Preparing for your first or next figure skating competition?  

It can feel overwhelming as there are several moving parts: 

• Perfecting your routine. 
• You must get your costume and skates ready to go.  
• Are you truggling with a jump or turn? You’ve got to work on that, too! 

It’s a combination of physical, technical, and mental preparation.  

Even the top figure skating can relate to the many moving parts and pressure in competition prep.  

Getting practice time on the ice leading up to the event can be a game-changer.  

But time, logistics, and rink availability can stop you from getting a competitive edge.  

Figure skaters have been investigating and investing in synthetic ice to support their competition goals.  

Have you heard of it? 

Let’s dive into the power of synthetic ice and learn 5 ways to leverage an at-home rink to get you ready to crush the competition.  

What is Synthetic Ice? 

What if there was a way to skate using your actual ice skates without accessing your local or competition rink? 

That’s possible with synthetic ice. 

Synthetic ice are special tiles or panels made of a patented polyethylene material that can facilitate ice skating. 

These white panels are connected on a flat surface – think a large room, backyard, deck, basketball court, or outdoor space – to construct a rink of your desired size.  

Synthetic ice is infused or treated with a liquid slip surface agent to allow your metal blades to glide effortlessly on the rink.  

You can perform all your turns, jumps, and training as you would on a conventional ice rink.  

Most synthetic ice rinks were constructed in malls, museums, amusement parks, and other entertainment spaces.

Now, you can get custom sizes, allowing you to build personal rinks for training or recreational uses.  

Competitive figure skaters, hockey players, and other ice athletes also recognize synthetic ice as an ‘off-ice’ training tool, providing a competitive advantage.  

Synthetic Ice Benefits 

So why choose synthetic ice?  

Why not build a refrigerated ice rink or go to a practice facility?  

You can do that. But some benefits make synthetic ice one of the best tools in the figure skating space.  

• Durability: The best synthetic ice tiles last for 10+ years. A single investment can provide a surface to hone your skills for most of your figure skating career.  
• Availability: No need to book time to travel long distances to train. You can save time by training on your synthetic ice rink at your convenience.  
• Year-round training: Summertime? Wintertime? Spring Training? Rain? Snow? As the rink does not depend on refrigeration or the elements, you can train any time.  
• Long-term cost savings: Can synthetic ice require an upfront investment? Yes. Can it also save you thousands in the long run? Also, yes. 
• Flexibility: With enough tiles or panels, you can adjust the size, shape, and location of the rink. A large synthetic ice takes 1 hour or less to set up.  

Synthetic ice continues to be an excellent tool for training or skating with friends and family. It’s also a powerful tool for competitors at any age or stage. 

Here are 5 ways it can get you competition-ready. 

1. Build Your Strength and Endurance 

Your figure skating performance combines technical skill, grace, power, and speed.  

Maintaining these attributes on the ice for 4-5 minutes can get you first place.  

You’ll need to build your strength and endurance.  

Synthetic ice provides a platform to build your stamina, and improve your speed and control.  

Practice for longer periods on your rink, building your endurance and cardiovascular strength.  

You don’t have to share rink time with others while you work on your edgework of jumps. 

Synthetic ice also has a higher coefficient of friction.  

When you move from your synthetic rink to competition ice, you’ll notice more speed and power.  

Get competition-ready with a synthetic ice rink by combining off-ice strength and endurance training with more on-ice time.  

2. Hone Your Technical Skills 

Figure skating competition relies heavily on technical elements like jumps, turns, edgework, and footwork.  

The better you execute each move in your routine, the better your final score. 

Figure skaters tend to have specific moves or jumps in their routines that they struggle with more than others.  

Synthetic ice allows you to spend more time on the fine print.  

You can work on a specific jump or turn that has you frazzled. 

Break down the routine into steps.  

Work on each area with your synthetic ice rink.  

Put it all together and notice the improvements as you prepare for competition.  

3. Sharpen Your Focus 

Figure skating competition requires mental strength and concentration.  

You’ll need to remember your routine and practice body control. 

You’ll need to block out the noise and the crowd.  

You’ll need to place all doubts to rest. 

A synthetic ice rink is a great place to get so comfortable on the rink it feels like second nature.  

Use your synthetic ice panels to visualize yourself on the ice and rehearse your routines outside the rink. 

Invite your friends and family to watch you perform so you feel less anxious on the ice.  

Record your routine using your phone or a camera so you can watch and critique your performance.  

It’s a great tool to build confidence, refine your routine, and stay relaxed and ready on the big day. 

4. Work on the Fine Details 

Getting figure skating competition ready means working out any issues with your coach. 

Sometimes, there is not enough time to go to the rink and address the fine details. 

At your synthetic ice rink, you can work with your coach privately to increase your chances of success. 

With synthetic ice, skaters also develop better adaptability to varying ice conditions they might encounter in different rinks. 

Something as simple as surface conditions can affect a skater’s performance.

Moving from natural to synthetic ice improves the skater’s versatility, improving the chances of success.  

5. Cost-Effective Training 

Time is of the essence when you’re preparing for a figure skating competition. 

You can lose valuable time and money traveling to rinks and waiting for your own rink time. 

While your synthetic ice rink will not be as big as your competition rink, you can still practice your jumps, turns, and other graceful moves that add to the final product. 

In other words, synthetic ice provides a cost-effective alternative for unlimited practice sessions at home. 

You can add in some spontaneous sessions for longer.

Your synthetic ice rink is also easy to maintain, adding to the cost-effective nature of training.  

Conclusion

Will your competition be on synthetic ice? 

Probably not. 

But don’t rule it out as one of the most effective training tools for skaters.  

Synthetic ice fits seamlessly into your training program, giving you more time and flexibility to work on improvement areas.  

You can build stamina, confidence, and explosiveness.  

Work out the kinks and bring your routine together to crush it on the big stage. 

Let’s help you set up your rink for future training sessions.  

At PolyGlide Synthetic Ice, we provide affordable ice tiles, panels, and accessories to ensure you set up a dream rink.  

Take your training to the next level and be figure skating competition-ready with PolyGlide.