Many of you know me as Pittsburgh Frugal Mom. Growing up, I was hardly athletic and I did not know much about sports. I tried out for the basketball team in Mount Lebanon High School only to be cut faster than I made it to the courts! Fast forward about 20 years and I am so sucked into hockey, of every form I almost can't believe I am the same person. What is funny is that I am not the one playing or skating, I am simply sitting on the sidelines being that hockey mom that cheers her kids on in ice hockey, inline hockey, deck hockey, knee hockey, and street hockey! My kids play hockey, round the clock, each child has their favorite, one is goalie in inline and the other plays ice, but they each can't get enough and I fully support them. When they ask for extra time we head to the rink, or they play at the pavillions in our neighborhood. They have teams that form for roller hockey and they play endlessly after school with their friends when they are not off at practice.
I have come to learn that running back and forth to a hockey rink as a mom is not always conducive to my work schedule and I have also been looking for alternatives to cold season rinks in our yard. I want the kids to be able to practice and play without 25 other kids on ice and I want the kids to enjoy their sport and not feel like they are forced into some one hour time slot to practice while everyone else, novice to experienced is skating. I don't feel like setting a rink up and then taking it down. As Pittsburgh Frugal Mom, I have been investigating many new ways to put a rink at my home without putting water and refrigeration to it and now the ultimate discovery Synthetic Ice. After all, I am a consumer educator who reviews products everyday, so this is the ultimate in reviews as far as I am concerned! Over the next 6 months, I will be taking an in-depth look at what synthetic ice is, and how it can benefit our kids. My goal is to educate all of us on what synthetic ice is, and how it can benefit you.
I can offer you this, I have found a company that is really good at what they do, and has synthetic ice that can fit any basement, patio, backyard or play area. The company I have installing in my home is actually the same company that was at the Galleria Pittsburgh Mills.
Skating is no longer one season it is 24/7, 365 days a year and it can be in your backyard, basement or even at your event. IF you want to broaden your kids skating skills, then lace up those skates and start reading what I am writing about because I will have all the pros and cons of synthetic ice. The Synthetic Ice was actually being used at the Galleria Mills and there was no water involved and maintenance is super low as well.
Synthetic Ice boasts no refrigeration and the temperatures don't affect the use of the rink: sun or clouds, wind or rain, the skating surface of synthetic ice just remains the same. The material can be placed in a house or out in a yard, and it is always waiting for someone to skate on it. This can be used for recreational skating, hockey practice, games, it does not matter. You don't have to wait for boards installation and water to set to use this ice. Who needs mother nature when Future Skate offers the Mother of all skating Solutions~~~~Synthetic Ice. You can even stop on synthetic ice you just won't have the ice 'spatter' ! The part I think I love most is that synthetic ice offers little to no maintenance!
If you want to learn more, be sure to follow the series I am writing, dedicated to synthetic ice, installation and all the things you can order to go with that ice, from storage to nets! It's going to be a cool hockey summer!
