Just Add Water
Genesee, Colorado
Building a Backyard Ice Rink.
When hockey, a favourite wintertime activity, was off the table for this year, my dad proposed an even better idea. At Thanksgiving, we thought about what a shame it was that we cannot skate at Evergreen Lake this year. So, we decided to build our own rink instead. Thus started our month long project of building, and rebuilding, our humble ice rink. Although this is not technically qualified for a Trailblazers adventure, I couldn’t pass up writing about it.
My dad went to grad school back east, enduring the long winters in the backyard of a professors home, playing 3 on 3 hockey, on a homemade rink with classmates.
Our plan was to build as big as we could and immediately. I was on a time limit being home, so we had a goal to finish the rink before the next full moon, some days after Christmas. While we struggled for a couple weeks with warm midday sun, the cold nights and hands-on dedication got us to a 20x10 foot ice rink, just big enough for 1 on 1 hockey. This novel project was a game of patience and adaptable solutions along the way.
In case you ever want to try this at home… (Pictures below).
Process:
Wait for a big snow. Luckily, this arrived a day after I did. Shovel snow, inside going out into a oval rink, building up and patting down “boards”.
Lay plastic tarp down on grass in order to speed up the freezing process and create a water barrier. This helps with reducing the amount of water absorbed by the grass, especially important on the warmer days.
Give it time. Everyday. Well, every sub-freezing day and night. Fill that rink with hose water, making sure the hose gets emptied and carried inside so that water doesn’t freeze inside the hose.
As more snow falls, build up the sides.
Getting closer! The unleveled topography forced us to reconsider the shape of our rink.
Finishing touches. Start pouring smaller amounts, by the bucket, to create a smooth top layer. This, followed by a light misting from the hose creates a fresh “Zambonied” effect. A few hockey sticks to decorate, some chairs for putting on skates, and you’re ready to glide.
Dad and my oldest brother cutting up the rink on New Years, Mom cross country skiing in the background.
The first skate was quite hilarious, our skates falling and cutting into hollow spots as we tried to regain our rusty hockey skills. However, this helped us break through the weak points in the ice so we could fill them up and make them stronger the next time around. Each fill from here on out will only increase the quality of the ice.
This process gave me back what I love to do the most, working with my hands to create a tangible product, and in this case, a winter long activity. If only I could stay a little longer to skate through the winter! Much to my relief, this could become an annual family tradition. I will always cherish the time and excitement shared with my parents in the making of our little rink. Maybe next year we will start charging admission to neighborhood skaters… or open a hot chocolate stand next to the ice.
The rink project was an adventure, drawing out creativity, innovation and just plain fun. It was a rewarding process of working with what the land could offer us and what we could make of it, without injuring the habitat or wasting resources (water melt will contribute to spring growth). I hope I can instill that openness to creativity, patience and adaptability to all my projects to come.
