Professional and event ice rinks where performance, timing and safety must all be predictable
Professional and event ice projects are different from ordinary seasonal rinks because the tolerance for failure is much smaller. Training times, competition schedules, television windows, spectator access and dismantling dates are fixed. Ice quality, rink dimensions, refrigeration, boards, glass, resurfacing and operating procedures therefore have to be coordinated as one event system.
SPORTWAVE develops temporary and permanent professional ice concepts in Lithuania and Latvia using AST technology together with local engineering, installation, commissioning, operator preparation and technical support.
Start with the governing sport and event format
A hockey event, figure-skating competition, curling installation and show production do not require identical ice. The technical brief should begin with the sport or event format, governing-body requirements, training schedule, number of sessions, spectator capacity, broadcast needs and the exact opening time for the first official use.
Only then should the rink dimensions, board system, ice temperature, resurfacing routine and refrigeration capacity be fixed.
IIHF competition dimensions provide the reference for hockey
The current IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27 specifies an ice rink length of 60 m and a width of 26–30 m, with rounded corners having a radius of 7.0–8.5 m. Board height is approximately 1.07 m, while protective glass heights vary by rink zone.
These dimensions matter because a professional hockey rink is not simply a large rectangle. Corner radii, gates, team benches, penalty boxes, glass, netting and resurfacer access all have to be coordinated to the applicable competition format.
Engineering note
Temporary professional ice can meet top-level sporting requirements, but only when dimensions, boards, refrigeration, logistics and operating procedures are engineered to the same standard as the event.Source: IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27.
Temporary professional ice is a logistics project as much as a refrigeration project
Mobile EPDM refrigeration technology allows a professional surface to be built inside an arena, stadium or event venue that does not normally contain ice. The technical challenge is the narrow schedule.
Installation should be planned backwards from the first training session. The sequence includes base preparation, refrigeration-mat deployment, hydraulic connections, refrigeration commissioning, board installation, controlled ice build-up, markings, resurfacing and final quality checks.
Because the rink may need to disappear immediately after the event, dismantling and venue handback must be designed at the same time as installation.
AST major-event experience provides a useful benchmark
AST has extensive global experience with temporary professional ice. Recent examples include:
- World Synchronized Skating Championships 2026, Salzburg — a temporary 27.5 × 59.5 m ice surface installed inside Salzburgarena, including full boarding, high-performance refrigeration and resurfacing technology.
- IIHF event, Herning 2025 — a mobile 30 × 60 m rink with AST ProSport Dynamic boards and refrigeration technology.
- DEL Wintergame, Dresden 2026 — professional temporary stadium ice for more than 32,000 spectators.
- Ultimate Hockey, Innsbruck 2026 — outdoor professional ice operated without shading at daytime temperatures above 20°C.
These are AST global references, not SPORTWAVE project claims. They demonstrate the technical range of the systems SPORTWAVE represents regionally.
Source: AST project and news documentation, 2025–2026.
Different sports require different ice conditions
The correct surface is not simply the coldest possible ice. Hockey generally prefers harder, colder ice; figure skating typically benefits from slightly warmer and more forgiving ice; recreational sessions can operate warmer still.
ASHRAE gives representative indoor ice-temperature ranges of approximately −6.7 to −5.6°C for hockey, −4.4 to −3.3°C for figure skating and −3.3 to −2.2°C for recreational skating.
For event operation, controls should allow the required sport-specific condition to be reached without unnecessary overcooling or large temperature swings between sessions.
Professional boards are part of athlete safety
High-impact hockey requires a purpose-designed board and glass system. AST ProSport Dynamic is a force-absorbing professional system intended for international sport requirements. The objective is not only durability but controlled deflection and lower impact loads on players.
Board selection also affects event logistics: player and penalty boxes, gate positions, resurfacer access, camera sightlines, advertising zones, spectator protection and emergency routes should be frozen before installation.
Refrigeration must be designed for the worst event condition
Professional events can create unusually high and concentrated loads. Outdoor projects may face solar radiation, rain, wind or warm weather; indoor events add lighting, spectators, ventilation and repeated resurfacing.
The refrigeration system therefore has to satisfy the most demanding coincident condition, not the average weather forecast. Hydraulic balance, secondary-fluid temperature, pump performance and control strategy are as important as nominal chiller capacity.
For temporary events, redundancy should be considered from the consequence of failure. Losing refrigeration during a public winter attraction is serious; losing it during a televised competition can compromise the entire event.
Explore Ice Rink Refrigeration Systems
Resurfacing is part of the performance specification
Top-level ice quality depends on what happens between sessions. Resurfacing water quantity and temperature, snow removal, edge maintenance and available turnaround time all affect flatness, hardness and consistency.
For a full-size 30 × 60 m rink, ASHRAE and IIHF guidance indicates approximately 0.4–0.8 m³ of water per resurfacing operation. That water becomes an immediate refrigeration load, so resurfacing frequency must be included in the plant calculation.
SPORTWAVE can coordinate resurfacing equipment, maintenance tools and operator training together with the ice system rather than leaving the final surface quality to improvised event procedures.
Explore Ice Resurfacing Equipment
Ice thickness should be controlled, not allowed to accumulate
IIHF guidance recommends an ice thickness of roughly 25–35 mm for normal arena operation. Excessively thick ice increases thermal resistance between the refrigeration system and skating surface, which means more energy is required to maintain the same top-surface condition.
Professional event operation should therefore include regular thickness checks and controlled resurfacing instead of continuously adding water throughout the event.
Indoor climate matters even during a short event
For temporary ice inside an arena or hall, the building HVAC system becomes part of the rink. Warm humid air can increase condensation, fog and refrigeration load, while poorly directed ventilation can disturb the boundary layer above the ice.
Lighting and roof radiation also add heat directly to the surface. Where the venue was designed primarily for concerts or exhibitions, these interactions should be reviewed specifically for ice operation.
Event energy optimisation should never compromise the competition
Energy control is valuable, especially during overnight and non-competition periods, but the control strategy must always protect the agreed ice condition and event schedule.
AST EasyCHILL can support suitable temporary systems with monitoring, alarm functions and demand-based refrigeration control. AST communicates potential reductions of up to 60% in chiller operating time / energy consumption in suitable applications, but actual results depend on the event, climate and operating strategy.
Explore EasyCHILL Energy Management
Permanent professional arenas require the same performance principles over a longer lifecycle
For permanent hockey, figure-skating or mixed-sport facilities, the same requirements apply but operational consequences accumulate over thousands of hours. Ice-floor construction, refrigeration redundancy, board integration, dehumidification, resurfacer routes, snow handling, monitoring and heat recovery should be designed around the annual sport programme.
Regional professional and event references
- Jūrmala City Stadium — 58 × 28 m / 1,624 m² rink with professional hockey boards and documented use for training, competition and public skating.
- Šiauliai Akropolis — permanent 56 × 26 m arena used for public skating and sport, including hockey and figure skating.
- Lukiškės Prison 2022/23 — seasonal event rink integrated into a cultural venue, where lighting, visitor circulation and event operation were part of the technical challenge.
See SPORTWAVE project references
What we need for a professional or event-ice concept
- sport or event type and governing rules;
- required rink dimensions;
- installation, training, competition and dismantling schedule;
- indoor / covered / outdoor conditions;
- expected spectator capacity;
- number and duration of daily sessions;
- required board and glass system;
- available electrical power;
- possible refrigeration-plant location;
- resurfacing equipment and maintenance plan;
- team, spectator, technical and emergency access routes;
- broadcast, lighting or show requirements;
- required redundancy and technical support level.
From these inputs, SPORTWAVE can define the ice technology, refrigeration, board system, operating equipment, installation sequence and support model required for a predictable professional surface.