So I took my kids to olympic plaza today for some skating since I was confident the ice would be in good shape and being outdoors has obvious benefits during the pandemic. Unfortunately while waiting in line we were repeatedly accosted by members of a protest promoting fringe views and conspiracy theories on a range of subjects. As I didn't enjoy being accused of child abuse via bullhorn multiple times (ironically despite promoting freedom over tyranny they weren't cool with my family choosing of our own free will to mask up at a fairly packed plaza), I'm now exploring online guides to building backyard rinks.
So far much of what I have found sounds like it would work brilliantly in Saskatchewan or Northern Ontario, but I was wondering if anybody here has tips for basic rink building/maintenance given Calgary's propensity to swing between -10 and 5 every 24 hours. I'm not aspiring to perfection, just something where my kids can skate without the crowds and the crazies.
So I took my kids to olympic plaza today for some skating since I was confident the ice would be in good shape and being outdoors has obvious benefits during the pandemic. Unfortunately while waiting in line we were repeatedly accosted by members of a protest promoting fringe views and conspiracy theories on a range of subjects. As I didn't enjoy being accused of child abuse via bullhorn multiple times (ironically despite promoting freedom over tyranny they weren't cool with my family choosing of our own free will to mask up at a fairly packed plaza), I'm now exploring online guides to building backyard rinks.
So far much of what I have found sounds like it would work brilliantly in Saskatchewan or Northern Ontario, but I was wondering if anybody here has tips for basic rink building/maintenance given Calgary's propensity to swing between -10 and 5 every 24 hours. I'm not aspiring to perfection, just something where my kids can skate without the crowds and the crazies.
Thanks in advance.
I do a rink every year, I went to Lowe's and bought cull lumber (it's their garbage lumber that they pick over so some of it is split, damaged end or bent. But it is 80% off on fridays. - $45
I picked up a large white tarp from Amazon - $85
Then built a simple frame, just sitting on the grass, and drapped the tarp over and fill it every evening with about 0.5" of water.
I'll be skating in about another couple of days.
I reuse the lumber, I am on season 3, and I buy a new tarp every season. Rink is 20' x 25'
At least give one of the parks rinks or community rinks a shot! Stanley is good, but I like the one on 19th st nw near confederation park golf course.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
I have built a bunch of rinks when the kids were younger.
I used silage tarp for a liner, it was generally cheaper than The purchased liners.
My rink was 30ft x 30ft. One roll lasted 3 seasons.
Flood, it is so important to have a single non-stop flood. Pick a night where it is going to be cold over night like real cold. Start the flood in the afternoon and let it run until it is full enough. Then leave it to freeze overnight.
When you are done flooding being the hose into the garage. You will need it again and again to “re-surface flood” and it can’t be frozen solid.
Don’t worry about changes in Calgary temps, once the rink if frozen it will hold up surprisingly well.
Also key is lighting, you need a couple of light so the kids can use it at night.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
Good comments from others... If you are going to use a tarp, one thing you may want to be sure of is that you don't have a problem with voles in your neighborhood, as they will eat through the tarp. If you've ever seen tracks in your lawn like the below, then you have voles.
I walked over to the Renfrew outdoor rink today. It needs a few more floods before it will be ok to skate on. There were people using it, but it was very very rough.
I'm going to give it a week before I try it. They have brand new LED lighting that is phenomenal. No boards though.
__________________ It's only game. Why you heff to be mad?
Thanks for all the input! I went to home depot today to get supplies, and we will try some community rinks too. With little kids sometimes it's nice to have the amenities of home a few feet away, certainly this will increase the amount of ice time they get this year by a lot.
Kids are small and it will mostly be for skating practice, so planning on just building it on our paver patio that is already pretty level, rather than worrying about slope on the lawn. Probably end up being 20'x8' or so. Plan to use 2x8s or plywood for the sides with a tarp as a liner.
Since hammering in stakes into the ground is off the table (patio), I was planning on using some cable or strapping (under the liner) to hold the sides together so the water doesn't bust it out.
I’ve seen rink kits all over online and saw one in Walmart the other day. Wonder if they’re of any value or if off the shelf materials are good enough. Only time I’ve wished I had more than a 25’ lot.
I would also recommend Bowness Park. They have a very nice large area for skating on the river if you want to leave the backyard for a change. Some people fell through the ice at Lake Louise last week so might be a little too soon for the river. should have at least 6 inches of ice underfoot to be safe.
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I bought 5x 2*10*10 with the intent of building a rectangle roughly 10*14 (the fifth plank will contribute some material to joining two boards for each long dimension).
I have a massive tarp and 8 metal straps for the corners as well (not shown) and will make a couple 2*2 or 2*4 stakes for the long sides using scrap on hand. Also not shown, that fifth board was one too many for my vehicle, I wound up putting a massive crack in my windshield... Rats! In future will be quicker to use home depot delivery even if it has a fee.
I bought the heavier boards with a view to storing and reusing for several years. It's a small rink in a small space, but in addition to my small kids skating I could see using it for shooting some pucks on a net or a home-made curling like game with my extended family at Christmas (subject to the covid situation obviously).
Last edited by RoadGame; 11-24-2020 at 10:43 PM.
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I bought 5x 2*10*10 with the intent of building a rectangle roughly 10*14 (the fifth plank will contribute some material to joining two boards for each long dimension.
I have a massive tarp and 8 metal straps for the corners as well (not shown) and will make a couple 2*2 or 2*4 stakes for the long sides using scrap on hand. Also not shown, that fifth board was one too far for my vehicle, I would up putting a massive crack in my windshield... Rats! In future will be quicker to use home depot delivery even if it has a fee.
I bought the heavier boards with a view to storing and reusing for several years. It's a small rink in a small space, but in addition to my small kids skating I could see using it for shooting some pucks on a net or a home-made curling like game with my extended family at Christmas (subject to the covid situation obviously).
Depending on the length you might want to get some bracing on the sides of you rink, the water/ice pushes out can be a PITA. I used to hammer rebar into the ground right up against he boards to counter the outward pressure. It might not be a problem for you based on size, but something to keep in mind.
Also, make sure you do not tie down or attached your tarp/liner prior to filling. Just lay it over the edge of your boards.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
If you are pounding rebar stakes into the ground, make sure you do a utility locate first. Looks like your electrical is overhead, but your gas line could be buried.
(Note join of 10 foot and 4 foot sections to make long axis; nearest example is by the tree)
Corner bracing:
Simple stakes made by cutting a plank into something you'd impale Dracula with. They went in really well on one side but only about an inch or two on the other, the ground is already freezing up on this side I guess. No matter, I think these were unnecessary but since my long dimension is weak due to the join I thought I'd slap a couple in for extra peace of mind.
Lumpiness:
My backyard is a bit lumpy so there are some stretches with gaps of 1-1.5 inches off the ground. I'm going to be using a liner so somewhat less concerned about this, and to help a bit I'm going to start packing snow into these areas to further help mortar them up a bit.
Last edited by RoadGame; 11-24-2020 at 04:42 PM.
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Outdoor Skating Tips
Not that expensive well worth the time savings.
Save the Corral!!
(Note join of 10 foot and 4 foot sections to make long axis; nearest example is by the tree)
