids can play with it.
So i want to practice more but i have social anexiety (if my ister not whit me i panic if people are around). Do you think its a good buy fake ice to practice?
I skated on synthetic ice back in the 70s. I don't think it was very good for your health as bits of it would scuff up and get into the air. I guess technology has moved on since then.
I can take a fast frequent bus to a Rink if i want cause its right next to thw biggest Bus Terminal in this part of the City and one of tge biggest in the State (Northgate Transit Center) (yes its the Seattle Krakens Northgate practice rink)
i didn’t even know this was a thing. this will help so much- similar reasons not being able to get to the rink as often! so glad i found your account🫶🏻
I was on synthetic ice several times. It ruines the blades in an instant and gaining speed is almost impossible. I can't recommend buying it. When there's a possibility to try it somewhere, go and try, you'll feel it instantly.
@@sofiafigureskates It's good to know that there's obviously a brand of good synthetic ice that doesn't dull the blades. My own experience is truly horrible.
Ah, but public skate is $6 for an hour. How many hours have you used your faux ice? Has it paid for itself yet? Also, you can now sell it to the next skater! It was a good purchase I think.
Exactly- what was great for you at one time may not be good anymore later on. That doesn't discount the good it did in the beginning. I wish more people were okay with the flow of life.
Off ice training is figure skating specific workouts! things like doing the jumps and spins off ice, working on balance, spin positions, jump rotations, etc :)
not “too good” , i would use it if i had a bigger surface! theres not enough room do to the moves im capable of now. theres no point in buying more to be able to use it 🤷♀️
