Show us your rink!

[Art Mulder]

Well, with the last two nights finally getting below -10c, and with the five day forecast for today showing nightime lows all around -10c or colder...

we can Finally get the backyard rink going. The kids have been praying for cold weather.

Here's a look at our backyard rink, first looking east
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Then looking west:
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We expanded the rink this year. we moved the swingset back, so we could add another 10' of length to it. It now basically goes the full width of the back yard. Unfortunately, it is right up against the house, but that is the flattest spot of the back yard. Even so, it'll probably be 5-7" thick at one corner, and only 1" thick at the opposite corner. Overall we're about 14' wide, by about 35' long.

Since we expanded it, our tarp from last year was too short. I thought I had enough plastic on hand to cover the gap, but was wrong. Hence that bit of black in the corner that you see -- I had to cut up a contractor's grade trash bag (large, and 3mil plastic) to cover in a hole in the corner.

We had a few leaks at first, but now it is frozen throughout and holding water well.

Finally, here is my ice rink sprinkler, out there right now pumping water onto the rink. I find when I just lay out a hose it tends to pound/melt a hole in the ice where the water comes out.
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Anyone else got a backyard rink to show off?

Hey, it is a sort of woodworking project! There's wood involved! :cool:

[Jim Becker]

What's a rink? Oh, that thing that folks go round and round with funny shoes, wicked looking sticks and evil in their eyes?? :eek:

[Bruce Page]

Art, is rink building common up there?
I don't think there's too many around here. :rolleyes:

[Glenn Clabo]

Art...
It doesn't freeze long enough down here anymore. When I was in the Navy here in '72 the bay used to freeze most years. They used to ice sail on the lakes and inlets. I haven't seen a boat out in many years.

I wouldn't show yours to DrLOML...she'd cry. Being a Canadian she claims she learned to skate before she could walk. Her dad used to ice the backyard every year also. In fact until he turned 80...he used to skate a couple of times a week.

[Mike Cutler]

So, uhh.... How well will that fence hold up to a one timer going topshelf.:D,;)

Looks pretty cool Art. Looks like fun too.

[Bob Rufener]

Art,

Smart thinking. No windows behind the rink. I imagine there will be a few puck marks in the siding quite soon.

[Jim Mattheiss]

I remember being the Goalie in the backyard rink - it was in our first house so I was 5 or under. We made one at the second house but only once - it never got cold enough for long enough. We also needed a snow first to make the external berm.

We used to ice skate on Surprise Lake in the NJ Watchung Mountains when I was a kid. The lake was several miles long. It was wild seeing cracks in the ice that was six to ten inches thick. I haven't seen the lake frozen since that point.

Jim

[Greg Muller]

Nice, Art!!
I lived in International Falls, MN for several years as a kid and we had large rinks in almost every neighborhood, but there were still a few folks who made backyard rinks so the littler kids could play after dark in their own yard.
I miss those rinks, but down here in the Kansas City area, they wouldn't work very well. Too many days above zero and too few skaters. There are only 2 or 3 rinks in all KC for public skating.

Loved the trip down memory lane, though, thank you!

Greg

[Joe Mioux]

As a kid growing up in the late 60's and 70's we ice skated all the time.

Lots of fond memories at the old fish hatchery. We also used to skate on the streets. Seemed like we would start out with rain, and it froze. I can remember ice skating through town and out to lake and river.

Lots of good memories..

joe

[Andy Hoyt]

Pond across the road comes in handy. But back in the day.....

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