There has been no snowfall yet this winter in Flagstaff. But that hasn’t stopped the city from opening an outdoor ice skating rink at the downtown train depot. It doesn’t need to be frozen because it’s made out of synthetic ice. It’s a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional ice rinks. And it’s drawing in all kinds of skaters this holiday season. KNAU’s Justin Regan has more.
Neveya Phillips is visiting Flagstaff from Second Mesa, Arizona. It’s her first time lacing up ice skates, something she’s always wanted to do because Neveya dreams of being an Olympian someday.
“I wanted to be a figure skater because people are going to be watching from all over the world,” says Phillips
She slips and slides along on a series of interlocking plastic boards. They look like frozen water, but the material is actually similar to what cutting boards are made from.
“After my mom told me it was like a puzzle I got shocked that it wasn’t real ice. That’s why I wanted to try it,” says Phillips.
With traditional rinks, skaters slide on a thin layer of water on top of the ice. With synthetic rinks, lubricants, generally silicone based, are built into the plastic. The end result is a rink that works in any weather. Flagstaff Mayor, and former hockey player, Coral Evans, likes the fact it saves water.
“One of the things we as a city have stated is that we are very interested in the concept of sustainability and bringing forward projects we feel the city would be proud of. When I was growing up we had a seasonal ice rink. We had to wait until it got cold enough to get our sheet of ice,” says Evans.
Typical ice rinks can use more than 200 gallons of water every time the Zamboni makes a run to smooth out the surface. Rinks also need a permanent location, utilities and money to maintain. Don Mason is the president of the synthetic ice company KwikRink. He says greater accessibility is an appeal of the product.
“Even in areas that do have rinks, say the northeast and midwest where natural hockey is real strong, people still have to drive, sometimes a hundred miles to get ice time at 11 at night or before the kids go to school because it’s booked solid. They can get all their practice on a synthetic surface without leaving the house,” says Mason.
That’s one of the reasons synthetic ice rinks have been gaining in popularity over the last few years. They’re being installed in people’s backyards, in public spaces and they’re even being used by some professional hockey teams for training.
“It’s quite responsive and there is a hair more resistance. For training purposes and learning how to skate it’s probably a good thing,” says Mason.
But it’s still not the real thing says Arianna Moreno. She’s a practiced skater visiting Flagstaff from Phoenix. This is her first time on synthetic ice.
“It was definitely different. When you try to slide or glide you kind of get stuck and I think that was the hardest part. Not too bad otherwise. I think I’d rather just do the traditional,” says Moreno.
But she can appreciate a fun new idea.
“I like that it’s outside. For the kids I think it’s a good experience. They can get comfortable with it. And if they fall I guess it doesn’t hurt as much,” says Moreno.
So while we wait on snow in Flagstaff we don’t have to wait on outdoor ice skating.
The synthetic ice rink is at the train station in downtown Flagstaff. It’s free and open through New Year’s Day. For more information visit the Shadow’s Foundation website at www.shadowsfoundation.org
