Iceless ice rink lures UTM students … indoors

It's the Great Canadian winter icon – a skating rink.

While most seasonal rinks are knocked together with plywood and a garden hose, the Department of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation is building a backyard-style rink that doesn’t need water or frigid temperatures.

A synthetic ice rink, created from a high-tech plastic polymer, opens for free skating at UTM on Thursday, November 1 and Friday, November 2 in Gym C at the RAWC.

Ken Duncliffe, Director, Department of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation, says
the two-day event promotes healthy, active living and the chance to enjoy a traditional Canadian pastime.

“Some students on campus may never have skated before,” Duncliffe says. “The rink is a teaser to get everyone to come and try it and think about staying active during the winter; it’s different, it’s unique, and it’s Canada.”

Roughly half the size of a tennis court, the 30-foot-by-40-foot faux ice rink is composed of jigsaw-like pieces that snap together to mimic the feel of real ice. The surface has no need for refrigeration or Zamboni cleaning, and can be assembled in three hours. Top Shot, the Guelph-based company installing the rink, will provide 40 pairs of complimentary skates, and helmets, for skaters who need equipment.

Rachel Tennant, the program coordinator spearheading the event, says although artificial ice requires slightly more effort, the experience is worth it. “It’s not as slippery as real ice, which offers a great introduction for people who have not skated before. It doesn’t have that immediate ‘whoops, and you’re down’ effect,” Tennant says.

The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity exercise per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more. “The number of people who don’t meet this guideline is staggering,” Tennant says.

“When students think about our gym, they may envision the treadmill, weights, and basketball. We hope the ice rink experience is fun and helps students to realize that there are recreational activities like skating, and even student clubs here on campus that revolve around physical fitness as well.”

Visit UTM’s free skate event: Thursday, November 1, 12 pm to 8 pm
Friday, November 2, 10 am to 3 pm

Bring your own skates or borrow a pair of ours.
Originally advertized as an outdoor event, the rink has relocated indoors to Gym C in the RAWC.