Japanese Debut: IceLESS Skating Rinks - NHL Experts

[gravenewworld]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/nh...-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]

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]

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]

There is nothing like falling on ice.

 

[BobG]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/nh...-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]

That asian guy has an australian accent! Thats more amazing than the report.

Ahahah, look at fat boy try to ice skate.

 

[binzing]

There's a chick on one of the Science Channel shows whose Chinese and has an Aussie accent...

 

[junglist]

Australia is a country made up of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

 

[Cyrus]

Australia is a country made up of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Kangarooooooooooooooooooo

 

[junglist]

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 into their cost-benefit analysis.