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View Full Version : IceLESS skating rinks?

gravenewworld
May22-08, 06:37 PM
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/nhl_experts/post/Goodbye-Zamboni-Japanese-debut-iceless-skating?urn=nhl,83652



Pretty neat stuff. However, I don't understand what will happen if you do a hockey stop. The material will have to wear down from such a stop. How long could it last then?
Moonbear
May22-08, 06:47 PM
Plastic skating rinks have been around a while. When I was a kid, they used to set one up in the mall for the winter holiday season. I don't know how similar that is to the current ones, but it seemed to work well enough for people to have a little fun in the mall.
mcknia07
May22-08, 06:49 PM
Oh wow, that is some pretty sweet stuff. :)

Wouldn't your skates get stuck in the treads of others?? How are they going to smooth it out??
waht
May22-08, 07:46 PM
There is nothing like falling on ice.
BobG
May22-08, 09:34 PM
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/nhl_experts/post/Goodbye-Zamboni-Japanese-debut-iceless-skating?urn=nhl,83652



Pretty neat stuff. However, I don't understand what will happen if you do a hockey stop. The material will have to wear down from such a stop. How long could it last then?

Can't they modify the Zamboni to lay down a new layer of plastic? Or at least sand it down to a smooth surface with a whole new surface installed periodically.
Cyrus
May22-08, 09:42 PM
That asian guy has an australian accent!!!! Thats more amazing than the report.

Ahahah, look at fat boy try to ice skate.
binzing
May22-08, 11:14 PM
There's a chick on one of the Science Channel shows whose Chinese and has an Aussie accent...
junglist
May22-08, 11:25 PM
Australia is a country made up of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
Cyrus
May23-08, 01:48 AM
Australia is a country made up of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Kangarooooooooooooooooooo
junglist
May23-08, 02:54 AM
In response to the OP:

Even normal skating would damage the surface over time and it would need to be treated to get it back to its original glory. if the material is a simple non-crosslinked polymer (like a wax) then it could have the surface heated to a melting point where surface tension and gravity will smooth out any bumps or divots. Alternatively a solvent could be spread across the surface and then scraped off / allowed to evaporate / re-set the polymer.

It would probably more costly to create and maintain a low friction surface on one of those plastic rinks than it would on a traditional ice. Maybe if someone comes up with a self-healing memory polymer with super low friction under load it'll catch on.

from the article it sounds like they haven't included running surface repairs in to their cost-benefit analysis.