View source for Ice rink

{{Short description|Place for ice skating and sports}}
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An '''ice rink''' (or '''ice skating rink''') is a frozen body of water or an artificial sheet of ice where people can [[Ice skating|ice skate]] or play [[winter sport]]s. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The [[Ice skating#Rising popularity and first clubs|growth and increasing popularity]] of ice skating during the 1800s marked a rise in the deliberate construction of ice rinks in numerous areas of the world.
The word "rink" is a word of [[Scotland|Scottish]] origin meaning "course", used to describe the ice surface used in the sport of [[curling]], but was kept in use once the winter team sport of [[ice hockey]] became established.<ref name="Redmond, Gerald 1982 271"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.skatehelper.com/why-is-it-called-an-ice-rink-and-could-outdoor-skating-become-extinct/ |title=Why is it called an ice rink and could outdoor skating become extinct? |website=skatehelper.com|date=9 March 2020 |access-date=24 April 2022 |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>
There are two types of ice rinks in prevalent use today: [[#Natural ice|natural ice rinks]], where [[ice|freezing]] occurs from cold ambient temperatures, and [[#Artificial ice|artificial ice rinks]] (or mechanically frozen), where a [[coolant]] produces cold temperatures underneath the water body(on which the game is played), causing the water body to freeze and then stay frozen. There are also [[#Synthetic|synthetic ice rinks]] where skating surfaces are made out of plastics.
Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include: ice hockey, [[sledge hockey]] ({{aka}} "Para ice hockey", or "sled hockey"), [[spongee]] ({{aka}} sponge hockey), [[bandy]], [[rink bandy]], [[rinkball]], [[ringette]], [[broomball]] (both indoor and outdoor versions), [[Moscow broomball]], [[speed skating]], [[figure skating]], [[ice stock sport]], curling, and [[crokicurl]]. However, Moscow broomball is typically played on a tarmac tennis court that has been flooded with water and allowed to freeze. The sports of broomball, curling, ice stock sport, spongee, Moscow broomball, and the game of crokicurl, do not use ice skates of any kind.
While technically not an ice rink, [[#Tracks and trails|ice tracks and trails]], such as those used in the sport of speed skating and recreational or pleasure skating are sometimes referred to as "ice rinks".
==Etymology==
''Rink'', a [[Scottish English|Scottish]] word meaning 'course', was used as the name of a place where [[curling]] was played. As curling is played on ice, the name has been retained for the construction of ice areas for other sports and uses.<ref name="Redmond, Gerald 1982 271">{{cite book |title=The sporting Scots of nineteenth-century Canada |author=Redmond, Gerald |year=1982 |publisher=Associated University Presses Inc. |location=Toronto, Ontario |page=271 |isbn=0-8386-3069-3}}</ref>
==History==
===Great Britain===
====London, England====
[[File:Glaciarium Ice Rink.jpg|thumb|230x230px|right|Interior of the ''[[Glaciarium]]'' in 1876]]
Early attempts in the construction of artificial ice rinks were first made in the 'rink mania' of 1841–44. The technology for the maintenance of natural ice did not exist, therefore these early rinks used a substitute consisting of a mixture of hog's [[lard]] and various salts. An item in the May 8, 1844 issue of [[Eliakim Littell]]'s ''Living Age'' headed "The Glaciarium" reported that "This establishment, which has been removed to Grafton street East' [[Tottenham Court Road]], was opened on Monday afternoon. The area of artificial ice is extremely convenient for such as may be desirous of engaging in the graceful and manly pastime of skating".<ref name="littell">Littell's Living Age, Volume 1, No. 4, p.&nbsp;201</ref>
By 1844, these venues fell out of fashion as customers grew tired of the 'smelly' ice substitute. It wasn't until thirty years later that [[refrigeration]] technology developed to the point where natural ice could finally be feasibly used in the rink. The world's first mechanically frozen ice rink was the ''[[Glaciarium]]'', opened by [[John Gamgee]], a British veterinarian and inventor, in a tent in a small building just off the [[King's Road|Kings Road]] in [[Chelsea, London]], on 7 January 1876.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rusholmearchive.org/ice-skating-in-rusholme|title=The Manchester Real Ice Skating rink Company|publisher=Rusholme and Victoria Park Archive}}</ref><ref name="Harris" /> Gamgee had become fascinated by the refrigeration technology he encountered during a study trip to America to look at [[Texas fever]] in cattle. In March of that same year it moved to a permanent venue at 379 Kings Road, where a rink measuring {{convert|40|by|24|ft|m|order=flip}} was established.<ref name="Harris">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ul7PAAAACAAJ|title=Homes of British Ice Hockey|author=Martin C. Harris|year=2005|publisher=History Press Limited|isbn=9780752425818}}</ref>
The rink was based on a concrete surface, with layers of earth, cow hair and timber planks. Atop these were laid oval [[copper]] pipes carrying a solution of [[glycerine]] with [[diethyl ether|ether]], [[nitrogen peroxide]] and [[water]]. The pipes were covered by water and the solution was pumped through, freezing the water into [[ice]]. Gamgee discovered the process while attempting to develop a method to freeze meat for import from [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]], and [[patented]] it as early as 1870.<ref name="Harris"/>
[[File:Museumplein, IJsclub. Uitgave N.J. Boon, Amsterdam (cropped).jpg|thumb|Ice rink in [[Amsterdam]] c. 1900, from the [[Amsterdam City Archives]]]]
Gamgee operated the rink on a membership-only basis and attempted to attract a wealthy clientele, experienced in open-air ice skating during winters in the [[Alps]].  He installed an [[orchestra]] gallery, which could also be used by spectators, and decorated the walls with views of the [[Swiss Alps]].<ref name="Harris"/>
The rink initially proved a success, and Gamgee opened two further rinks later in the year: at [[Rusholme]] in [[Manchester]] and the "Floating Glaciarium" at [[Charing Cross]] in London, this last significantly larger at {{convert|115|by|25|ft|m|order=flip}}. The Southport Glaciarium opened in 1879, using Gamgee's method.<ref name="Harris"/>
====The Fens, England====
In the marshlands of [[The Fens]], skating was developed early as a pastime during winter where there were plenty of natural ice surfaces. This is the origin of the [[Fen skating]] and is said to be the birthplace of [[bandy]]. The [[Great Britain Bandy Association]] has its home in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbandy.com/members.html|title=Members - Federation of International Bandy|website=Worldbandy.com|access-date=19 March 2018|archive-date=14 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214015548/http://www.worldbandy.com/members.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Germany===
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2022}}
In Germany, the first ice skating rink opened in 1882 in [[Frankfurt]] during a patent exhibition. It covered {{cvt|520|m2|ft2}} and operated for two months; the refrigeration system was designed by Jahre Linde,<ref>Linde AG: "75 Jahre Linde", 1954, S. 52</ref> and was probably the first skating rink where [[ammonia]] was used as a refrigerant. Ten years later, a larger rink was permanently installed on the same site.
===United States===
===Early indoor ice rinks===
[[File:North Avenue Ice Palace.jpg|thumb|1894–1895: [[North Avenue Ice Palace]] skating rink in [[Baltimore, Maryland]]]]
[[File:St. Nicholas Rink 1901.jpg|thumb|1901: [[St. Nicholas Rink]], [[New York City]]]]
Ice skating quickly became a favorite pastime and craze in several American cities around the mid 1800s spawning a construction period of several ice rinks.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://untappedcities.com/2017/12/19/explore-the-history-of-nyc-ice-skating-at-the-museum-of-the-city-of-new-york/|title=EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF NYC ICE SKATING AT THE MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK |website=untappedcities.com |author= |date= 19 December 2017|access-date=27 May 2022 |publisher=untapped new york. |language=en}}</ref>
Two early indoor ice rinks made of mechanically frozen ice in the United States opened in 1894, the [[North Avenue Ice Palace]] in [[Baltimore, Maryland]], and the Ice Palace in [[New York City]].
The [[St. Nicholas Rink]], ({{aka}} "St. Nicholas Arena"), was an indoor ice rink in New York City which existed from 1896 until its demolition in the 1980s. It was one of the earliest American indoor ice rinks made of mechanically frozen ice in North America and gave ice skaters the opportunity to enjoy an extended skating season.<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and Sports in the United States |last=Kirsch |first=George B. |author2=Harris, Othello |author3=Nolte, Claire Elaine |isbn=0-313-29911-0 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2000 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofet0000unse_u6f6/page/215 215] |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofet0000unse_u6f6/page/215 }}</ref> The rink was used for pleasure skating, [[ice hockey]], and [[ice skating]], and was an important rink involved in the development of the sports of ice hockey and [[boxing (sport)|boxing]] in the [[United States]].
====Oldest indoor artificial ice rink in use====
[[File:MatthewsArenaInterior2009.jpg|thumb|2009: [[Matthews Arena]] (formerly Boston Arena) in [[Boston, Massachusetts]]]]
The oldest indoor artificial ice rink still in use in the United States is [[Boston, Massachusetts]]'s, [[Matthews Arena]] (formerly Boston Arena) which was built between 1909 and 1910. The rink is located on the campus of [[Northeastern University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gonu.com/sports/2010/1/28/matthewsarena.aspx?id=204 |title=Northeastern University Athletics Official Website |publisher=Gonu.com |access-date=March 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Katy Fitzpatrick |url=http://www.uscho.com/news/college-hockey/id,17170/NUHuskieslookingforwardtorenovatedArenanewseason.html |title="New Season Brings Renovated Arena for Northeastern," ''USCHO.com'', October 2, 2009 |publisher=Uscho.com |date=October 2, 2009 |access-date=March 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109213027/http://www.uscho.com/news/college-hockey/id%2C17170/NUHuskieslookingforwardtorenovatedArenanewseason.html |archive-date=January 9, 2010 }}</ref>
This American rink is the original home of the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) [[Boston Bruins]]. The Bruins are the only remaining NHL team who are members of the NHL's [[Original Six]] with their original home arena still in existence.
====Contemporary====
{{Main|Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval}}
{{See also|Bandy in the United States}}
The [[Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval]] is an outdoor ice rink in [[Roseville, Minnesota]], that is large enough to allow ice skaters to play the sport of [[bandy]]. Its perimeter is used as an oval speed skating track. The facility was constructed between June and December 1993. It is the only regulation-sized [[bandy field]] in North America and serves as the home of [[USA Bandy]] and its national bandy teams. The $3.9 million renovation project planned for the Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval was set to be completed before the opening of the rink's 29th season on November 18, 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpDhkU4W8L8|title=MN OVAL Gets Major Renovations Ahead of 2022 Season |website=youtube|date=Nov 16, 2022|access-date=17 March 2023|publisher=CityofRosevilleMN |language=en}}</ref>
The oval measures at 400 meters long and 200 meters wide, which makes it the largest artificial outdoor refrigerated sheet of ice in North America.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} It is a world-class facility that is primarily used for ice sports such as ice skating, ice hockey, speed skating, and bandy. The oval hosts several national and international competitions throughout the year, including the USA Cup in bandy.
===Canada===
[[File:Skating carnival Montreal by Notman.jpg|thumb|Painting by [[William Notman]] of a skating carnival at the [[Victoria Skating Rink]] in [[Montreal]]]]
The first building in [[Canada]] to be electrified was the [[Victoria Skating Rink]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Matter |first=Adam |date=2023-02-23 |title=Hockey History - Hockeyheritage.org |url=https://hockeyheritage.org/hockey-history/ |access-date=2024-01-22 |language=en-US}}</ref> which opened in 1862 in [[Montreal]], Quebec, Canada. The rink was created using [[#Natural ice|natural ice]]. At the start of the twentieth century it had been described as "one of the finest covered rinks in the world"<ref>{{Cite web|title=Montreal and vicinity: being a history of the old town, a pictorial record of the modern city, its sports and pastimes, and an illustrated description of many charming summer resorts around|year=1905|publisher=DesBarats|page=89|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fDkTAAAAYAAJ|author=N.M. Hinshelwood}}</ref> and was used during winter for pleasure skating, ice hockey, and skating sports. In summer months, the building was used for various other events.
==Types==
===Natural ice===
[[File:Backyard hockey.jpg|thumb|Children playing ice hockey on a backyard rink in Canada]]
Many ice rinks consist of, or are found on, open bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, canals, and sometimes rivers; these can be used only in the [[winter]] in climates where the surface freezes thickly enough to support human weight. Rinks can also be made in cold climates by enclosing a level area of ground, filling it with water, and letting it freeze. Snow may be packed to use as a containment material.
An example of this type of "rink", which is a body of water converted into a [[#Tracks and trails|skating trail]] during winter, is the [[Rideau Canal|Rideau Canal Skateway]] in [[Ottawa, Ontario]].
===Artificial ice===
[[File:Pista de hielo móvil.jpg|thumb|A typical mobile rink near the Spanish [[Costa Brava]]]]
[[File:SM Ice Rink at Manila's Megamall.jpg|thumb|[[SM Supermalls|SM]] Skating Rink at [[SM Megamall|Metro Manila's Megamall]] located in [[Ortigas Center|Ortigas]]]]
In any climate, an arena ice surface can be installed in a properly built space. This consists of a bed of sand or occasionally a slab of [[concrete]], through (or on top of) which pipes run. The pipes carry a chilled fluid (usually either a salt brine or water with [[antifreeze]], or in the case of smaller rinks, [[refrigerant]]) which can lower the temperature of the slab so that water placed atop will freeze. This method is known as 'artificial ice' to differentiate from ice rinks made by simply freezing water in a cold climate, indoors or outdoors, although both types are of frozen water. A more proper technical term is 'mechanically frozen' ice.
An example of this type of rink is the outdoor rink at [[Rockefeller Center]] in [[New York city|New York]].
====Construction====
[[File:WWIP Componentes pista de hielo móvil.jpg|thumb|Main components of a rink]]
Modern rinks have a specific procedure for preparing the surface. With the pipes cold, a thin layer of water is sprayed on the sand or concrete to seal and level it (or in the case of concrete, to keep it from being marked). This thin layer is painted white or pale blue for better contrast; markings necessary for hockey or curling are also placed, along with logos or other decorations. Another thin layer of water is sprayed on top of this. The ice is built up to a thickness of {{cvt|3/4|to|1+1/2|in|mm|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jetice.com/faq2|title=Frequently Asked Questions - Jet Ice|website=www.jetice.com|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref>
===Synthetic===
{{Main|Synthetic ice}}
Synthetic rinks are constructed from a solid polymer material designed for skating using normal metal-bladed ice skates. High density polyethelene (HDPE) and [[Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene|ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene]] (UHMW) are the only materials that offer reasonable skating characteristics, with UHMW synthetic rinks offering the most ice-like skating but also being the most expensive. A typical synthetic rink will consist of many panels of thin surface material assembled on top of a sturdy, level and smooth sub-floor (anything from concrete to wood or even dirt or grass) to create a large skating area.
==Operation==
{{unreferenced section|date=February 2018}}
Periodically after the ice has been used, it is resurfaced using a machine called an [[ice resurfacer]] (sometimes colloquially referred to as a [[Zamboni Company|Zamboni]] – referring to a major manufacturer of such machinery). For curling, the surface is 'pebbled' by allowing loose drops of cold water to fall onto the ice and freeze into rounded peaks.
Between events, especially if the arena is being used without need for the ice surface, it is either covered with a heavily insulated floor or melted by allowing the fluid in the pipes below the ice to warm.
A highly specialized form of rink is used for [[speed skating]]; this is a large [[Oval (geometry)|oval]] (or ''ring'') much like an athletic track. Because of their limited use, speed skating ovals are far less common than hockey or curling rinks.
Those skilled at preparing arena ice are often in demand for major events where ice quality is critical. The popularity of the sport of hockey in [[Canada]] has led its icemakers to be particularly sought after. One such team of professionals was responsible for placing a [[loonie]] coin under center ice at the [[2002 Winter Olympics]] in [[Salt Lake City, Utah]]; as both Canadian teams (men's and women's) won their respective hockey gold medals, the coin was christened "lucky" and is now in the possession of the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hhof.com/html/olypress.shtml |title=2002 Winter Olympic Games Exhibit |access-date=2009-12-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807130640/http://www.hhof.com/html/olypress.shtml |archive-date=2008-08-07 |publisher=[[Hockey Hall of Fame]] }}</ref> after having been retrieved from beneath the ice.
==Standard rink sizes==
===Bandy===
{{Main|Bandy field}}
In [[bandy]], the size of the [[bandy field|playing field]] is {{cvt|90|-|110|m|ft}} x {{cvt|45|-|65|m|ft|abbr=on}}. For internationals, the size must not be smaller than {{cvt|100|x|60|m}}. The variety [[rink bandy]] is played on [[ice hockey rink]]s.
[[Image:Bandy pitch metric.svg|510px|thumb|center|Standard field measurements for a bandy rink.]]
===Figure skating===
{{Main|Figure skating rink}}
[[File:Jielbeaumadier patinoire Acropolis WFSC Nice 2012.jpg|thumb|Ice rink at the [[Palais des Congrès Acropolis|Acropolis Exhibition Center]] in [[France]] in [[2012 World Figure Skating Championships|2012]]]]
The size of figure skating rinks can be quite variable, but the [[International Skating Union]] prefers Olympic-sized rinks for figure skating competitions, particularly for major events. These are {{cvt|60|by|30|m}}. The ISU specifies that competition rinks must not be larger than this and not smaller than {{cvt|56|by|26|m}}.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-206192-223415-177357-0-file,00.pdf |title= Special Regulations & Technical Rules: Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance 2012 |publisher= International Skating Union |date= June 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201118/http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0%2C11040%2C4844-206192-223415-177357-0-file%2C00.pdf |archive-date= 29 October 2013 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
===Ice hockey===
{{Main|Ice hockey rink}}
[[File:Rink - IIHF vs NHL.jpg|thumb|Rink dimensions used by the [[International Ice Hockey Federation|IIHF]] and the [[NHL]]]]
Although there is a great deal of variation in the dimensions of actual ice rinks, there are basically two rink sizes in use at the highest levels of [[ice hockey]]. Historically, earlier ice rinks were smaller than today.
Official [[National Hockey League]] rinks are {{cvt|26|x|61|m}}. The dimensions originate from the size of the [[Victoria Skating Rink]] in [[Montreal, Quebec]], Canada.
Official [[Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|Olympic]] and [[International Ice Hockey Federation|International]] ice hockey rinks have dimensions of {{cvt|30|x|60|m|sigfig=3}}.
===Para ice hockey===
[[File:Sledge hockey player.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Para ice hockey]] player]]
{{Main|Sledge hockey}}
[[Sledge hockey]] ({{aka}} "Para ice hockey", or "sled hockey"), uses the same rink dimensions used by [[ice hockey|ice hockey rinks]].
===Ringette===
{{Main|Ringette}}
[[File:Icehockeylayout.svg|thumb|Typical layout of an [[ice hockey]] rink surface]]
[[Ringette]] utilizes most of the standard ice hockey markings used by [[Hockey Canada]], but the [[Ringette#Ringette rink|ringette rink]] uses additional free-pass dots in each of the attacking zones and centre zone areas as well as a larger goal crease area. Two additional free-play lines (one in each attacking zone) are also required.
A ringette rink is an ice rink designed for ice hockey which has been modified to enable ringette to be played. Though some ice surfaces are designed strictly for ringette, these ice rinks with exclusive lines and markings for ringette are usually created only at venues hosting [[Ringette#International governance|major ringette competitions and events]]. Most ringette rinks are found in [[Canada]] and [[Finland]].
Playing area, size, lines and markings for the standard Canadian ringette rink are similar to the average [[#Ice hockey|ice hockey rink]] in Canada with certain modifications.<ref>{{cite web|date=2013|title=Ringette Canada Line Markings|url=https://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/RC-Line-Markings-eng.pdf|access-date=July 24, 2021|website=Canadian Recreation Facilities Council}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rink Line Markings Ringette|url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/6119527/rink-line-markings-ringettepdf-bc-ringette-association|access-date=July 24, 2021|website=BC Ringette Association}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ringette Canada Line Markings Ontario|url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/6119683/ringette-canada-line-markings-ontario-ringette-association|access-date=July 24, 2021|website=Ontario Recreation Facilities Association, Inc.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rink Markings|url=https://www.pgringette.ca/about-ringette/rink-markings/|access-date=July 24, 2021|website=Prince George Ringette}}</ref>
Early in its history, ringette was played mostly on rinks constructed for ice hockey, [[broomball]], [[figure skating]], and recreational skating, and was mostly played on outdoor rinks since few indoor ice rinks were available at the time.<ref name="Redmond, Gerald 1982 271"/>
===Broomball===
[[File:Broomball 140205-N-IY633-247.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Broomball]] players]]
{{Main|Broomball}}
The organized format of [[broomball]] uses the rink dimensions defined by a [[Ice hockey rink|standard Canadian ice hockey rink]].
===Spongee===
{{Main|Spongee}}
The sport of [[spongee]], {{aka}} "sponge hockey", does not use ice skates. A skateless outdoor winter variant of ice hockey, spongee has its own rules codes and is played strictly within the Canadian city of [[Winnipeg]] as a cult sport. The sport generally uses the rink dimensions defined by a [[Ice hockey rink|standard Canadian ice hockey rink]].
===Rinkball===
{{Main|Rinkball}}
[[Rinkball]] rinks today typically use the measurements of an [[ice hockey rink]], though may be slightly larger due to the sport having originated in Europe where the [[bandy field]] influenced the size and development of smaller ice rinks.
==Tracks and trails==
{{See|Fen skating|Speed skating|Ice cross downhill|Tour skating|Elfstedentocht}}
Tracks and trails are occasionally referred to as ice rinks in spite of their differences.
Ice skating tracks and ice skating trails are used for recreational exercise and sporting activities during the winter season including distance ice skating. Ice trails are created by natural bodies of water such as rivers, which freeze during winter, though some trails are created by removing snow to create skating lanes on large frozen lakes for ice skaters.
Ice trails are usually used for pleasure skating, though the sport and recreational activity of [[Tour skating]] can involve ice skaters passing over ice trails and open areas created by frozen lakes.
To date, [[speed skating]] and [[ice cross downhill]] are the only winter activities or sports whereby ice skaters use tracks and lanes designed to include bends rather than using a simple straightway. Some ice rinks are constructed in a manner allowing for a [[speed skating rink]] to be created around its outside perimeter.
===Tracks===
====Speed skating track====
{{Main|Speed skating rink}}
[[File:Speed skating 2012 olympics.JPG|thumb|160px|Outdoor [[speed skating]] track in [[Innsbruck]]]]
Speed skating tracks or "rinks" can either be created naturally or artificially and are made either outdoors or inside indoor facilities. Tracks may be created by having the lanes surround the exterior of an ice rink.
The sport requires the use of a special type of racing skate, the [[ice skate#Racing skates|speed skating ice skate]].
[[File:Speedskating rink 400 meters with dimensions.svg|thumb|300px|Dimensions of a standard [[speed skating rink]]]]
In [[speed skating]], for [[Short track speed skating|short track]], the official [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] rink size is {{cvt|30|x|60|m|ft}}, with an oval ice track of {{cvt|111.12|m}} in circumference.
In [[long track speed skating]] the oval ice track is usually {{cvt|400|m}} in circumference.
====Ice skating marathon tracks====
{{Main|Ice skating marathons}}
An ice skating marathon is a long distance speed skating race which may be held on natural ice on canals and bodies of water such as lakes and rivers. '''Marathon''' is a discipline of [[speed skating]], which is founded in the [[Netherlands]].
The races concern speed skating by at least five skaters who start all together on an ice rink with a minimum length of 333.33 meters or on a track:
* Minimum distance longer than 6.4 kilometers and up to 200 kilometers for skaters who have reached the age of 17 prior to the skating season on July 1.
* Minimum distance longer than 4 kilometers and up to 20 kilometers for skaters who have reached the age of or the age of 13, but have not yet reached the age of 17 before July 1 preceding the skating season.
* Minimum distance of 2 kilometers and up to 10 kilometers for skaters who have not yet reached the age of 13 before July 1 preceding the skating season.
====Dutch skating tracks====
{{Main|Elfstedentocht}}
[[File:Elfstedentocht, finish, Bestanddeelnr 906-2831.jpg|thumb|180px|[[Elfstedentocht]], 1954]]
The Netherlands is home of [[Elfstedentocht]], a 200&nbsp;km distance skating race of which the tracks leads through the 11 different cities in [[Friesland]] which is a northern province of the Netherlands.
Skate tracks on natural ice are maintained by the towns and communities, who take care of the safety of the tracks.
====Ice cross downhill tracks====
{{Main|Ice cross downhill}}
[[File:Icy Snakes (16552674719).jpg|thumb|180px|[[Ice cross downhill]] track in [[Edmonton, Canada]], 2015]]
[[Ice cross downhill]], (formerly known as "Red Bull Crashed Ice" or "[[Crashed Ice]]"), is a [[winter sport|winter]] [[extreme sport|extreme]] sporting event involving direct competitive downhill [[Ice skating|skating]]. Skaters race down a walled track which features sharp turns and high vertical drops.
===Trails===
====Rideau Canal Skateway====
{{See also|Rideau Canal|Tour skating#Outdoor skating in Canada}}
[[File:Winterlude Rideau Canal.JPG|thumb|A portion of the [[Rideau Canal]] in [[Ottawa, Ontario]], Canada, the world's largest naturally frozen "ice rink" or skating trail]]
An example of an ice skating trail, or "rink", is the [[Rideau Canal|Rideau Canal Skateway]] in [[Ottawa, Ontario]], Canada, estimated at {{cvt|1782000|ft2|m2|order=flip}} and {{cvt|7.8|km}} long, which is equivalent to 90 Olympic-size skating rinks.<ref name="For the record">{{cite web
|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-naturally-frozen-ice-rink|publisher=www.guinnessworldrecords.com
|title=Largest naturally frozen ice rink|access-date=July 29, 2014}}</ref>
The rink is prepared by lowering the canal's water level and letting the canal water freeze. The rink is then resurfaced nightly by cleaning the ice of snow and flooding it with water from below the ice. The rink is recognized as the "world's largest naturally frozen ice rink" by the Guinness Book of World Records because "its entire length receives daily maintenance such as sweeping, ice thickness checks and there are toilet and recreational facilities along its entire length".<ref name="For the record"/>
====Longest trail====
The longest ice skating trail is in [[Invermere, British Columbia]], Canada, on [[Lake Windermere Whiteway]]. The naturally frozen trail measures {{cvt|29.98|km}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://curiocity.com/the-worlds-longest-ice-skating-trail-lake-windermere-whiteway/ |title=The world's longest ice skating trail sits on this gorgeous BC lake |website=curiocity.com |author= |date=9 December 2021|access-date=5 May 2022 |publisher= |language=en}}</ref>
===Combined===
Outdoor ice skating activities and competitions involving a goal of distance travel for recreation, exercise, competition and adventure, can involve frozen lakes, rivers, and canals.
====Tour skating====
{{See|Tour skating}}
[[Image:Toertocht.jpg|thumb|180px|Skaters in a marathon race on [[Weissensee (Carinthia)]], using [[Ice skate#Touring skates|''nordic skates'']]]]
The sport and recreational activity, [[Tour skating]] ({{aka}} "Nordic skating" in North America), is strictly an outdoor activity for ice skaters. Nordic skating originated during the 1900s in Sweden.
Ice skaters traverse naturally frozen bodies of water, which sometimes, but not always, includes interconnected ice trails as well as frozen ponds, lakes, and even marsh areas. Tour skaters use a special ice skate with long blades.
====Elfstedentocht (Eleven cities tour)====
{{Main|Elfstedentocht}}
[[File:Elfstedentocht 1985, finish Leeuwarden finish van de kopgroep v.l.n.r. Ruitenbe, Bestanddeelnr 933-2434.jpg|thumb|The leading group during the 1985 [[Elfstedentocht]], racing towards the finish, February 21, 1985]]
The '''[[Elfstedentocht|Elfstedentocht (Eleven Cities Tour)]]''' is a long-distance [[tour skating]] event on natural ice, almost {{convert|200|km|mi}} long, which is held both as a [[speed skating]] competition (with 300 contestants) and a leisure tour (with 16,000 skaters).<ref name="Elfstedentocht" /> It is the biggest ice-skating tour in the world and held in the province of [[Friesland]] in the north of the [[Netherlands]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/destinations/provinces/friesland/eleven-cities-tour-2-1.htm |title=Elfstedentocht - a 200 kilometre ice skating tour |website=holland.com |author= |date= 25 March 2011|access-date=11 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
The event leads past all eleven historical cities of the province and is held at most once a year, only when the natural ice along the entire course is at least {{convert|15|cm|in|0}} thick.<ref>{{cite web | title = Geschiedenis Schrijft elfstedengeschiedenis. Schrijf mee! ["Geschiedenis" writes the Eleven Cities History. Please contribute]| publisher = VPRO [Dutch Television Station]| url =http://elfstedenwiki.vpro.nl/| access-date =2009-08-18| archive-date = 2020-03-24| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20200324223334/http://www.elfstedenwiki.vpro.nl/ | url-status = dead}}</ref> It is sometimes held on consecutive years, while at other times, gaps between the touring years have exceeded 20 years. When the ice is suitable, the tour is announced and starts within 48 hours. The last Elfstedentocht was held in 1997.
==Laneways==
{{See also|Curling (sport)#Curling sheet|Ice stock sport}}
The sports of [[curling (sport)|curling]] and [[Ice stock sport]] are played on either ice rinks or simple ice surfaces with lanes marked out for play.
===Curling===
{{Main|Curling (sport)#Curling sheet}}
[[File:Brier 045.jpg|thumb|Example of a [[Curling (sport)#Curling sheet|curling sheet]].]]
[[File:CurlingHouseAndBackline.svg|thumb|180px|Curling sheet details. The 12-foot circle covers the backline.]]
The sport of [[Curling (sport)|curling]] uses an ice rink known as a "curling rink" or [[Curling (sport)#Curling sheet|curling sheet]]. Curling does not involve ice skating. Curling uses lanes.
The curling sheet is a carefully prepared rectangular area of ice created to be as flat and level as possible. The ice surface dimensions are {{convert|146|to|150|ft|m}} in length by {{convert|14.5|to|16.5|ft|m}} in width. A curling sheet includes areas marked off in a manner specific to the sport, including the ''house'', the ''button'', ''hog lines'', ''hacks'', and shorter borders along the ends of the sheet called the backboards.
The dimensions of an official curling sheet is defined by the [[World Curling Federation]] Rules of Curling.<ref name="worldcurlingrules">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldcurling.org/rules-and-regulations |title=The Rules of Curling and Rules of Competition |publisher=World Curling Federation |date=June 2008 |access-date=7 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100312230921/http://www.worldcurling.org/rules-and-regulations |archive-date=12 March 2010 }}</ref> At major events, ice preparation and maintenance is extremely important. Curling clubs usually have an ice maker whose main job is to care for the ice.
{{wide image|Curlingsheet flip.svg|800px|3=<div style="text-align:center;">A curling sheet, with dimensions in feet (<nowiki>1' = 1 ft = 0.3 m</nowiki>).<br />'''CL:'''&nbsp;Centreline{{•}} '''HOL:'''&nbsp;Hogline{{•}} '''TL:'''&nbsp;Teeline{{•}} '''BL:'''&nbsp;Backline{{•}} '''HA:'''&nbsp;Hackline with Hacks{{•}} '''FGZ:'''&nbsp;Free Guard Zone</div>}}
===Ice stock sport===
{{Update section|reason=needs illustration of official surface and markings|date=June 2023}}
{{Main|Ice stock sport}}
[[Image:Icestock 5.jpg|thumb|Game in progress]]
[[Ice stock sport]] (sometimes spelt "Icestocksport" or "Bavarian curling") is a winter sport comparable to curling. It's called [[:de:Stockschießen|Eisstockschießen]] in German. Although the sport is typically played on ice, summer competitions are performed on asphalt.
==Other==
===Crokicurl===
[[File:Perspective Rendering.jpg|thumb|[[Crokicurl]] playing area]]
[[Crokicurl]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ia-uTw-ceI|title=What's Crokicurl?|website=youtube.com |author= |date=5 February 2022|access-date=29 September 2022|publisher=WCCO – CBS Minnesota|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aHdSNzlWsU|title=Crokicurl in Saskatchewan!|website=youtube.com |author= |date=27 January 2018|access-date=29 September 2022|publisher=Saskatchewanderer |language=en}}</ref> is a Canadian [[winter sport]] and is a large scale hybrid of [[curling]] and the board game [[Crokinole]]. It is played outdoors by teams consisting of two players who take turns trying to score points on a quadrant shaped area with the playing area marked off on a sheet of ice.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.energeticcity.ca/2018/02/city-council-looking-bringing-crokicurl-energetic-city/|title=City Council looking at bringing crokicurl to the Energetic City - Energeticcity.ca|date=2018-02-19|work=Energeticcity.ca|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316023011/https://www.energeticcity.ca/2018/02/city-council-looking-bringing-crokicurl-energetic-city/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.manitoulin.ca/2018/02/28/crokicurl-curling-meets-crokinole/|title='Crokicurl:' curling meets crokinole|last=McCutcheon|first=Alicia|date=2018-02-28|work=Manitoulin Expositor|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316023030/http://www.manitoulin.ca/2018/02/28/crokicurl-curling-meets-crokinole/|archive-date=2018-03-16|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ckom.com/2018/02/17/final-days-to-try-crokicurl-in-saskatoon/|title=Final days to try crokicurl in Saskatoon| publisher=CKOM News|work=650 CKOM|access-date=March 15, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cjme.com/2018/02/13/244317/|title=Crokicurl makes its way to Regina|last=Gray|first=Britton|work=980 CJME|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3951464/crokicurl-begins-second-season-at-the-forks/|title=Crokicurl begins second season at The Forks|work=CJOB|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en}}</ref> The quadrant includes posts, starting line, wooden edge side-rail, and a 20-point "button". Depending on the area involved, players can score 5, 10, or 15 points.
==Outdoor ice==
[[File:Empire Park Hockey (8581733524).jpg|thumb|[[Ice hockey]] has been a popular outdoor winter pastime in Canada for over a century]]
Outdoor ice rinks and frozen ponds, rivers, and canals, serve several purposes, allowing for physical activities during the winter season such as recreational ice skating and [[figure skating]], and also function as an affordable place for players to engage in team winter sports such as [[ice hockey]], [[bandy]], [[rinkball]], [[ringette]], [[broomball]], and [[spongee]], as a pastime.
These areas and facilities also help individuals, youth sporting organizations, and families, offset the expensive cost of indoor ice-time. They are also used as a part of outdoor [[winter festivals]] and to host [[pond hockey]] tournaments and the like.
===Decline===
====Rinks====
The length of outdoor ice skating season began to experience a noticeable decline in North America in the early part of the 21st century.<ref name="Melting">{{cite web |url=https://www.grid.news/story/climate/2022/02/17/climate-change-threatening-hockey-nhl-olympics/ |title=Outdoor hockey is the sport's great equalizer — but it's slowly melting away |website=grid.news |author=Dave Levitan |date=17 February 2022|access-date=5 May 2022|publisher=Grid News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/unpredictable-weather-impacts-long-standing-traditions-on-outdoor-rinks |title=Unpredictable weather impacts long-standing traditions on outdoor rinks |website=pbs.org |author=John Yang, Sam Lane|date=31 January 2022 |access-date=5 May 2022 |publisher=[[PBS]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/outdoor-hockey-traditions-under-shadow-of-climate-change-1.5866126 |title=Outdoor hockey traditions under shadow of climate change |website=cbc.ca |author=Stephen Whyno |date=8 January 2021|access-date=5 May 2022 |publisher=[[CBC News]]|language=en}}</ref>
One of the correlated factors involved has been attributed to [[climate change]].<ref name="Melting" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.si.com/nhl/2019/04/22/climate-change-canada-winter-sports-hockey-backyard-rinks |title=Winter Is Going: How Climate Change Is Imperiling Outdoor Sporting Heritage |website=SI.com|author=Stanley Kay|date=22 April 2019|access-date=5 May 2022 |publisher=[[Sports Illustrated]]|language=en}}</ref> One of the consequences involved includes reducing access to outdoor facilities needed by youth who require opportunities to participate in ice-based sports at length and with low-cost, a problematic development considering winter sports become increasingly expensive over time resulting in economic exclusion.
'''RinkWatch'''
[[RinkWatch]][https://www.rinkwatch.org/] is a citizen science program in [[Canada]] run by researchers at [[Wilfrid Laurier University]] in [[Waterloo, Ontario]]. Beginning in 2013 the program started collecting data on outdoor rinks and frozen ponds across North America.<ref name="Melting" /> The objective is to better understand how climate change may be impacting the outdoor skating season.
====Tracks and trails====
[[Elfstedentocht]], the world's biggest ice-skating tour involving [[tour skating]] and [[speed skating]], has been declared to be in danger of "extinction" due to [[climate change]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dutchreview.com/culture/society/why-the-netherlands-will-never-have-an-elfstedentocht-eleven-cities-tour-again/ |title=Why the Netherlands will never have an 'Elfstedentocht' (Eleven Cities Tour) again |website=dutchreview.com|author=Abuzer van Leeuwen|date=10 February 2021 |access-date=11 May 2022|publisher=[[Dutch Review]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2019/03/07/feature/in-the-netherlands-ice-skating-is-in-the-dna-a-warming-climate-could-change-that/|title=GAME CHANGER: Waning winters |author=Rick Maese |date=7 March 2019 |access-date=11 May 2022 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Elfstedentocht">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elfstedentocht-netherlands-skating-marathon-bill-whitaker-60-minutes-2020-03-08/ |title=Elfstedentocht: The outdoor skating race that brings the Netherlands to a standstill |website=CBSNews.com |author= |date=8 March 2020 |access-date=11 May 2022|publisher=[[CBC News]] |language=en}}</ref> The last Elfstedentocht was held in 1997.
==See also==
*[[Bandy field]]
*[[Figure skating rink]]
*[[Ice hockey rink]]
*[[Speed skating rink]]
*[[Curling (sport)#Curling sheet|Curling sheet]]
*[[Synthetic ice]]
*[[List of ice hockey arenas by capacity]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons category|Ice rinks}}
*[http://thehockeywriters.com/the-ice-rink-a-brief-history/ The Ice Rink – A Brief History]
* '''RinkWatch'''[https://www.rinkwatch.org/] is a citizen science research initiative that asks people to help environmental scientists monitor winter weather conditions and study the long-term impacts of climate change.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130903055929/http://www.rinktime.com/ice-skating-rinks/national/ice-skating-rinks Comprehensive list of ice skating rinks] in the U.S. and Canada
*[http://www.backyardicerinks.org Backyard Ice Rink Builder Community]
{{Ice}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Ice rinks| ]]
[[Category:Playing field surfaces]]
[[Category:Sports venues]]
[[Category:Figure skating]]
[[Category:Bandy]]
[[Category:Ice hockey]]
[[Category:Sledge hockey]]
[[Category:Ringette]]
[[Category:Speed skating]]
[[Category:Broomball]]
[[Category:Sports rules and regulations]]