Oval Ice Rink With On/Off Ramps is a racing around type of rink made for public use (most of these are otherwise for competition use only, as they would be too dangerous for slow starters, so this idea solves that problem)
The On ramp allows skaters to climb up a set of steps, then accelerate downwards, until they merge lanes on the main oval, as if they were joining the speeding traffic on a motorway.
A similar Off ramp allows skaters to leave again in total safety.-- xenzag, Oct 09 2010 Sounds simple and effective. [+] Speed skaters do a lot of arm swinging. Might do to have wider lanes. Maybe something at the end of the off ramp to slow down quickly. Wish we had one of these here...I love ice skating.-- Boomershine, Oct 09 2010 Jeez, somehow I must have thought this rink idea was something with a lot of through-traffic, with my suggestion to widen the lanes. Makes no sense up there..
BUT, wouldn't it be great to able to ice skate to work or somewhere?-- Boomershine, Oct 09 2010 // ice skate to work //
Not if you were a pro surfer.-- 8th of 7, Oct 09 2010 Well, no, not then, true. Thanks.-- Boomershine, Oct 09 2010 Is there an advantage to the proposed ramps, over a generally bowl-shaped rink?-- pocmloc, Oct 09 2010 yes-- xenzag, Oct 09 2010 Add in some big flashing bumpers, big scoreboard, and a giant spring-loaded doorknob to provide some 'push' down the ramp.-- Jinbish, Oct 09 2010 [pocmloc]//Is there an advantage to the proposed ramps, over a generally bowl-shaped rink?//
just the on/off ramps.-- Boomershine, Oct 10 2010 Would the ramps be marked INFAHRT and AUSFARHT, in Germany? Those signs always made me laugh a little, when driving in that anal-retentive land of rocks and bogs.-- infidel, Oct 10 2010 [pocmloc] Didn't mean to sound so snarky...Getting onto and off a speed skating oval is like getting on a freeway, I imagine. Same advantages: merging with other skaters, getting off without slowing everyone down.-- Boomershine, Oct 10 2010 I'm no expert but I imagine inclined ice ramps are a bit more tricky to make and maintain than the conventional horizontal surface.-- jamobaker, Oct 12 2010 [jamo] I agree. Inclined ice is tricky. I think just an extended, flat surface of ice as on/off ramps would allow skater to accelerate/decelerate to rink speed.-- Boomershine, Oct 12 2010 Constructing ice inclines seems to present no difficulties to the makers of downhill bobsleigh events.-- xenzag, Oct 12 2010 Good point, [xenzag]. I wonder how easy it would be to skate on a luge course? I like to roller-blade (in- line roller skating). I do not much like inclines of any kind in them.-- Boomershine, Oct 12 2010 How do they do it for bobsled / luge? Maybe a viscous slush-like mixture could be used. Just hose it down afterwards to make it smooth.-- bluebeaversscrubbingourfloors, Oct 13 2010 //bobsled/luge// imagine they do it by multiple misting passes, creating a slightly pebbled texture, though I'm not sure about maintenance.
Alan Dean Foster : Icerigger trilogy-- FlyingToaster, Oct 13 2010 + this would be good for roller skating, too.-- xandram, Oct 13 2010 //+ this would be good for roller skating, too.//
<Obligatory smart-ass response>
What? Roller skating on an ice-rink???
<Osr/>-- MikeD, Oct 13 2010 Despite how trivial it is to construct the on/offramps (excuse my ignorance in this regard- I come from a country short on ice) another reason to go with flat on/off ramps as proposed by [boomer] might be more control over your entry speed in order to merge appropriately with the "traffic". Also useful for beginners who hopefully fall over and glide to a stop within the first meter or two as opposed to falling over and sliding on their bottom into the traffic.-- jamobaker, Oct 15 2010 [jamo]You come from a country long on eloquence. This description is perfect.-- Boomershine, Oct 16 2010 random, halfbakery