Ice skating can be pretty tricky. If you’re a rollerblader who wants to try ice skating, the first thing that comes to your mind is, can you rollerblade on synthetic ice?
Rollerblades are wheel-based skates for inline skating. Some highly skilled skaters might experiment with rollerblades on ice.
But if you are a first-timer, you shouldn’t do it. Rollerblades don’t have the grip ice blades have. Using rollerblades on ice-like surfaces can cause injuries.
Beginning your journey as an ice skater requires in-depth knowledge of the field. Rollerblading and ice skating are two genres of skating with similarities.
Therefore, you need to know about both of them to understand why rollerblades on synthetic ice can be harmful.
Can You Rollerblade On Synthetic Ice?
Rollerblades are widely used for inline skating on surfaces like asphalt and concrete. People use ice skates or blades on real and synthetic ice.
Beginners usually train themselves on synthetic ice to make natural ice skating easier. They should use quality ice skates instead of rollerblades.
A significant part of the rollerblade’s design is its wheels. On the other hand, ice skates have blades to cut and navigate through ice. Both types of equipment have different architectures, and thus, serve different purposes.
Moreover, rollerbladers who are also skilled at ice skating say that the experiences of the two sports are also somewhat different with some unique similarities.
One difference is that ice skating has no built-in brakes, but rollerblading has. Both sports have their own unique challenges.
Even skating on natural ice and synthetic ice are two different experiences. Synthetic ice is coarser. Thus, skaters need to push harder on synthetic ice compared to natural ice.
Using rollerblades on synthetic ice is an alien concept to experiment on. That’s why it’s recommended to use tried and tested ice skates on synthetic ice.
Downsides Of Using Rollerblade On Synthetic Ice
Rollerblades have wheels, whereas synthetic ice requires blade-made ice skates to cut and push through ice.
Rollerblades won’t give you the friction you need to skate on synthetic or natural ice. Moreover, it’s likely to lose your balance if you use rollerblades on icy surfaces. It can result in injuries.
Moreover, with rollerblades, it would be impossible to do the hockey stop maneuver. Ice skates don’t have brakes. The hockey stop is a maneuver used to control your speed.
As rollerblades don’t have blades, it would be impossible to apply the technique.
Also, jumping on rollerblades while ice skating would be very dangerous. Blades on ice skates give you the grip to land safely during the jump.
Rollerblade wheels wouldn’t give you that support. It’s likely that you will slip and fall while landing. The unbalanced landing could cause fatal head and spine injuries.
You need to have extreme balance to skate on synthetic ice with rollerblades. Even skilled ice skaters don’t have that. It would be unwise to risk your safety while experimenting.
What To Expect If You Are Injured While Rollerblading On Synthetic Ice?
You practically shouldn’t use rollerblades at all. Using a good quality ice skate with stable balance and good blades will prevent you from getting injured badly.
But if you are thinking of experimenting with rollerblading on synthetic ice, you should know the common injuries that happen after taking all the safety measures with high-quality ice blades or skates:
- Spine fractures
- Bone fractures
- Head injuries
- Muscle strain
- Ankle strain and injury
- Jumper’s Knee Syndrome
Among these injuries, spine fractures are fatal. Unwisely using rollerblades on synthetic ice can cause fatal falling and unalterable spine injuries.
That’s why using good quality ice skates is repeatedly and highly recommended. Ice skating has identical injury rates to rollerblading. In both fields, caution is necessary.
Fatal accidents can cause death. Unwisely using the wrong equipment on synthetic or real ice, like rollerblades, can cause permanent injuries.
Those injuries can stop you from participating in the sport for life. So if you are a rollerblader trying to find your essence in ice skating, get a professional coach who will teach you how to navigate your way from rollerblading to ice skating.
How Different Is Synthetic Ice From Real Ice?
Synthetic ice and real ice are almost identical.
But synthetic ice requires more effort than real ice for skating. Because the synthetic ice surface is not as smooth as the actual ice, that’s why it requires more friction.
Thus, rollerblades are not recommended for synthetic ice.
Synthetic Ice Doesn’t Make You Wet
Synthetic ice is plastic made out of polythene. So it won’t make you wet. Also, you can wear your regular clothes while skating on synthetic ice.
On top of that, synthetic ice technology is evolving quickly. That means skating has become easier on synthetic ice.
Synthetic Ice Is Weather Flexible
It’s not possible to have access to real ice all the time. But as a skater, you need to practice even in summer. In that case, synthetic ice is the most weather-flexible option here.
You can also have synthetic ice in your backyard to practice at home. Synthetic ice is the perfect choice to keep ice skating in the summer.
Synthetic Ice Is A Less Costly Alternative To Ice Rinks
Real ice is only found in winter. On top of that, it’s not cost-effective to move into places with natural ice in the summer season.
But passing all the summer season without skating can put a break on your learning process. Installing ice rinks or regularly going to one is not cost-friendly either.
Synthetic ice is the only practical choice for skaters.
Synthetic Ice Is Safer To Practice On
Synthetic ice is a bit coarser than real ice. So it induces less speed.
Therefore, it’s a safer option to practice for new skaters. Synthetic ice provides the perfect texture and balance for beginners. But falling on synthetic ice has as much risk as real ice.
With the new technology of synthetic ice, you can glide as effectively as you do on real ice. So skaters can avoid falling by gliding on synthetic ice surfaces.
Synthetic Ice-skating Safety Measures
Skating on a synthetic surface is as safe as real ice skating most of the time. You need to use a good-quality ice skater to prevent unwanted injuries.
The one thing that you need to focus on is getting high-quality synthetic ice to make your experience smoother. Because low-quality synthetic ice-skating can cause injuries.
History has seen nasty injuries and even death because of a lack of safety measures while ice skating.
While synthetic ice skating requires almost identical safety measures as real ice skating, there are some points you need to take care of while skating on synthetic ice rinks.
Children less than four should not participate in real or synthetic ice skating
Every parent who loves ice skating wants to involve their kids as soon as possible. But children under four should not participate in ice skating.
Ice skating requires an apt sense of balance that children under four can’t fathom. Moreover, accidents can be more fatal to kids under four than to older children.
Being Allergic To Synthetic Ice Ingredients
Synthetic ice is made out of chemical ingredients. If you have prolonged exposure to allergies, check with your doctor or healthcare professional if you are allergic to synthetic ice material.
Severe allergic reactions can be fatal and should be given immediate medical attention.
Skaters Collide With One Another In Synthetic Ice Rinks
In synthetic ice rinks, ice skaters collide with one another aggressively, which can cause injuries.
If you are only learning ice skating, find yourself a professional coach who can help you. It’s essential to take all the precautionary measures to enjoy your experience safely.
Conclusion
Here ends the well-thought answer to the question – can you rollerblade on synthetic ice? As the adage goes, “Practice makes a person perfect”.
With regular and consistent effort and practice, skating on synthetic ice can be safe and beneficial for all new skaters.
Thanks a lot for reading till the end & have a nice day!