Articles of category "Ice shows"

Many preparations are necessary to make great ice show. Making an ice rink isn't as simple as flooding the floor with gallons of water. The crew must apply the water carefully and slowly, in order to insure ideal thickness. Figure skaters and hockey skaters have different ideas of what good ice and bad ice are. Figure skaters prefer an ice temperature of 26 to 28 F. Ice in that temperature range is softer, so it grips the skate edges better. It is also less likely to shatter under the impact of jumps. Hockey players, though, prefer colder, harder ice.

While the strength and skill of great ice skaters is immediately obvious, it's easy to overlook the remarkable surface that makes it all possible. But as it turns out, varying the characteristics of indoor ice rink just a little bit can make the difference between a gold-medal performance and an embarrassing spill.