Ice blocking
Encyclopedia
Ice blocking is a recreational activity in which individuals race to the bottom of a hill sitting on large blocks of ice
. It is sometimes recommended as a good activity for dating and scout
camps. In the United States
ice blocking is thought to be regional, occurring in the West
.
The only equipment needed is some large blocks of thick ice, preferably padded, clothing
. Hessian sacks or old towels have been recommended to sit on. Enthusiasts have been known to make "customized" ice blocks by freezing rope
s into them to act as handles, and mixing colouring agents into the water prior to freezing.
Hazards include falls, bruise
s, bug bites and getting covered in mud
. The bottom of the slope being used should be a wide area free from obstructions. Short grass
is reported to give the best experience, due to lower drag
and hence higher speed.
This activity can damage the grass and is often banned or restricted by park authorities and groundskeepers. For example, the city of Mesa
, Arizona
has four sites where ice blocking is permitted in rotation, depending on the judgment of the management. In Fresno
, California
the sport has been embraced by high school students, who frequent parks during late night hours in an effort to evade law enforcement officers. Ice blocking was once a very popular night time activity at Hillcrest Park
in Fullerton, California
but has subsided since its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s . Ice blocking has also been featured on television on the MTV series Jackass
.
Iceblocking had popularity in Adelaide, Australia, because there is no snow in the state. It was later banned in public places.
In 2011, TLC's series Sister Wives
highlighted ice blocking in the first episode of their second season. This episode showed the polygamist family spending an afternoon picnic ice blocking at a park.
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
. It is sometimes recommended as a good activity for dating and scout
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
camps. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ice blocking is thought to be regional, occurring in the West
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
.
The only equipment needed is some large blocks of thick ice, preferably padded, clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
. Hessian sacks or old towels have been recommended to sit on. Enthusiasts have been known to make "customized" ice blocks by freezing rope
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
s into them to act as handles, and mixing colouring agents into the water prior to freezing.
Hazards include falls, bruise
Bruise
A bruise, also called a contusion, is a type of relatively minor hematoma of tissue in which capillaries and sometimes venules are damaged by trauma, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Bruises can involve capillaries at the level of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle,...
s, bug bites and getting covered in mud
Mud
Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone . When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries the resultant layers are termed bay muds...
. The bottom of the slope being used should be a wide area free from obstructions. Short grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
is reported to give the best experience, due to lower drag
Friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:...
and hence higher speed.
This activity can damage the grass and is often banned or restricted by park authorities and groundskeepers. For example, the city of Mesa
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
has four sites where ice blocking is permitted in rotation, depending on the judgment of the management. In Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
the sport has been embraced by high school students, who frequent parks during late night hours in an effort to evade law enforcement officers. Ice blocking was once a very popular night time activity at Hillcrest Park
Hillcrest Park
Hillcrest Park is located in the Riley Park-Little Mountain neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia. It is located immediately north of Queen Elizabeth Park and west of Riley Park....
in Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
but has subsided since its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s . Ice blocking has also been featured on television on the MTV series Jackass
Jackass (TV series)
jackass is an American reality series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring stunts and pranks...
.
Iceblocking had popularity in Adelaide, Australia, because there is no snow in the state. It was later banned in public places.
In 2011, TLC's series Sister Wives
Sister Wives
Sister Wives is an American reality television series broadcast on TLC in 2010. The show documents the life of a polygamist family, which includes patriarch Kody Brown, his four wives and their 17 children. The family began the series living in Lehi, Utah, but has since moved to Las Vegas, Nevada...
highlighted ice blocking in the first episode of their second season. This episode showed the polygamist family spending an afternoon picnic ice blocking at a park.