For the ISU Synchronized Skating World Championships from April 9 to 11, a mobile ice surface is installed in the Salzburgarena. The setup is constructed by the Tyrolean company “AST Eis- und Solartechnik GmbH“ within eight days.

Centimeter by centimeter, layer by layer. With precise work, the experts from “AST Eis- und Solartechnik GmbH“ are constructing the mobile ice surface inside the Salzburgarena, on which the best of the best will compete at the ISU Synchronized Skating World Championships from April 9 to 11 in ideal conditions.

1,600 m² ice surface

“The first important step is the precise installation of ice mats beneath the actual ice surface. The refrigeration system, supplied with coolant, keeps the ice stable from below at a temperature of -10°C,” explains Murat Yilmaz, Head of Sales at AST. Measuring 28 by 60 meters, the ice surface in the Salzburgarena is slightly smaller than the European standard, but falls within the tolerance range specified by the International Skating Union and is larger than, for example, an NHL ice rink.

Working day and night

The second key step is building up the ice itself. The AST team works continuously in two shifts. After the first centimeter of ice, the boards were installed. After the fourth centimeter, the advertising areas were colored using a mixture of lime and pigment powder. Additional layers of ice are continuously added until the desired thickness is reached by the coming weekend.

Eight centimeters

A special feature is the higher density of the ice surface compared to public ice rinks or, for example, the ice used at the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship in Denmark, which was also built by the Austrian company. “The ice here in the Salzburgarena is eight centimeters thick—three centimeters thicker than at the Ice Hockey World Championship. This allows us to create the best possible conditions for the teams at the World Championships,” explains Yilmaz. This increases the workload by about 30 hours but ensures the durability required for numerous training sessions and competition performances.

To maintain the highest possible ice quality until the last competition day, the team uses professional equipment. Among other things, one ice resurfacing machine used at Olympics in Milan is on site. At the same time, the AST team remain actively engaged during the championship week, continuously maintaining the ice surface in shape. “Feedback from the athletes after training sessions is very important to us in order to prepare the ice to the highest quality,” emphasizes Thomas Hundertpfund who is overseeing the works in Salzburgarena.

Higher cooling capacity required

Salzburgarena is not a permanent venue for ice sports but a multifunctional arena. As a result, the climate differs from that of typical ice rinks, explains Yilmaz: “We need a lot of fresh air to remove moisture. In addition, we use 1.5 times the cooling capacity to maintain the desired ice temperature.” It won’t poise any problem for the experts of AST if the air temperature inside the sold out arena might significantly increase at competition days.