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Skate Aids in Action: Why 85% of UK Rinks buy from Marshall’s International
Every rink knows what a skate aid does. What sets one apart from another is harder to see from a product photo — so it’s worth looking at what actually happens when ours are on the ice, and at the numbers behind them. Marshalls International has supplied ice rinks since 1984, and today our Skate Mates are trusted across the UK and in use at rinks including some of the busiest public rinks in the country.
This is a look at why: what a session runs like with our range, why high-volume rinks keep coming back to it, and the proof behind “tried, tested and trusted”.
Marshalls International has supplied ice rinks since 1984, and our skate aids are now in use at rinks across the country, including some of the busiest public ice RINKS in the UK.
The proof, in numbers
The case for our range starts with some straightforward facts:
- We supply around 85% of the UK’s ice rinks — when the overwhelming majority of a country’s rinks choose the same supplier, that is the clearest recommendation there is.
- The largest skate aid range in Europe — more designs, more sizes, and the right aid for every age and every kind of session.
- Made in the UK, built to last — designed and built for the daily punishment of a working rink, not for a showroom.
- Shipped worldwide — as well as the UK, we supply rinks across Europe, North America, the Middle East, South Africa, Asia and Australia.
Those are not marketing lines. They are the reason a rink can buy from us with confidence: a range proven at scale, in the most demanding environments, all over the world.
The first ten minutes
Watch any public session and the first ten minutes tell you everything. The confident skaters push off immediately. Everyone else forms a line along the barrier, shuffling sideways, gripping the top rail, going nowhere. That line along the boards is where rinks quietly lose customers — not dramatically, but in the decision not to come back.
Put a good skate aid in front of those same people and the first ten minutes look completely different. They take one, find their balance, and within a few minutes they’re out in open ice with everyone else. Still wobbling. Also, visibly, having a good time. The aid has to be stable enough and confidence-inspiring enough to make that happen — and that is exactly where the quality of the range shows.
Why the busiest rinks choose our range
High-volume rinks have the least room for equipment that doesn’t earn its place. When a venue is running multiple public sessions a day alongside clubs, lessons and events, everything has to be robust, quick to deploy and genuinely useful — every single session, all season long.
That is precisely why 85% of operators in the UK use our Skate Mates. They need no setup beyond being carried onto the ice, they survive constant daily use, and their benefit shows up immediately in how a session runs. Venues at that scale do not keep coming back to equipment that lets them down. The fact that they do is the strongest endorsement our range could have.
Made in the UK, built to last
A skate aid on a public session takes a hard life: pushed, leaned on, dropped, stacked and knocked into the boards, dozens of times a day. A cheaper aid cracks, fades or becomes unstable, and a wobbly skate aid does the opposite of its job. Ours are made in the UK and built specifically for that daily reality — stable underfoot, hard-wearing, and easy to move on and off the ice between sessions.
Because they last, they also make sense financially: bought once and used across thousands of sessions, a durable aid is one of the cheapest pieces of equipment in the building relative to the work it does. That combination of stability and longevity is what separates a Skate Mate from a generic skate aid.
Not just for children
There is a persistent assumption that skate aids are only for small children. In practice, some of the most grateful users are adults: a parent joining a family session, someone trying skating for the first time in their forties, or a group booking where confidence varies wildly. It is why our range spans different sizes and designs — penguins for younger beginners, and larger polar bears, walruses and snowmen that give older children and adults the support they need without feeling out of place. The largest range in Europe means every one of those skaters is catered for.
The knock-on effect on your programmes
What starts as a smoother public session tends to feed everything else. Beginners who enjoy their first visit are the people who sign up for learn-to-skate courses, book birthday parties, and come back during the school holidays. Group organisers who see a session run well book again. Skate aids are not a marketing campaign, but they move the same numbers a marketing campaign is trying to move — participation, repeat visits and word of mouth — for a one-off equipment cost.
Trusted across the UK, and beyond
Supplying around 85% of the UK’s rinks is not an accident of price. It is the product of four decades of getting it right: a range that performs, backed by a supplier who holds stock, gives honest advice, and is there for everything else a rink needs. And it is not only the UK — the same range is shipped to rinks across Europe, North America, the Middle East, South Africa, Asia and Australia, in some of the most demanding ice environments in the world.
For a rink choosing where to buy, that reach is reassurance. You are not taking a chance on an unknown — you are joining the overwhelming majority of British rinks, and rinks on five other continents, in choosing a proven range.
See the range for your rink
If your public sessions still feature a queue of beginners along the barrier, our Skate Mates will change that. The question is usually how many, and which mix — and that depends on your session sizes, your age profile and how much learn-to-skate work you run.
Browse the full range at iceskateaid.com, or talk to the Marshalls team and we’ll help you choose the right fleet for your ice. Having supplied rinks of every size since 1984, we’ll give you a realistic view of what would suit yours.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why do UK rinks choose Marshalls skate aids?
Marshalls International supplies around 85% of the UK's ice rinks. Our Skate Mates are the largest range in Europe, made in the UK and built to withstand constant daily use — which is why high-volume rinks rely on them season after season.
Which rinks use Marshalls skate aids?
Our skate aids are in use at rinks across the UK, some of the busiest public ice in the country, as well as rinks across Europe, North America, the Middle East, South Africa, Asia and Australia.
Are your skate aids made in the UK?
Yes. Our Skate Mates are made in the UK and built to last, designed for the daily punishment of a busy working rink rather than occasional use.
Do you ship skate aids internationally?
Yes. As well as supplying the UK, we ship our range to rinks across Europe, North America, the Middle East, South Africa, Asia and Australia.
Where can I see the full skate aid range?
The full Skate Mates range is available at iceskateaid.com, or you can contact the Marshalls team and we'll advise on the right mix and quantity for your sessions.
