Out of all of the high-quality hockey flooring types that are available out there on the market today, synthetic ice is by far the best choice for hockey players that want to practice ice skating. Unless you have an ice rink made out of real ice, there are not many more options out there to go with. Lots of people in these crazy times of this pandemic are looking for ways to practice hockey moves at home. There are many products out there that can help people do that, but what ones are best for what? As the term “Slick tiles” becomes more popular among hockey players, there seems to be a little confusion as to exactly what they are. Although they are an amazing alternative to practice hockey moves on, they are not synthetic ice. Believe it or not, slick tiles are actually dryland hockey flooring tiles that mimic ice in a way that allows the puck to slide across the surface much like it would on ice. As for ice skates, however, not such a good idea.
Dryland Hockey Flooring
Dryland hockey flooring, or, slick tiles are made out of the same kind of polymer as synthetic ice, but it is designed in a different manner. The small tiles are engineered in order to be placed in smaller areas that don’t need a lot of room. They are designed mainly for shooting and stickhandling practice, however, they are built so that people can rollerblade on them and practice hockey on wheels. They are slick and allow for pucks to glide across the surface just like they would on ice. However, if you try to use ice skates on them you will be in danger of damaging the tiles…and yourself.
Synthetic Ice Flooring
Synthetic ice was engineered in order to allow people to ice skate on. When it came out, originally in the 1950s it was made specifically for ice skaters, and not for hockey. As time moved by and technology began to get evolve, synthetic ice became more and more like real ice. In the present day, synthetic ice is used widely for a variety of different reasons, but a lot of people use it for hockey. It is easy to install, it does not melt, and does not need any special handling requirements. It can also be installed and applied in smaller areas because it can be built in square foot tiles that fit in close places.
Slick Tiles and Synthetic Ice
Slick tiles and synthetic ice are both great flooring solutions. It all depends on what your needs are to determine which is right for you. As mentioned above, if you want to ice skate you have to use synthetic ice because you can’t ice skate on dryland flooring. If you want to practice shots, stickhandling, and other hockey moves without ice skates, slick tiles are great. They call them slick because that is exactly what they are. The pucks glide across the surface much as they would glide on a real ice rink. There may be a little bit of a drag, but not enough to make a huge difference. Both slick tiles and synthetic ice flooring panels are tough and built to last for many years to come even if they are used for daily practice sessions.
Conclusion
Although slick tiles and synthetic ice are very similar in many ways, they are very much different. Whichever one that works best for your needs will be the one that will work best for you. As long as you continue to practice and work on your skills, you will be moving forward and into the champion that you are working to become. Keep practicing, and push yourself every day.