Ice Worlds and SkateWays — when the skating experience should be more than one rectangle

A conventional rectangular rink is efficient when the primary goal is sport or simple public skating. An Ice World is designed differently: the attraction becomes a route, a landscape and a sequence of skating experiences. Separate ice areas can be connected by SkateWays, wrapped around architecture, divided by skill level or arranged to create a longer journey through a public space.

SPORTWAVE develops these projects around visitor flow first. Geometry, refrigeration, boards, resurfacing, access and operating capacity then follow the way people are expected to move through the site.

When an Ice World is stronger than one large rink

A connected ice landscape can be more valuable than a single large surface when the client wants to create a destination rather than simply provide skating area.

• City-centre winter attraction — skating routes can connect squares, trees, monuments and event zones.
• Park or leisure complex — the route can follow landscape instead of forcing all visitors into one central rink.
• Shopping or hospitality project — several zones can separate beginners, families, activities and higher-speed skating.
• Tourism destination — longer skating routes increase the sense of experience and can extend visitor dwell time.
• Architecturally constrained site — custom geometry can use narrow or irregular spaces that would be inefficient for one standard rink.

The design objective is not maximum ice area at any cost. It is the best combination of usable skating area, visitor experience, supervision, operating simplicity and refrigeration efficiency.

AST SkateWay® is the modular connection technology

AST SkateWay® develops the IceBox / EPDM mat principle into a system for paths, curves and connected ice zones. The mats connect to modular connection panels rather than requiring every part of the rink to follow one width.

AST offers connection-panel widths of 0.5 m, 1.0 m and 2.5 m and SkateWay mat lengths of 10 m, 20 m and 30 m. This provides much greater freedom to adapt the rink to architecture, landscaping and visitor circulation.

Source: AST mobile ice rink / SkateWay® technical documentation.

One rink, two zones or a complete skating network?

The first planning decision is how visitors should use the attraction.

Visitor flow should be designed before the ice geometry

On a standard rink, most users circulate around one open surface. On a SkateWay, movement becomes directional and local congestion matters more.

The design should therefore identify:

• where visitors enter and leave the ice;
• whether the route is one-way or two-way;
• where slower skaters may stop safely;
• where beginners should be separated;
• how staff supervise narrow sections;
• how emergency access is maintained;
• where resurfacing equipment can enter and turn;
• how many people each connected zone is expected to hold.

A narrow path can create an attractive skating journey, but it should not become a bottleneck between two heavily used ice zones.

Skating capacity is not calculated exactly like a simple rectangle

For a conventional recreational rink, ASHRAE gives a useful early planning range of approximately 2.3–2.8 m² of ice per person actually skating. This remains a useful first check for the total ice area, but custom layouts require an additional circulation assessment.

Two Ice Worlds with the same total square metres can behave very differently. A wide open rink can distribute skaters freely, while a long narrow SkateWay concentrates them into a moving stream. The capacity of the narrowest and busiest section may therefore control the visitor experience more than the total area.

Reutte shows what connected ice can do for a destination

AST’s Reutte on Ice project is a useful example of the Ice World concept: two rectangular ice rinks of approximately 750 m² and 250 m² were connected by a 280 m SkateWay.

AST reports that the 2023/24 season attracted approximately 30,000 visitors. The project later received the Tirol Touristica Award, illustrating that an ice project can contribute not only skating capacity but also tourism value and destination identity.

These are AST global project figures and are not presented as a SPORTWAVE reference.

Source: AST — Reutte on Ice project documentation.

Custom geometry can also mean circles, waves and architectural forms

SkateWays are not the only way to move beyond a rectangle. EPDM-based rink technology can support unusual single-surface geometry where the refrigeration and board systems are engineered accordingly.

A regional example is the approximately 900 m² wave-shaped Vilnius Town Hall rink. AST has also publicly documented a round ice-rink project in Palanga in 2026 as an example of a custom surface developed for a special location.

These projects show why the first design question should be “what should visitors experience here?” rather than “which standard rink dimensions fit?”

Every curve has a refrigeration consequence

Custom shapes increase design freedom, but the refrigeration system still needs even flow and stable surface temperature throughout the entire network.

The hydraulic concept has to account for:

• different branch lengths;
• pressure loss through connected zones;
• flow balance between wide rinks and narrow SkateWays;
• connecting-pipe routes;
• collector locations;
• changes in elevation where present;
• the most exposed or thermally difficult sections.

A beautiful shape cannot compensate for poor hydraulic balance. Temperature variation between zones can create different ice quality within the same attraction.

Outdoor geometry also changes solar and wind exposure

A long skating route may pass through shade, open sun, sheltered corners and windy corridors. These sections do not necessarily experience the same heat load.

For large Ice Worlds, SPORTWAVE therefore assesses the site zone by zone rather than assuming one uniform outdoor condition. The refrigeration concept must be able to maintain the most demanding areas without unnecessarily overcooling the rest of the system.

Board systems should follow the route

Rigid conventional board geometry is not always suitable for curved paths. AST flexible leisure board concepts can be used where SkateWays need tighter changes in direction, while standard ProFun or transparent sections can be used around larger public-skating zones.

The perimeter should also support:

• safe entry and exit points;
• visual supervision;
• resurfacer access;
• emergency routes;
• advertising and event branding;
• integration with landscaping and pedestrian areas.

Resurfacing determines how practical the geometry really is

A rink shape that cannot be maintained efficiently will quickly become an operating problem. The design should therefore be tested against the actual resurfacing method before it is approved.

Important questions include:

• Can the resurfacer enter every major zone?
• Can it turn at the end of narrow sections?
• Are some paths too narrow for the selected machine?
• Where will manual edge or path maintenance be required?
• Can visitors be temporarily separated while one zone is resurfaced?

In some Ice Worlds, dividing the attraction into independently accessible zones can allow maintenance to continue without closing the complete skating experience.

Different zones can serve different audiences

One advantage of connected ice is that all users do not have to share the same operating environment.

A project can combine:

• beginner and children’s areas;
• open public-skating zones;
• longer flowing SkateWays;
• activity or curling-style zones;
• event or performance areas;
• rest and spectator points around the route.

This can improve both safety and commercial programming because different parts of the ice landscape can support different activities at the same time.

Ice Worlds create more interfaces with the surrounding site

Because the ice is distributed through a larger area, the project must coordinate more carefully with pedestrian routes, trees, lighting, temporary structures, retail units, food and beverage areas and service access.

For public-space projects, the skating route should enhance normal site circulation rather than block emergency or servicing routes. This is where early site planning becomes especially valuable.

The refrigeration plant still needs a practical location

Even when the ice itself is distributed across the site, chillers, pumps and manifolds require serviceable locations with electrical supply, airflow and acceptable noise impact.

Long connection distances add hydraulic pressure loss and installation cost. The most visually attractive plant position is therefore not always the best technical position, and this trade-off should be resolved before the final route is fixed.

Ice Worlds can be seasonal, recurring or purchased

The same concept can be delivered as a rental attraction for a defined season or as a purchased system for repeated annual use. For recurring projects, IceBox and SkateWay storage, labelling and handling should be planned from the first season so the next installation becomes faster and more predictable.

What we need to develop an Ice World or SkateWay concept

• site plan, aerial image or accurate dimensions;
• desired visitor experience and main attraction zones;
• expected simultaneous skaters and daily visitor volume;
• preferred main-rink sizes;
• possible SkateWay routes and minimum available widths;
• indoor, covered or outdoor conditions;
• operating dates;
• base, slopes and drainage information;
• available electrical supply;
• possible refrigeration-plant locations;
• desired board appearance;
• resurfacing concept;
• rental or recurring purchase model.

From these inputs, SPORTWAVE can develop the geometry, SkateWay widths and lengths, refrigeration and hydraulic concept, board system, visitor-flow logic and maintenance route required for a practical ice landscape.