How does an ice rink bring energy?

A temporary ice rink is not only a place for skating fun, but it also brings a tremendous amount of energy and vibrancy to a community. Here are some ways this happens:

1. Social connection

A temporary ice rink acts as a meeting place where people of all ages come together. It creates a sense of community and connects people through skating. Families, friends, neighbors and the business community can enjoy an enjoyable time together on the ice. The involvement of volunteers, young and old also contribute to stronger social cohesion.

2. Stimulation of local economy

The presence of an ice rink attracts not only residents but also visitors from surrounding areas. This increases foot traffic in the community, which benefits local stores, restaurants and cafes. Business owners benefit from the increase in customers, leading to more sales and a thriving local business community.

3. Positive effect on physical and mental health

Ice skating is an excellent form of exercise that helps improve physical fitness and promote a healthy lifestyle. By providing a temporary ice rink, the community encourages its residents to stay active during the winter months. This contributes to overall well-being and can help reduce seasonal depression by getting people out of their homes and allowing them to enjoy outdoor activities.

4. Fun for young and old

An ice rink provides fun for young and old alike. Children can take their first skating lessons and adults can enjoy the nostalgic feeling of skating. In addition, the ice rink also provides educational opportunities for schools and other organizations. Skating lessons, ice hockey training and ice safety workshops can be organized. This helps develop new skills in children and youth, contributing to their personal development.

5. Preserving winter culture and traditions

By offering a temporary ice rink, the municipality/organizer helps preserve a winter tradition. Providing a place where people can skate, even if the weather does not allow it, keeps this sport alive and ensures that new generations have the opportunity to experience it.

6. Events and Festivals

A temporary ice rink can become the centerpiece of winter festivals and events, such as Christmas markets, ice skating shows and theme nights. These events attract not only local residents but also tourists, providing additional revenue and increased visibility for the municipality.

7. Strengthening the Municipal Image

The presence of an ice rink can strengthen the municipality’s image as a lively and active place to live and visit. It shows that the municipality is investing in the recreational and social needs of its residents, which can help attract new residents and businesses.

First of all, Ice-World uses green energy generated by wind turbines and our own 6.000m2 of solar panels. In addition, we compensate our CO2 emissions via buying carbon credits every year.

How much electricity does an ice rink really consume?

We did the math: an average ice rink of 450 m2 that we build in different cities or amusement parks uses as much in 30 days as 6 families use in a year. During that period the ice rink is used by an average of 15,000 skaters and attracts between 30,000 and 40,000 visitors. Besides providing a festive atmosphere and entertainment, this also has a positive effect on social cohesion and the local economy. Last but not least, it promotes physical exercise and outdoor sports. An ice rink and an ice event have many benefits!

Compare that to the 3.4 kWh of electricity and the 1.0 m3 of natural gas that a visitor to an indoor pool consumes. That means one pool guest consumes as much energy as 8 skaters.

If you put the following 7 energy-saving measures into practice you can save more energy, making skating even more sustainable:

1. Place insulation under the ice rink
This way the ice rink loses less cold at the bottom. Also make sure that the wind cannot blow under the rink platform. Seal the sides of the platform. This creates a layer of cold air that serves as an additional natural insulation of the ice rink.

2. Set the chiller to a higher temperature
At night, it is often colder, and the wind is not as strong. This allows you to set the chiller’s set point a little higher (sometimes even to switch it off). Just remember to return the temperature to the correct set point in the morning!

Always give the chiller enough space for ventilation. “Do not place construction fences or any other material right next to it.

3. Remove the water from the ice rink when it rains
This prevents rainwater from freezing and thickening the ice. Keep the ice surface between 7 and 8 centimeters. If the ice is thicker, the chiller will use more energy.

4. Don’t remove too much ice scraps
Ice scraps can also serve as insulation. Keep the edges of the ice rink clear so that no dam is created that prevents the water from running off the rink. Join our ice master training day and learn all about ice management!

5. Place the ice rink (partially) in a marquee
An ice rink protected from wind, sun, and rain uses far less energy. A marquee also guarantees an open ice rink in all weather conditions.

6. Insulate buffer tank and pipes
Insulating the pipes and buffer tank ensures that as little cold as possible is lost before the glycol enters the ice rink.

7. Use closed barriers
Especially for outdoor rinks, there is an advantage of using closed barriers over wooden barriers as they protect the ice surface better from the wind.

Let’s go for it

With current energy prices, these tips make more money than they cost. In addition, they might help you in discussions about the “high” energy consumption of an ice rink. Let’s go for it!

Maintaining an ice rink for top-level sports requires professional skills. Every type of ice sport requires its own quality of ice and maintenance rules and the ideal temperature of the ice varies from sport to sport. Moreover, an indoor ice rink demands other qualities from the ice maker than when the top-class sport is practised outdoors.

During a figure skating competition, for example, the ice must not be too hard because it could easily break when the skater lands after a jump. On the other hand, the ice for a long-distance skating competition must not be too thick because the topmost layer will not be able to retain its temperature. If a curling competition is being held, there cannot be any grooves whatsoever in the ice to ensure that the curling stone will stay perfectly on course. There are many more criteria with regard to the quality of the ice that must be meticulously monitored, of which the most important are set out in this article.

Purity

It is important to take the purity of the water into account when creating an ice rink as this has an impact on the hardness of the ice. We can, for example, increase the density of the ice by removing as many chemicals and minerals and as much oxygen as possible. This is particularly important for speed sports. In contrast, sports like ice hockey and figure skating require ice that is not so hard, because it is more prone to breaking on account of the force the athletes put on the ice during a competition.

Thickness and smoothness

The ice of a competition rink must be thick enough to survive the competition, but the layer of ice above the track markings must not be too thick to ensure that the lines remain clearly visible. Otherwise, this could lead to confusion during a competition. Additionally, a layer of ice that is too thick will prevent cold from being optimally transmitted to the top-most layer. Aside from thickness, smoothness is also very important. An ice hockey competition will cause many grooves to be quickly etched into the ice, which can be annoying – or even dangerous – for the players. Smoothness is also very important in curling competitions, because the stone must not be able to make any unexpected movements. An ice resurfacer can create precisely the right thickness for a smooth top layer.

Temperature of the ice

The temperature of the ice must be between -3 °C and -10 °C, depending on the sport:
• Figure skating: – 4.5 °C to -3 °C
• Ice hockey: -5.5 °C to -3 °C
• Short track: -5.5 °C to -3 °C
• Curling: -6 °C to -3 °C
• Long-distance skating: -10 °C to -6 °C

As you can see, there are substantial differences in the ideal ice temperature for each sport. Nevertheless, in some situations a rink will be used for multiple sports. Figure skating and short-track competitions can, for example, be held on the same rink. The rink can be made colder – and therefore harder – immediately after a figure skating competition to prepare it for a short-track skating race.

Ambient temperature

The ambient temperature also has an effect on the quality of the ice. If the competition is held in a stadium, you will need to take the heat and moisture produced by the spectators and fans into account. If it is raining outside the ice hall, the humidity will increase inside the hall on account of the damp clothing worn by the spectators, and this moist air will then precipitate onto the top layer, making it uneven. Proper ventilation and good air drying are of great help to the ice master.

Skating competitions on artificial ice rinks can also take place outdoors. If so, the ice master must be aware of the effects produced by the sun, the wind and precipitation on the ice. The ice master can create the same circumstances for all participants by adjusting the temperature of the ice on the tracks and by controlling the mopping pattern of the ice resurfacers.

Ice-World: the experienced partner in top-class sports ice rinks

Worldwide, Ice-World has implemented more than 50 professional ice rink projects for major and minor sports events. It takes only a few days to render an Ice-World sports ice rink fully operational, whether for a temporary event or at a permanent location. A professional ice hockey facility, a fast short-track skating rink or a certified 400-metre track: Ice-World can install it for you. Considering that the number of ice-skating venues and ice sports centres is rapidly dwindling, this is the solution for successful sports moments on ice.

The biggest advantage of an Ice-World ice rink is that the patented Ice-World ice rink elements are completely surrounded by ice. As a result, the quality of the top layer is much easier to assess, and can therefore be adapted much faster. All other existing systems are installed directly onto the underlying surface, which implies a much slower influence over the topmost layer.
A favourable side effect of this setup is that the Ice-World system is up to 40% more energy-efficient compared to other ice rink systems.

5 reasons to opt for an Ice-World ice rink

• 40% more efficient than other ice rink systems
• Unprecedented installation and dismantling times: an ice hockey rink ready within 48 hours
• High quality of the ice up to 30 °C/86 °F at every type of location
• Ice quality recognised by official institutions such as the KNSB, the IIHF and the ISU.
• 24/7 support during the event

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1. Obtaining a permit

At Ice-World we do not have a crystal ball to see how the post Covid-19 world will develop in the next few months nor do we know what kind of events will be permitted around the world next winter season.

However, we do know a few things about ice rinks, and we have looked into the research of Covid-19 transmission risks and the likelihood of developing the disease.

The good news is:

• Covid-19 transmissions in the open air, where people are socially distancing are very unlikely. As widely reported, some research demonstrates this, and we expect more studies further proving this point in the next months. Ice rinks in temporary structures such as marquees or inside buildings should make sure the space is very well ventilated.
• Seasonal ice rinks are mainly frequented by children, families and young adults, all low risk groups. Nearly all children and young adults suffer no or only mild symptoms of Covid-19.
• Ice skating is a sport and therefore good for health and ice skating is one of the few sports practiced outdoors in winter. Physical activity helps build up resistance against infections and improves lung capacity. In most countries, individual sport activities, though limited, were allowed, even during lockdown.
• Ice skating is a non-contact sport.
• Seasonal ice rinks offer a fun activity and low entry barrier to a healthy lifestyle. The health benefits are larger than the risk of infection.

These factors will play a major role in local and national government’s assessment of whether to allow certain type of activities and events.

In addition to above factors we recommend a few new rules for ice rink events to reduce any risk of transmission even further.

We will keep monitoring the situation in our main markets very closely and update you regularly on the situation.

2. Financing your ice skating event

Most seasonal ice rinks projects earn money through various sources: selling entry tickets, hiring skates and skating aids, organising special events on and off the ice, selling food and drinks next to the ice rink, offering packages to sponsors and sometimes receiving support in forms of subsidies from local councils or foundations that promote sport or health activities.

In the post Covid-19 world it might be more challenging to refinance the investment in the ice rink project than it has been in recent years. The maximum capacity might need to be reduced, sponsors and councils might be less willing to support the ice rink project. This asks for a more creative and proactive approach to financing.

• Presell entry tickets via online ticket platforms. This has a number of advantages: Cash flow in advance of the project, easier crowd managing by selling tickets for certain slots, opportunity to offer special deals (group, family, early-bird)
• Crowdfund the event. A good crowdfunding campaign can create lots of publicity for your event and be the test for the feasibility. If you know that e.g. 5.000 people are supporting your event for €5. Reaching substantial local support will also help you to convince the sponsors and the council (see below).
• Analyse the event you held in recent years. What worked financially, what did not? Did you ever reach the maximum capacity, or could you go for a smaller rink? Should you go for a bigger rink to ensure you can host the same number of skaters during shifts but shorten the event period by a week or two to save on operating costs? Do you need to increase the space for food and beverage? Diversify the attractions you offer? Attract groups such as schools or older skaters during the quiet weekday times?
• Look for new sponsors. Depending on your country and local situation there are quite a few companies that profited from the lockdown and might want to give back to the community. Think for example of ecommerce, delivery companies, groceries, medical supply, sport equipment, garden centres. Other sectors such as retail need to do something to attract the customers back. Bigger retailers and shopping malls will invest in publicity.
• Ask your council. Situation for public finances will not be easy, but councils might still want to support you e.g. in exchange for free skating for schools in the morning. City marketing might want to promote the city centre and its retail, especially now.
• Look for private or public foundations or companies that promote health and wellbeing or sport activities. These could, for example, be health insurance companies, lotteries, and private foundations with the goal to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Above are a few options to finance your project in new ways. As Ice-World we understand that every project and every local situation is different.

Please contact us for customized advice as well as for details on our special Ice-World Covid-19 insurance that we’ve introduced to minimize your financial risks.

Disclaimer: Above rules are only recommendations by Ice-World. All ice rink operators must check and comply with the local rules and regulations that apply to their event.

1. Recommendations for ice rink layouts

Download layout recommendations (.pdf, 7 pages) »

2. Recommendations for ice rink time schedules

View time schedule recommendations (.pdf, 3 pages) »

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