Home Practice Rink

[kwm13]

I was wondering if anyone else has tried making any kind of outdoor practice rink and if so what kind of sucess they had with it. I made one a few weeks ago and was able to use it a few times before the warm weather set in and now that it is getting colder, hopefully it will be usable by next tuesday or wednesday.

[marchockey]

I was in New Brunswick and Quebec over the Christmas holidays and while there played some pond/outdoor rink icehockey for the first time in 8 years. (I attended UQTR for the 97-98 school year) and let me just say the fun never fades. Here in South Texas it's in the mid-30s right now but it's been raining on and off the last couple days, so even though the concrete/gravel surface on which I can practise roller hockey is temporarily off limits. (I play ice for league games don't worry but sometimes I wanna skate at 2 in the morning, and if it means doing it on wheels ya gotta do what ya gotta do) Anyways good luck with your home practise rink. Can you take and send pictures?

[su_goaliedad]

A little off topic, but related:

Has anyone tried setting up an indoor, synthetic ice area in their basement/garage?

Not sure what the cost of the synthetic sections is, or how many is the minimum I'd need.

Is it useful or just another project that I'm going think "that shoulda worked..."?

[madgoaieskillz0]

I work at a facility that does training on synthetic ice. The maintenance and cleaning necessary to keep the ice usable are time consuming and difficult. Your number one problem would be the shavings. The ubricant applied to the ice makes the shavings stick to everything and they would be hard to clean off of carpet and other household items. They would be a severe annoyance.

The ice itself would need to be replaced every once in a while, depending on how much you use it. The seams would also need to be repaired avery so often and the equipment is not something you would have around the house.

If you really want to, it could be done but you would need to put a lot of time inot it to keep your ice usable and your house clean.

[xethicx]

Originally Posted by kwm13

I was wondering if anyone else has tried making any kind of outdoor practice rink and if so what kind of sucess they had with it. I made one a few weeks ago and was able to use it a few times before the warm weather set in and now that it is getting colder, hopefully it will be usable by next tuesday or wednesday.

Ill trade you the -40 Celsius that were getting right now for your weather hehe

But seriously, I had a backyard rink every year for 10 years when I was a kid, my friends and I would come home from school, get dressed for outside and stay on the rink for hours every night.

I attempted one last winter in my yard but unfortunately I dont have any ground level enough to pull it off unless I put up 4 ft boards all the way around and I dont have a real proper water set up for it because Its too far to run a hose from the house for it. I aim to do something eventually when my fiance and I have kids but right now I have a 3 on 3 practice rink / arena 2 mins down the road so I just skate there whenever I want.

[kwm13]

It's just a small area, 9x12, a little larger than a crease. I used 2x6's for the sides and 4 mill plastic sheeting for the liner. I put it together on my deck so it would freeze quicker. I figured that the ground took longer to get cold and would keep it from freezing solid. It would be nice if I could use an area of my yard but I don't think that it would get cold enough, long enough for it to freeze. Perhaps next year I will try something bigger, but for now this works great for learning to slide and move around the crease. Here are a few pictures of it.

[MacKay37]

Kwm... very nice. Im definitely jealous, you dont know how many times I sit at home and just want to work on movement drills and stuff all the time.

Have fun with it

[kwm13]

I know some people will find this hard to believe but wife actually encouraged me to build it. At first I felt a little foolish but I quickly got over it once I got on the ice. In fact it was my wife who took the pictures and also gave me some ideas on the rink itself.

[marchockey]

When's the next JrBees game lol - hey VanNyttanen was let go a couple days ago they should you another shot (or me a chance) ..

[scottyboy39]

Hahahahahhahaha bro thats awesome.how thick is the ice?that looks great.I did one a few years back then m girl went and bought one of those rinks for the back yard.It was like 1,200 US funds.It was about 18'X24' and used pvc pipe for the borders and have some big white UV protected tarp.reallly had to flood because your able to use it on uneven ground so one end was prob about a ft thick so this way the other side would be at least 6 inches thick.

This was back in 2001 and I did it after the first snow fall and man it was great coming home from work throwing on the skates and skating around.Since then it doesnt get that cold here until about march lololol and warms up by april so now the rink is in my garage.

[xethicx]

Originally Posted by kwm13

It's just a small area, 9x12, a little larger than a crease. I used 2x6's for the sides and 4 mill plastic sheeting for the liner. I put it together on my deck so it would freeze quicker. I figured that the ground took longer to get cold and would keep it from freezing solid. It would be nice if I could use an area of my yard but I don't think that it would get cold enough, long enough for it to freeze. Perhaps next year I will try something bigger, but for now this works great for learning to slide and move around the crease. Here are a few pictures of it.

Im doing this next winter forsure. Cool thing is, I could probably do it at the far end of my covered storage area to keep it covered.

[Spidey]

Originally Posted by kwm13

It's just a small area, 9x12, a little larger than a crease. I used 2x6's for the sides and 4 mill plastic sheeting for the liner. I put it together on my deck so it would freeze quicker. I figured that the ground took longer to get cold and would keep it from freezing solid. It would be nice if I could use an area of my yard but I don't think that it would get cold enough, long enough for it to freeze. Perhaps next year I will try something bigger, but for now this works great for learning to slide and move around the crease. Here are a few pictures of it.

That is a damn good idea, being off the ground would keep it frozen longer and get frozen quicker. Too bad i am ripping my deck off the house in favor of a brick patio LOL.

[Phantom]

I'm sitting here looking at my deck, thinking that it's just big enough to handle that set up. Hopefully there will be enough cold days next year down here that it'll be possible. It's brilliance, kwm13.

[MacKay37]

Originally Posted by marchockey

When's the next JrBees game lol - hey VanNyttanen was let go a couple days ago they should you another shot (or me a chance) ..

Hey.. yea Im off to San Antonio with them next month. We're now 16-0 :/ its getting a little ridiculous. It's not even fun anymore, hah!

And yea I think Jeffs move to Mississippi will really help his hockey career, and a change of scenery will definitely help. If only I had my visa-papers and I wouldve been back onto the bench with em... sucks bigtime

[GoalieCrzY]

Originally Posted by kwm13

It's just a small area, 9x12, a little larger than a crease. I used 2x6's for the sides and 4 mill plastic sheeting for the liner. I put it together on my deck so it would freeze quicker. I figured that the ground took longer to get cold and would keep it from freezing solid. It would be nice if I could use an area of my yard but I don't think that it would get cold enough, long enough for it to freeze. Perhaps next year I will try something bigger, but for now this works great for learning to slide and move around the crease. Here are a few pictures of it.

wow, that is amazing! wish i thought of that first!