Canadian Tradition: A Rink on the Lake
Is anything more magical than skating on a vast snowy lake, the cold air biting at your cheeks, puffs of hot breath, the slicing sound of your skates on the ice – and that special silence that rumbles in your ears when you listen to the snow falling on the quiet snow-cloaked landscape. Perhaps in your family hockey is the focus, and what better way to enjoy a truly Canadian pastime; a heated game of ‘pond’ hockey gets everyone out of the house and cheering!
This winter enjoy the lake just as much in winter as you do in summer – by constructing your own rink.
*First and foremost you MUST ensure the ice is SAFE, minimum thickness for things like ice fishing, walking and skating is 4inches. Use an ice auger, chisel, or cordless drill to check multiple spots across where you intend to put your rink. Avoid Grey or opaque areas, as these are often air filled pockets and are weak spots.
Planning and Clearing
If the lake has a layer of snow on it, begin by taking a Shovel or stick and tracing out the exterior size you want your rink, now you have lines to shovel within, and the snow will act as natural ‘boards’ around the rink.
Clear the snow by shovelling or plowing – again, check ice thickness for any machinery that you take on the ice, by checking it’s weight in regards to safe ice thickness!
Once you have the bulk of the snow removed, take a flat metal shovel and try to scrape off some of the sharper bumps from the surface of the ice. Finish with a strong cornhusk broom or push-style broom to get all the leftover snow off the ice surface.
Watering and Flooding
You need a water source, so drill a hole in the ice (in a safe location in regards to the rink and its traffic, and use a submersible pump, and hose to bring water to the rink area.
Letting the water come straight from the hose rather than spraying with a nozzle will create more even layers. Be Patient! Each layer of water needs to be left to fully freeze over night before adding another layer of water. Tip: clear cold nights are best for flooding.
Use a bucket with warm water in between layers to smooth out imperfections, creating a smooth glassy skating surface – getting the perfect finish can take a few layers of water and freeze time to achieve – but once you do, all you have to do is throw on your skates and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks
Try to clear new snowfall immediately after it falls as the snow will act as insulation making your rink slushy and soft.
To repair cracks, fill them with a slushy mixture of snow and water, and level it out with a shovel. Leave it to freeze fully before skating, otherwise your skate blade will get stuck in the cracks.
Tip: If it is a warm sunny day, you can expect that the ice will soften and skate blades will chop up the surface. Simply re-flood or avoid skating in temperatures right around or about freezing.
Add a Little Ambiance
These are a few of the extra little things we do to make days spent on the lake cozy and comfortable – both for the skaters, and the observers.
• Add A Bench: Offering a place to get your skates on and off, or take a quick sit is a great idea.
• White lights make everything more magical! Add some solar white lights twisted around branches and stick them in the snow surrounding the rink vertically. Voila! Romantic night time skates await.
• Bring a moveable fire pit down to the rink, your guests with thank you for a place to warm themselves by the fire, and those who just want to watch still feel included as they sit by the fire and toast Marshmallows. *do keep in mind it will melt the ice, so either move it to a new location for each use, or keep a close eye on its base – tabletop fire pits are best.
• Wireless Speaker: While we love the sound of the wind rushing through the trees, sometimes a little music really sets the magical winter mood.
• A cooler does a great job of keeping things dry and warm, so we use it to pack everything down to the rink that needs to stay dry, like extra mitts and socks, and thermoses of coffee and hot chocolate.
