You Play Hockey? On Ice?

Somewhere in the divide between roller hockey and ice hockey there is KwikRink. KwikRink is a synthetic ice surface that feels and acts a lot like ice. It is also the skating surface in the newly opened rink at the Crown Sports Center in Fruitland. I have yet to skate on it but, I have watched some of the skating and talked to some folks who have been on it. Apparently, it reacts a lot like ice. In regular hockey skates you can turn, cut, and even hockey-stop. Each stride takes a little more effort and you don't get as much glide, although I've been assured that when the surface breaks in it will get faster. Even with the "slower" surface the guys I watched were getting up and down the "ice" pretty quick. The puck didn't move great, but the ball was humming. The surface is similar to plexiglas and is covered with a light layer of oil. I know it sounds weird, but it looks pretty neat. Seriously. Anyway, the owner hopes to have ice installed in January and then fall into a regular schedule of ice in Fall/Winter, fake ice in Spring/Summer. The only big drawback is that the rink is much shorter and a little narrower than a regulation rink. It will hopefully still be a fun place to skate and practice, however. I'm hoping to skate on it this week. I'll post an update after that. A side note that some of you might get a kick out of : The name of the rink is Ice Magic.