Synthetic Ice Rink Made of interlocking polymer panels. No water or freezing required. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Higher upfront cost, but lower maintenance costs. Real Ice Rink Uses water that's artificially frozen with refrigeration. Real ice that requires regular resurfacing and refrigeration. Typically found indoors or in colder outdoor settings. Continuous operational costs for maintenance and refrigeration. Essentially, synthetic ice rinks use plastic panels for skating, while artificial ice rinks use mechanically frozen real ice.