FAQ's
For learning, quality synthetic ice comes very close to real ice, especially for beginners. Premium panels made from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and pressed under high pressure can offer around ninety to ninety-five percent of the glide of frozen water. The small amount of extra friction helps new skaters feel more in control. All core skills—balance, gliding, swizzles, stops, and even advanced moves—can be learned and refined on these surfaces, and good technique carries over cleanly to a traditional rink.
For most children, ages four to five are a comfortable time to start, because balance and coordination are usually ready for basic skating skills. Some three-year-olds enjoy very gentle, playful time on the surface while holding a hand or support bar, but there is no need to rush. There is also no “too late” age; older kids, teens, and adults can all learn successfully on synthetic ice. At Theatre on Skates Academy, our core programs are designed for ages five to adults up to eighty years old so we can match activities to common stages of growth.
You can gain a lot from even a small area. Spaces in the eight-by-eight to ten-by-ten range allow a single skater to practice enough for balance drills, swizzles, and simple stops, as well as more moves and short glides. Rinks around ten-by-twenty to sixteen-by-twenty feet work well for one or two skaters to do stroking and small routines. Bigger installations of twenty-by-forty feet or more start to feel like real training rinks for full-family use. Theatre On Skates Academy's main synthetic ice skating surface is approximately twenty-four-by-forty-four feet.
Maintenance is simple and does not take much time. After each skating session, it helps to sweep or vacuum the surface to remove the fine plastic shavings created by the blades. Once a week, or any time the rink looks dirty, you can mop with warm water and, if needed, a neutral, low-foaming cleaner, then rinse well. Larger or outdoor rinks may benefit from occasional pressure washing for a very deep clean. Clean panels glide better and are easier on skate blades, so that small effort pays off every time your child practices.
Yes, synthetic ice does tend to dull blades a bit faster than refrigerated ice because of the extra friction. In practice, this often means sharpening skates every ten to fifteen hours of skating on synthetic ice, instead of every twenty to thirty hours on frozen water. This is a modest trade-off for the ability to practice at home or in convenient local spaces as often as you like. Keeping the surface clean helps reduce wear on the blades. Skating on synthetic ice will not ruin your blades as many speculate.
On modern, high-quality synthetic ice, children and teens can train well beyond the basics. Jumps, spins, quick turns, sharp stops, and advanced moves are all possible when panels are made from premium materials and kept clean. Older, low-quality surfaces did limit some skills, which is where many myths came from, but 2025 products perform at a much higher level. At Theatre on Skates Academy, students build from simple glides all the way to complex choreographed routines on our synthetic surfaces, showing that the main limit is the skater’s readiness—not the material under their blades.
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