Frequently Asked Questions

We have staff on the ice to assist beginners at all weekend and evening sessions. We recommend beginners channel their inner penguin; arms out for balance, slight bend in the knees, toes pointing outwards, gently rocking your weight side to side.

No sorry, you must wear skates when entering the ice surface, it is very slippery!

Yes, Alpine has a free to access wireless hot spot. Due to the size of our venue the best coverage is at the cafe.

Yes - prams and wheelchairs are welcome on the ice at no charge subject to space availability. Check with the staff on the day. We require prams/wheel chairs to be pushed by a parent or caregiver (please no children pushing). Due to Health and Safety considerations self propelled mobility chairs are not permitted on the ice.

Alpine has a well-stocked cafe and bar on site so please do not bring food into the facility. Birthday cakes are always welcome however.

Non-skating supervising parents/caregivers enter free of charge at all sessions. Other non-skating spectators are charged $11.50 at night sessions only.

No - you can arrive anytime during the advertised opening time, however when we reach the end of the session all skaters are required to exit the ice.

No - not unless you're bringing a group of 10 or more.

We recommend skating is best for ages 3+

By this age most children have developed basic motor skills, balance and co-ordination. 

Our smallest rental skates are equivalent to a US toddler size 5, this would be a small fit for most children aged 18 months plus.

Our rental skates go all the way up to UK size 14, equivalent to US 15.5.

1300 pairs from children's size 6 to adult's size 14.

The entire area of the ice surface is 26 metres by 56 meters, and the ice is 10 centimetres thick.

The ice is usually clear, so we apply paint under the ice to make it appear white and then we use paper on top of the paint to add the lines and dots used for speed skating and ice hockey. Ice is then formed over the top of these.

1 cubic metre of ice weighs a tonne, so the whole ice sheet would be about 150 tonnes.

The ice takes roughly 5-10 minutes to completely freeze after each grooming.

We have an extraordinary vehicle called a Zamboni, which is used to cut off the top layer of the ice and replace it with hot water, which freezes giving you a brand new smooth surface for skating.

Skating causes holes and grooves to appear, so we fill these and use special water treatment to keep the ice in tip-top shape.

We also need to cut back the edges of the ice that the Zamboni can't reach, we do this regularly to keep it smooth.

The Zamboni moves at about 20km per hour, and it's not hard to drive, but it does require specialised training and a good understanding of how the ice surface is maintained.

The Zamboni is driven in a circle to avoid having to turn around, it's not easy to turn it around!

Around 30 people, including part-timers, DJs and coaches work at Alpine Ice. There are usually around 5 - 12 staff working at a public session depending on how busy it is.