Ice rink boards selected by use, impact level and spectator environment

Ice rink boards are not simply a perimeter around the ice. They define the playing boundary, protect users and spectators, control access and strongly influence how the rink looks and operates. The correct board system depends on whether the rink is used for leisure skating, training, hockey, professional competition or repeated seasonal installation.

SPORTWAVE selects AST board systems by application first and model name second. This makes it easier to match impact behaviour, visibility, gate layout, glass, handling and appearance to the actual rink.

Start with the rink use

The same board should not automatically be used for all of these situations.

IIHF dimensions matter for professional hockey

The current IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27 specifies an ideal board height of approximately 1.07 m. Protective glass heights vary by rink zone and are shown at approximately 1.8 m and 2.4 m in the IIHF rink diagrams.

For an official hockey rink, board geometry also has to coordinate with the 60 × 26–30 m ice surface and 7.0–8.5 m corner radii. Gates, player benches, penalty boxes and spectator protection are therefore part of the rink design, not accessories added later.

Source: IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27.

AST ProSport Dynamic — for professional high-impact use

AST ProSport Dynamic is a force-absorbing professional board system designed for international sport requirements. Its purpose is not only to resist repeated impacts, but to reduce peak impact forces by allowing controlled system movement.

This makes it suitable for professional hockey, major events and high-intensity training where player safety and predictable impact behaviour are critical.

AST has used ProSport Dynamic at international events including IIHF competitions and temporary stadium hockey projects, demonstrating that professional board performance can also be delivered in removable event installations.

Source: AST professional dasher-board documentation and AST event references.

AST ProSport Inline — professional sports geometry with a different system concept

AST ProSport Inline is part of the professional board range and is intended for sports applications where a robust straight-line board system and professional configuration are required.

The choice between ProSport variants depends on impact-performance requirements, event standard, installation method and project-specific geometry rather than appearance alone.

AST ProFun — for public and leisure rinks

Public-skating projects have different priorities from professional hockey. Repeated body impacts are lower, while visitor entry, visibility, appearance and simple seasonal handling become more important.

AST ProFun systems are designed for these leisure and seasonal applications and can be configured in different visual styles.

ProFun Clear — when transparency matters

Transparent board elements can reduce the visual barrier around a rink. This is useful in shopping centres, city squares, hotels and event environments where spectators should see through the perimeter and the ice should remain visually connected with the surrounding architecture.

Transparency should still be balanced with impact requirements, scratch resistance, advertising needs and the desired level of privacy or separation from pedestrian areas.

ProFun Alpine — for winter-market and themed environments

AST ProFun Alpine is designed to integrate visually with traditional winter and alpine settings. It is particularly relevant to Christmas markets, hotel resorts, parks and themed seasonal attractions where standard white boards would feel visually disconnected from the event concept.

The key advantage is not technical performance alone, but the ability to make the rink perimeter part of the overall visitor experience.

ProFun Alpine Flexible — for curves and SkateWay layouts

Custom SkateWays and ice worlds require perimeter systems that can follow non-standard routes. Flexible board solutions allow tighter changes in direction and support curved skating paths where conventional rigid straight sections would limit the geometry.

On these projects, board design must be coordinated with visitor flow, minimum path width, emergency access and resurfacing strategy.

Professional glass is part of the safety system

In hockey, protective glass must work together with the boards. Height, fixing, flexibility and transitions between board and glass influence both player safety and spectator protection.

Rigid glass and rigid boards can transmit larger impact loads. Modern force-absorbing systems aim to manage impact through the complete assembly rather than treating the glass as an independent barrier.

Gate positions should follow the operating workflow

The number and location of gates directly affect daily operation. A rink may require separate public entrances and exits, resurfacer access, emergency access, player gates and technical service gates.

For public skating, poorly placed gates can create congestion and crossing traffic. For hockey, player benches and penalty areas must coordinate with the applicable sport layout. For seasonal rinks, every additional gate also adds hardware that must be transported, installed and maintained.

Resurfacer access has to be designed into the board system

A mechanical resurfacer requires sufficient gate width, turning space and a safe route to snow disposal and water filling. This should be fixed before the board order is finalised.

Retrofitting a larger resurfacer gate later can disrupt the structural logic of the board system and create unnecessary cost.

Visibility and spectator experience matter on leisure rinks

High opaque boards can make a small public rink feel enclosed, while transparent elements can open the space visually. The correct solution depends on site architecture, spectator position, child supervision and advertising requirements.

Board height and transparency should therefore be chosen as part of the visitor-experience design rather than only from a technical catalogue.

Advertising and branding should be planned before production

Boards are one of the most visible commercial surfaces around an ice rink. Sponsor graphics, event branding and wayfinding should be coordinated with gates, clear sections and safety markings.

For recurring seasonal projects, replaceable branding panels can allow the board system to be reused while the commercial appearance changes from one season or sponsor to another.

Digital perimeter advertising is now part of professional-event planning

AST also supports integrated digital / LED advertising concepts for professional rink perimeters. For televised or sponsor-driven events, this means advertising infrastructure should be considered together with the board system, camera sightlines, cabling, service access and event control rather than added after the perimeter is installed.

Digital advertising does not change the primary safety function of the boards. It adds a commercial and broadcast layer that must remain compatible with impact behaviour, player areas, gates and spectator protection.

Seasonal handling changes the board specification

A board system that is installed once in a permanent arena has different lifecycle requirements from one assembled and dismantled every winter.

Seasonal projects should consider:

• component weight and handling;
• connection speed;
• storage volume;
• protection of transparent elements during transport;
• repeat alignment and geometry;
• replacement of worn kick plates, fasteners and gates;
• labelling and organised storage for the next installation.

Board selection matrix

The final selection depends on the exact event rules, geometry and installation conditions.

What we need to specify the board system

• rink dimensions and corner radii;
• public, training, hockey or professional event use;
• permanent or seasonal installation;
• applicable sport rules;
• required glass and protective netting;
• player / penalty-box configuration where relevant;
• public entry and exit requirements;
• resurfacer model and access requirement;
• transparent, white, Alpine or other visual preference;
• advertising, digital perimeter and branding requirements;
• storage and transport conditions for removable systems.

From this information, SPORTWAVE can define the suitable AST board family, geometry, gates, glass, safety elements and installation approach for the rink.

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