For people who make a living in the ice-skating trade, the concept of a surface that doesn't melt seems as lucrative as chewing gum that never loses its flavor. And that's exactly what Jiří Linhart has. Linhart is general director of the Interice company, which focuses on distributing polymer panels for all-season skating facilities in the Czech Republic. Three weeks after opening Europe's biggest artificial ice facility in Plzeň, Linhart talked with The Prague Post about the roots of the idea, and the future prospects of all-season skating facilities.

A huge 'Ice Park' opened in Plzeň last month. Is this the biggest project that you could hope for, or do you think similar facilities could soon open across the country?

This sporting facility really is the largest of its kind in Europe. I am certain it won't be the only one in the Czech Republic. Thanks to its unique nature and growing popularity, I believe it is an attractive prospect for other city authorities and potential buyers from other countries. Our intention is to persuade interested parties to forget the standard oblong shape of ice rinks and start to offer more attractive skating throughout the entire year and in tailored shapes.

Plzeň 1 Mayor Jiří Winkelhöfer said that he decided to open an ice park in Plzeň after accidentally visiting a similar facility during his summer vacation in Spain. The plastic ice itself was discovered also by accident, as a byproduct of NASA research. So how did you get into selling this product? Was it also by accident?

How different does it feel to skate on your plastic ice compared to regular ice?

The polymer plastic mimics the slick effect found with ice, but it is about 10 percent slower than natural ice. Amateur skaters can hardly notice the difference.

When you began distributing the plastic ice panels in Europe in 2004, weren't you a little afraid of how people would react to this new take on an old favorite?

In the beginning, we were absolutely flush with enthusiasm and optimism. We were sure that such an exceptional product would cause great interest. However, we began to have some cause for concern after one year when we were unable to create a single skating rink. Only by initially renting the skating rinks to potential buyers could we break the initial disbelief over such a revolutionary product. After that, it became almost a rule that a client who rented a skating rink for a test bought it almost immediately.

Do you believe that lower maintenance costs of your product in comparison with regular ice could help your business expand in this country?

Purchase and operating costs definitely play a very important role in the interest for this product. Perfect examples are in countries like Sweden or Norway; both have, on first sight, the best conditions for classic ice rinks. However, thanks to large financial advantages, as well as the ability to operate the whole year round, these plastic rinks are preferred. In the Czech Republic, many towns and cities can't afford winter stadiums because of high costs to purchase and operate. Furthermore, thanks to its cheap and yearlong operation, it even becomes a profit maker for city halls' coffers.

Generally, the construction of sports facilities has been on the rise in this country, but those are mostly arenas for professional sports. Aren't you afraid that the municipal support of such constructions will limit the development of leisure sports facilities such as the Ice Park?

I don't think the construction of professional sporting grounds is really our competition. There are many cities that don't have sufficient finances for the maintenance of their current swimming pools or winter stadiums, let alone their development. Because of such financial demands, many cities do not even own such a facility. This is where we see space on the market for our product: the plastic skating rink by itself, or even annexed as part of a larger sports facility.

Have you ever considered expanding your portfolio to other products and equipment rather than the plastic ice?

Of course. We have already generated quite a buzz about our new surface, and we are continuing to develop it further. Nevertheless, because this material is such a great product in itself, we think it would be a pity to waste our efforts in other sporting commodities or trends.

Apart from the Czech Republic, Interice also intends to expand to other countries and as far afield as South Korea. Since the Plzeň Ice Park stands as an example of what you can do, wouldn't you be happier if it was located in Prague instead?

Apart from the Czech Republic, we have succeeded in garnering product interest in Norway, Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Austria, Italy, Turkey, South Korea and other countries. Plzeň, thanks to the newly developed highway, is at this moment perhaps a more convenient reference location than our capital, particularly for potential clients from Western Europe. Of course, I would be very pleased if Prague citizens could use a similar facility.

The Ice Park in Plzeň opened just ahead of the winter season. Wouldn't it be more strategic to postpone the opening until the spring, when the natural ice melts and people could continue skating on your plastic ice?

We have no strategic period for when we open our skating rinks, because a major advantage of this facility is the possibility of using it throughout the whole year and in any weather condition. The Ice Park, or any of our skating rinks made from the Interice panels, can even compete with a classic skating rink over the winter period.

Are you hoping for a calm winter because you sell synthetic ice?