I'm impress about how dedicated you are for people around you. So much time and money spent on those, it's nice that some company recognize that then helps you improve it because you absolutely deserve it! Good job mate, it's amazing to watch you on every project you make. Cheers!
I'm a basketball dude, and have skated maybe 4 times in my entire life, and even I really enjoy seeing this video each year. Looking forward to what year 5 brings!
My Step-Dad used to do this for my Son and my sister's sons, and he would be out there EVERYDAY! He would literally have snot icicles hanging from his nose! He was the best, It wasn't quite THIS nice, but we didnt have a lawn, so he used the whole drive way! lol, And he leveled it and everything, it was pretty amazing that he did it every year, even the year he passed, he died from cancer, and when he was sick, he was still out there, with the hose, trying to get the rink smooth for the kids in the morning, he was quite an amazing man. Your kids will remember this forever, u r making great memories for them, keep it up!!
That's awesome your step dad did a rink each year and loved putting smiles on the kiddos faces. So sorry to hear about his passing. His tradition with the rink will be carried on i'm sure. And memories will always be there. Take care!
Growing up in Connecticut I played hockey for South Kent School. It was the only high school ice rink that was outdoors like this. It was a real challenge to play when it was snowing and the wind was blowing really hard. Hats off to the father and all the parents, and all the kids. This is awesome
This is my first time seeing this and I am absolutely blown away. What an amazing video, amazing process and unreal dedication. So many people get to enjoy something that most people will never get a chance to see in person and all because of your hard work. Truly blown away right now after seeing this video.
Thanks for the kind words Jay, and for taking the time to say hi. Hope all is well with your family and all your amazing projects :) Have been following your channel for many years now! Take good care. Cheers - Pete
Love watching your rink build. I grew up in northern Sweden with hockey in the center of my life, now I am in California... thank you for providing me with great memories of the past!
Something everyone on Long Island never understood about me growing up as a kid and to this day. As a hockey dude and not alot around here. Always said, I want to live in 🇨🇦 If I had the privilege to know these people and blessed to be invited to come play even once as a community,, thats life complete. For love of the game. (And nature)
Finally put aside 29 minutes to watch this entire video and so glad I did! What an awesome process and such a well made video. Thoroughly enjoyed, and very grateful to have had the opportunity to skate this rink in person!
In the 60's I made a little ice in my backyard, ice time is crucial in becoming a good skater, my youth hockey was once a week, and 2 minute shifts in one hour, so each kid handled the puck for just a few seconds, it's great to see kids get a chance to play for more than a few minutes.
Your kids are so lucky to have you as their father! Thanks for making me look like a knob in my three sons' eyes! What a labor of love! You brought back so many fond memories of my childhood , thank you!!!
Thank you very much Sir! warm greetings from Russia, Ural mountains, city Ufa. We have a rink in our yard, which was made by government, and of course has zero maintenance, so all season 2021/2022 my friend and I have been cleaning and taking care of our rink! and all season we were trying to figure out how to resurface the rink. I thank you for giving your experience and real tips from functional side. God Bless you Sir!
Wow! Great to hear from you and hope all is well over in Ufa! That's really neat you do a rink over there. Glad to hear you are maintaining it so everyone can get out there to skate on it :) Lots of work but it sounds like it is well worth it :) Cheers!
This is amazing. I live in florida so this is impossible to do. But when i was young, my father lived in Minnesota. I used to go in the winter Nd this unlocked many core memories of playing hockey in our neighbors Back yard. Some of the best times ever. Thank you for sharing all of this with us.
Absolutely Anthony! Thanks for taking the time to share about your hockey memories growing up and so cool to hear it brought some of them back. Hope all is well down in Florida and that you are able to get back up for a skate in Minnesota sometime. Cheers
Hi Pete, and thanks for the memories. My pops was the neighborhood 'uber' Dad every kid in the area loved. Growing up in Canada he would get the 'waivering' support of a bunch of neighbors to let us borrow their adjoining backyards in winter to build a toboggan ice slide run in the first yard that had toboggan and sled moguls all the way to the last few backyards that were converted to a rink. In the early 60's we used banks built of snow around the rinks and then froze them and froze the area in the center with water from hoses. Everybody contributed to the periodic hose watering but my dad and kid volunteers did most of the shoveling. My dad would do most of the maintenance in the middle of the night. What fond memories.
I'm from southern ont Canada ...u hav created my dream ....wen I was a kid (55) now I was fascinated by pictures of a local midget team that went to Switzerland n played on outdoor rinks under the lights.....u have created my utopia....thanks for sharing what u have built ....I'd love to skate on that ice with my son n daughter one day.....
I made a 120' x 60' rink in my back yard about 5 years ago outside Chicago, IL. Built all the boards out of 2"x4" and plywood. Very heavy duty. Can't remember how many times I had to blow snow off that rink, and the endless watering to keep the ice smooth (2 to 3 times a day). I feel your pain when trying to eliminate slush and snow that leave bumps and cracks. Leaves blowing onto the rink as well were a problem. Built my own handmade zamboni out of PVC pipe with holes that we attached to the garden hose. This video brings back all the work that is involved in maintaining the rink. It was a great experience, but sadly, my family generally didn't have any interest in the rink (my boys are into music and band). It was a one year and done deal but a great memory.
I did the same for 15 years straight and still do it if I have enough strength at close to 70 now. Same response from my kids, although they did skate for one day each year,....now my grand daughter is into serious ice skating so I do it for her....but to be honest I do it for my self, keeps me in shape.... Shhh don't tell anybody ...I pretend I am this wild ice man in Alaska fighting the freezing cold and ...but then my wife ruins it and yells at me to get inside before I get frostbite...
Просто снимаю шляпу перед такими людьми. С душой, с энтузиазмом, преодолевая все трудности и преграды... Вы просто супер... Удачи Вам и крепкого здоровья. Счастья и радости.
A friend of mine posted pictures today of his kid's team playing on a rink I recognize. Which brought me to this video the day it was posted. Same rink.
Having lived in northern Ontario from the age of 3 till almost 20 and playing hockey from the age of 7 or 8 and now living in Pennsylvania this is just pretty awesome. Wish our cold here was more consistent...keep it up man!!!
I don't skate, don't play hockey, live in a climate with virtually no snow, but have been here since the beginning! My home state of Washington just got an NHL team and I watch the Kraken largely because of this channel! Seriously! Thanks for sharing your life with us!
Глубочайшее уважение к таким людям! Не ныл, что кругом все плохо, а взял и сделал. Отсюда и пример окружению и любовь к спорту с малых лет и результаты в хоккее! Браво 👏 Итс имэйзин!
All I can say is WOW and I hope your family and friends who use the rink help a lot or if nothing else really appreciate the work and the PATIENCE it takes to build such a beautiful rink. I nominate you for the DAD of the Year
Thanks for making these videos. I was getting bummed about how much work it was taking to get the ice fixed this year after a little snow and wind during the flood. Then I saw your video and all that you go through, gave me a lot of inspiration to get the job done. Also, used your ice repair tips and they work great.
I’m 46 years old and haven’t skated since 33. I grew up near Washington DC in Alexandria Virginia. My mom was a single parent and didn’t drive. Plus $$$ was limited. When I was 10 we moved to a large apartment complex that had 10 Tennis courts and a large basketball court that has 10ft fences that enclosed it. There were people playing dek hockey and then some had the first generation of inline. Of course I wanted to try and by the time I was 15 I was competing in tournaments with Adults. That led me to playing pro in-line in the RHI and MLRH. I started ice at 18 and played very well. I could easily play with College and minor leaguers. Ability and speed I was good but coaching know how and game acumen.. I was behind. I was a very good fighter and could hit being 6’3” 245. I had a nasty leg injury in training and had to retire and give it all up. My version of a backyard rink was an old Basketball Rink and some Inlines!
That is a phenomenal outdoor rink setup! Awesome would only be a starting description. I've been in and/or around the game for over sixty years. In my experience, like a lot of outdoor rink builders, you are at that level where you will do anything to get the best quality ice possible. You'll find a way. IMHO you are going to have to engineer a device that can shave it for you. Imagine a mobile device with a large planer attached, upside down, with an ability to raise or lower it and shave the rink accordingly. When you flood over a shaved ice surface the water "flattens" out much better and leaves you with a smoother rink. Every Zamboni or Olympia resurfacer has that ability and I think it is a crucial element for getting the best end result...
I was just saying the same thing. In the video he was using that ‘rotating brush’ snow remover thing (similar ish to a snow blower). He should make an attachment to the front of the tractor and brush/clear the ice as he runs it over and lays down the new water!
Awesome! I grew up outside of Chicago. We had maybe a 15x15 concrete slab in our backyard. Some of my best memories are of dragging out the hose and spraying the concrete each winter to make a rink. We’d hack it up the first thaw in spring for hoops.
I supervised an Arena one time, built my own mini zamboni. Used a push broom with copper rod as a handle with a garden hose attachment connected to hot water tank. The brush had a copper rod with holes drilled into it. It was flawless, except when i used it had to have somebody wiggle the hose because the hot water from it WILL melt the ice if sit to long.
Thanks so much! Really excited to share the warming house build, it was the most fun build i've ever done. Building small structures has been a blast. Hope all is well!
Really excited for the warming hut video and insanely jealous of this setup. Kudos for all the maintenance and thought that went into making this available for all the young (and older) skaters!
Ring again looks fabulous! Most can only imagine the hard work of constructing and maintaining such an amazing project for your family and friends! Wish I lived closed to help you and your team of friends! Knights Flag Looks Bravo! Go Knights Go! Proud to be a small part of your awesome project! If you need any other Knights piece to fit in (flag / fat head...ect) for you warming house, let me know. Enjoy the Ice!
Thanks a ton Jeffrey! Love having the Knights flag flying and it looks sharp, thanks again for sending it! Hope you are getting to some games this season :) Cheers!
This is the 4´th year I follow this build and when you did´nt think it could be better "you" blow my socks off, absolutley amazing, LED-lines, so cool. Amazing build, again. woow
Wow, I have the smallest backyard rink EZ ice sells and I'm having a blast with my kids. This rink would be the ultimate dream. I was surprised how many skating and puck handling drills I could create for myself and the kids with a few low pylons and a little bit of creativity. My legs get worked in no time.
Unbelievable guys.. I build and maintain a rink at our local lake here in chicago .. And when i see your videos .. Its frustrating and satisfying at same time.. It is alot of work but like u say when u see kids and adults alike smiling and having fun its worth it .. Awesome job- thx for showing the journey.
Great to hear from you and that is really cool you maintain a rink in the Chicago area! Definitely a labor of love. I hear ya on the ups and downs of doing the project :)
@@DIYPETE its nothing compared to your setup.. Mann love the warming house 2.. Do u get donations .. Thats what i need .. People dont realize there r costs involved .. Besides your whole winter of free labor .. .. Haha.. .. O well i must like it cuz i keep doing it ... I even took bobcat for a swim 5 yrs ago .. Yikes ..
Gorgeous rink guys! Congrats from Northern Alberta! I love the LED lights and the black bag idea for bumps. Small tip: When you do your initial fill, wait for a clear, freezing cold night and hire a commercial water truck. We haul around 42 cubic meters of water for our initial fill and it's well worth it to not fight snow/wind/chance of not freezing. Costs us around $525 Canadian and worth every penny. hats off
Thanks so much Tyler! Hope all is well up in Northern Alberta man! - For year 2 I tried to hire a water truck but no one wanted to do it and I couldn't find a single service willing to. So my buddy who owns a plumbing company let us use a 4000 gallon tanker. I ended up going through a ton of gas and the round trip to fill it up was about an hour and a haul including fill and empty time. So it ended up taking a day and a half still and with having to get a volunteer who was certified to drive it and all the gas, it ended being a little time consuming. If I could hire somebody reasonably though I'd do it in a heartbeat! That's awesome it works out in your neck of the woods!
@@DIYPETE when I lived in North Dakota, I had a friend that had a backyard rink as well and some how they were able to work out a deal with the fire department to have them bring over a truck and fill it up. Any chance you’ve thought about and/or looked into that??
Hey! I have and I have a family member and friends on the department. Their biggest rig holds around 2000 gallons so it would be a lot of truckloads. It took us a day and a half with trips back and forth using 4000 gallon tanker and getting a driver, putting the hours on the truck, and paying for fuel didn't seem worth it to me vs turning on a hose and letting it fill a few days. Cheers!
Super cool my wife is a figure skater. We live in the mtns so her local rink is 40 minutes each way. We are installing a backyard NiceRink this season for her this is a great video showing so many tips and providing many great insights. We are starting with a smaller 32 x 58 rink but net season will clear some of the woods. Thank you for this video and sharing your experience : )
If you build it, they will come. And that includes not only friends and fellow skaters, but sponsors as well. What an awesome project, and great luck getting the sponsors on board. Now all you need is somebody to donate a building to put over it, maybe some kinda quonset hut or dome type that can handle that wind.
This is the ultimate ODR. I've been watching your build every year, and it never disappoints. Keep it up and the NHL will be calling you to host the next Winter Classic!
Hey Pete, if you bring the shed to one of the sides instead of behind a net, it’d help with drifts. Also I think if you bring in the snow fence a bit maybe to like 50 ft from it it’d stop most of the drifts or you can plant a wall of trees
Came here to say that tarp idea to smooth out bumps in the ice is genius! I would never have thought of that. Definitely using that idea this season for sure! Incredible build!
absolutely inspiring. I did my first rink this year in our yard, 24 x 32, kids love it! I have watched each season and drool as I do so. Until the yearly bad weather footage obviously. haha. Keep it up cant wait to see what you have planned for next year!
That's awesome you did a 24x32 rink for the kids RJ! Sounds like it has been a huge hit! I love it. Thanks so much for following along over the years. Cheers!
My year has been a carbon copy of yours. Weather wise at fill time, same power sweeper, used liner goes to friends for reuse. Not to mention the summer of earth moving to make room for a level area. Had to cut into a large hill. I also have clay. Dug out a couple feet and replaced with sand. But still worry about the ground swelling when the temps get really cold. So I know every feeling you are experiencing during the ups and downs of a season. I feel mother nature can be a cold hearted B.
Hey Mike Great to hear from you! Sounds like you have a very similar setup! What size rink are you working with? Awesome to hear you dug out the area to level it and have been working hard to get it all dialed in. I hear ya about the amount of work it takes though! Keep it up, I'm sure it has been a hit with families and kids :)
Thanks for watching! Hockey is a great sport and it's hard to beat playing on an outdoor rink! You'll have to lace up some skates and get in some skating this winter :) Cheers!
Finally i was waiting for it. So crazy, that it is the 4th time you set up the rink and i followed every time. The new features are nice and i consider the led`s for our rink next year. Greetings from Oslo, Norway.🇳🇴
We built a backyard rink here near Chicago Illinois unfortunately it was before we all had cameras on our phones ! It’s a lot of work to hope that Mother Nature will provide us with a cold winter! It’s always hit or miss here! 43 degrees today on February 11th. But the time you get out there to enjoy it is well worth it!!!
We use to build these in Indiana considering we grew up in the one and only city in the state without a rink. Was perfect for when the winters weren’t cold enough for safe pond freezes. Had them built nowhere near the size of yours but they got the job done. My cousin moved there to Montana and is a ski and snowboard instructor up there. He absolutely loves Montana. I need to send you a Florida Panthers flag since I live right down the road from where they play even though I’m a Hawks fan 😉 Haha I think it would be cool though to see the palm tree / stick logo patch on a flag up there. Would remind you guys that warmer temps will eventually someday arrive back to you ha 😉 Definitely need a Blackhawks flag though no question. I may still even have a TB Lightning flag buried somewhere from when I lived there also that I might be able to find and send. Anyway this is my very first video I have watched of yours and am now a new subscriber. This was absolutely awesome!💪🏒🥅🇺🇸
This has always been a dream of mine to have a rink like this. Cool to see all the work and time put in to it. And the mountains in the distance are gorgeous! Love it!
Rink looks fantastic. I have been waiting for months for this video! I did notice you had some goal net burnin. One of my sons hockey teammate home rink uses a winch/pully on a stand behind the net side board, when they are done for the day they hook the net to the winch and give it a crank or two which lefts the net about an inch off the ice so it doesn't melt in. It is so simple that his 10u squirt does it himself
Thanks so much for following along! That's cool about the winch! We move the goals off sometimes and put them off the rink to the side, but a lot of the times I try and leave them on in the same area and the melting helps keep them in place when we are playing so the wind doesn't blow them around :) Cheers!
Very jealous! We had a backyard rink for about a decade but it just doesn’t get cold enough here in eastern PA anymore. Definitely miss the skating and late night hockey games, but also the building & maintaining it. To those that know, you know what I mean
Thanks for taking the time to comment and say hi! I wish PA had colder winters for ya. Outdoor rinks definitely create some of the best memories. Take care and I hope you make it to an ODR soon!
That was super cool!! Very glad I stopped and watched. Couldn't imagine what it feels like to skate on that with that view once finished. Awesome stuff
Well done. We see the progress every year. It's impressing to see. Have fun, enjoy. It's always good for the heart to see how happy kids and also your friends and neighbors are. Good job. Greetings from Switzerland
Большой респект вам из России, также за такой труд и прекрасную подачу 🔥👍 Очень замотивировали переделать в нашем городке городскую площадку, привлеч внимание молодежи к активному спорту. Всех благ и успехов вам
Pete, I like all of the improvements for this 21-22 season. It looks like you have some systems in place to help protect the rink from those wind and snowstorms that are so prevalent in Montana. I love the warming hut you put up, and that will help keep the friends and families warm. The bigger snow broom looks like it is kicking butt. Did y6ou ever look at the Ventrac I mentioned to you last year? Priced you right out of the rink. LOL!!!! Happy skating, my friend. Felix
Hey Felix! Thanks so much for all the kind words and hope all is well! I did look at the Ventrac --- those things are sweet! With my property I definitely need a skid steer so I can't justify having both --- but the Ventrac looks like it would be a perfect rink maintenance machine!
Congratulations!! The work you’ve done has certainly been of heart and it is beautifully thought out and executed. Thank you for the inspiration and sharing your tips for rink maintenance.
Great work so far!!! I have a suggestion,Get yourself that Zamboni or preferably a tracked vehicle and chain up a big log or something similar and then hook up oa field drag to the log and have it tail behind.. This will fill all low spots and knock down highs and if you angle it then it will kick the spoil snow off to the side *in theory* haha but it’s Pretty much the same concept as a motor grader .. BTW this is how I grade out a couple acre area of DIRT and I would think snow would work similarly 🤷🏻♂️ Hope it helps!
Can wait for "year 15" to see the nhl winter classic taking place there, insane and awesome work this year again 🇨🇦
Thanks so much! Who knows how it will continue to progress :) Cheers!
goated comment just watch
It’ll be better than the Lake Tahoe one last year where the sun melted half the rink by the end of the first period 😂
Where is the location? Colorado ? Montana? Alberta?
Canada is a good place to have hockey rinks in your backyard
I'm impress about how dedicated you are for people around you. So much time and money spent on those, it's nice that some company recognize that then helps you improve it because you absolutely deserve it! Good job mate, it's amazing to watch you on every project you make. Cheers!
Thanks for following along Benjamin! Hope all is well and thanks for the kind words!
@@DIYPETE where is this I wanna come this year?
I'm a basketball dude, and have skated maybe 4 times in my entire life, and even I really enjoy seeing this video each year. Looking forward to what year 5 brings!
My Step-Dad used to do this for my Son and my sister's sons, and he would be out there EVERYDAY! He would literally have snot icicles hanging from his nose! He was the best, It wasn't quite THIS nice, but we didnt have a lawn, so he used the whole drive way! lol, And he leveled it and everything, it was pretty amazing that he did it every year, even the year he passed, he died from cancer, and when he was sick, he was still out there, with the hose, trying to get the rink smooth for the kids in the morning, he was quite an amazing man. Your kids will remember this forever, u r making great memories for them, keep it up!!
That's awesome your step dad did a rink each year and loved putting smiles on the kiddos faces. So sorry to hear about his passing. His tradition with the rink will be carried on i'm sure. And memories will always be there. Take care!
He did it after he died? Now _that's_ dedication.
@@DIYPETE Thanks !!
@@salazam Why would u have to be an asshole? I wasn't sayin anything about any one, i hope u join him soon, clown.
Growing up in Connecticut I played hockey for South Kent School. It was the only high school ice rink that was outdoors like this. It was a real challenge to play when it was snowing and the wind was blowing really hard. Hats off to the father and all the parents, and all the kids. This is awesome
Used to love playing you guys (early 80's) at SKS. Especially if it was blustery and snowing. Proper Eddie Shore hockey. It was freaking cold though.
@@grelch Cool. I was there in 79
This is my first time seeing this and I am absolutely blown away. What an amazing video, amazing process and unreal dedication. So many people get to enjoy something that most people will never get a chance to see in person and all because of your hard work. Truly blown away right now after seeing this video.
Damn it's been really cool seeing the process. I can't believe this is my third year watching the update, time flies.
It sure does fly, thanks for following along with the journey over the years!
@@DIYPETE it's been my pleasure, thank you for the always amazing content Pete. Hope you're staying warm :)
Such beautiful land where you live. A perfect setting to justify all the work you put in each year.
Thanks for the kind words Jay, and for taking the time to say hi. Hope all is well with your family and all your amazing projects :) Have been following your channel for many years now! Take good care. Cheers - Pete
Love watching your rink build. I grew up in northern Sweden with hockey in the center of my life, now I am in California... thank you for providing me with great memories of the past!
Something everyone on Long Island never understood about me growing up as a kid and to this day. As a hockey dude and not alot around here. Always said, I want to live in 🇨🇦
If I had the privilege to know these people and blessed to be invited to come play even once as a community,, thats life complete. For love of the game. (And nature)
Finally put aside 29 minutes to watch this entire video and so glad I did! What an awesome process and such a well made video. Thoroughly enjoyed, and very grateful to have had the opportunity to skate this rink in person!
In the 60's I made a little ice in my backyard, ice time is crucial in becoming a good skater, my youth hockey was once a week, and 2 minute shifts in one hour, so each kid handled the puck for just a few seconds, it's great to see kids get a chance to play for more than a few minutes.
One of the most anticipated videos of the year for me! Amazing additions this season, looks stunning!
Thanks so much!!
Your kids are so lucky to have you as their father! Thanks for making me look like a knob in my three sons' eyes! What a labor of love!
You brought back so many fond memories of my childhood , thank you!!!
Thank you very much Sir! warm greetings from Russia, Ural mountains, city Ufa. We have a rink in our yard, which was made by government, and of course has zero maintenance, so all season 2021/2022 my friend and I have been cleaning and taking care of our rink! and all season we were trying to figure out how to resurface the rink. I thank you for giving your experience and real tips from functional side.
God Bless you Sir!
Wow! Great to hear from you and hope all is well over in Ufa! That's really neat you do a rink over there. Glad to hear you are maintaining it so everyone can get out there to skate on it :) Lots of work but it sounds like it is well worth it :) Cheers!
This is amazing. I live in florida so this is impossible to do. But when i was young, my father lived in Minnesota. I used to go in the winter Nd this unlocked many core memories of playing hockey in our neighbors Back yard. Some of the best times ever. Thank you for sharing all of this with us.
Absolutely Anthony! Thanks for taking the time to share about your hockey memories growing up and so cool to hear it brought some of them back. Hope all is well down in Florida and that you are able to get back up for a skate in Minnesota sometime. Cheers
Been here since year 2 I think. Absolutely loving the project, keep it up!
Thanks for following along Nil!
Hi Pete, and thanks for the memories. My pops was the neighborhood 'uber' Dad every kid in the area loved. Growing up in Canada he would get the 'waivering' support of a bunch of neighbors to let us borrow their adjoining backyards in winter to build a toboggan ice slide run in the first yard that had toboggan and sled moguls all the way to the last few backyards that were converted to a rink. In the early 60's we used banks built of snow around the rinks and then froze them and froze the area in the center with water from hoses. Everybody contributed to the periodic hose watering but my dad and kid volunteers did most of the shoveling. My dad would do most of the maintenance in the middle of the night.
What fond memories.
I'm from southern ont Canada ...u hav created my dream ....wen I was a kid (55) now I was fascinated by pictures of a local midget team that went to Switzerland n played on outdoor rinks under the lights.....u have created my utopia....thanks for sharing what u have built ....I'd love to skate on that ice with my son n daughter one day.....
Thanks for watching! Hope all is well up in Canada and that you and your daughter are getting in some skating!
I made a 120' x 60' rink in my back yard about 5 years ago outside Chicago, IL. Built all the boards out of 2"x4" and plywood. Very heavy duty. Can't remember how many times I had to blow snow off that rink, and the endless watering to keep the ice smooth (2 to 3 times a day). I feel your pain when trying to eliminate slush and snow that leave bumps and cracks. Leaves blowing onto the rink as well were a problem. Built my own handmade zamboni out of PVC pipe with holes that we attached to the garden hose. This video brings back all the work that is involved in maintaining the rink. It was a great experience, but sadly, my family generally didn't have any interest in the rink (my boys are into music and band). It was a one year and done deal but a great memory.
I did the same for 15 years straight and still do it if I have enough strength at close to 70 now. Same response from my kids, although they did skate for one day each year,....now my grand daughter is into serious ice skating so I do it for her....but to be honest I do it for my self, keeps me in shape.... Shhh don't tell anybody ...I pretend I am this wild ice man in Alaska fighting the freezing cold and ...but then my wife ruins it and yells at me to get inside before I get frostbite...
Awe. You rink of dreams’d it and they did not come.😂😂😂
@@stereothrilla8374 True dat.
Time and money, this guy has a lot of both!! Congrats you must be doing something very right!
Pure heaven. I lived on Parker Drive in Mississauga. The Jones family put up the outdoor rink every winter. Thanks Jones family. I've never forgot it.
Thanks for watching!
Coming back here every year, can’t believe it’s already year 4. Greetings from the Netherlands and enjoy 2022!
Просто снимаю шляпу перед такими людьми. С душой, с энтузиазмом, преодолевая все трудности и преграды... Вы просто супер... Удачи Вам и крепкого здоровья. Счастья и радости.
A friend of mine posted pictures today of his kid's team playing on a rink I recognize. Which brought me to this video the day it was posted. Same rink.
Small world! Thanks for watching and hope all is well!
Excellent video Pete! I'm a hockey player in California but am fascinated by outdoor rink videos. Those LED lines are brilliant. Thanks for sharing!
Having lived in northern Ontario from the age of 3 till almost 20 and playing hockey from the age of 7 or 8 and now living in Pennsylvania this is just pretty awesome. Wish our cold here was more consistent...keep it up man!!!
This is fantastic - I have enjoyed watching this project every year - since year one. Great job! And - those lights are an awesome addition.
Thanks for following along JT! Cheers!
I don't skate, don't play hockey, live in a climate with virtually no snow, but have been here since the beginning! My home state of Washington just got an NHL team and I watch the Kraken largely because of this channel! Seriously! Thanks for sharing your life with us!
Ton of work and it's beautiful
Глубочайшее уважение к таким людям! Не ныл, что кругом все плохо, а взял и сделал. Отсюда и пример окружению и любовь к спорту с малых лет и результаты в хоккее! Браво 👏
Итс имэйзин!
Спасибо! Хорошего дня!
All I can say is WOW and I hope your family and friends who use the rink help a lot or if nothing else really appreciate the work and the PATIENCE it takes to build such a beautiful rink. I nominate you for the DAD of the Year
Thanks Mr B! Definitely a lot of ups and downs, but it's been a lot of fun and seen good use this year :) Hope all is well!
Thanks for making these videos. I was getting bummed about how much work it was taking to get the ice fixed this year after a little snow and wind during the flood. Then I saw your video and all that you go through, gave me a lot of inspiration to get the job done. Also, used your ice repair tips and they work great.
I’m 46 years old and haven’t skated since 33. I grew up near Washington DC in Alexandria Virginia. My mom was a single parent and didn’t drive. Plus $$$ was limited.
When I was 10 we moved to a large apartment complex that had 10 Tennis courts and a large basketball court that has 10ft fences that enclosed it.
There were people playing dek hockey and then some had the first generation of inline. Of course I wanted to try and by the time I was 15 I was competing in tournaments with Adults. That led me to playing pro in-line in the RHI and MLRH. I started ice at 18 and played very well. I could easily play with College and minor leaguers. Ability and speed I was good but coaching know how and game acumen.. I was behind.
I was a very good fighter and could hit being 6’3” 245. I had a nasty leg injury in training and had to retire and give it all up.
My version of a backyard rink was an old Basketball
Rink and some Inlines!
That is a phenomenal outdoor rink setup! Awesome would only be a starting description. I've been in and/or around the game for over sixty years. In my experience, like a lot of outdoor rink builders, you are at that level where you will do anything to get the best quality ice possible. You'll find a way. IMHO you are going to have to engineer a device that can shave it for you. Imagine a mobile device with a large planer attached, upside down, with an ability to raise or lower it and shave the rink accordingly. When you flood over a shaved ice surface the water "flattens" out much better and leaves you with a smoother rink. Every Zamboni or Olympia resurfacer has that ability and I think it is a crucial element for getting the best end result...
I was just saying the same thing. In the video he was using that ‘rotating brush’ snow remover thing (similar ish to a snow blower). He should make an attachment to the front of the tractor and brush/clear the ice as he runs it over and lays down the new water!
I look forward to these videos every year! Been here since the beginning 👍
Thanks for following along!
Awesome! I grew up outside of Chicago. We had maybe a 15x15 concrete slab in our backyard. Some of my best memories are of dragging out the hose and spraying the concrete each winter to make a rink. We’d hack it up the first thaw in spring for hoops.
I feel like this guy has more passion, drive and competence for a random side project than I do for my entire life lol.
I supervised an Arena one time, built my own mini zamboni.
Used a push broom with copper rod as a handle with a garden hose attachment connected to hot water tank. The brush had a copper rod with holes drilled into it. It was flawless, except when i used it had to have somebody wiggle the hose because the hot water from it WILL melt the ice if sit to long.
I am exhausted just watching. What a project! Congratulations on your genius, dedication and perseverance. Well done. This is a full time job.
Can't wait to see the warming house build. Great job buddy you are more important to your community than you know. It's very inspiring.
Thanks so much! Really excited to share the warming house build, it was the most fun build i've ever done. Building small structures has been a blast. Hope all is well!
I HAVE WAITED ALL WINTER FOR THIS!!!
Thanks for following along! Cheers!
Really excited for the warming hut video and insanely jealous of this setup. Kudos for all the maintenance and thought that went into making this available for all the young (and older) skaters!
Ring again looks fabulous!
Most can only imagine the hard work of constructing and maintaining such an amazing project for your family and friends!
Wish I lived closed to help you and your team of friends!
Knights Flag Looks Bravo!
Go Knights Go!
Proud to be a small part of your awesome project!
If you need any other Knights piece to fit in (flag / fat head...ect) for you warming house, let me know.
Enjoy the Ice!
Thanks a ton Jeffrey! Love having the Knights flag flying and it looks sharp, thanks again for sending it! Hope you are getting to some games this season :) Cheers!
This is the 4´th year I follow this build and when you did´nt think it could be better "you" blow my socks off, absolutley amazing, LED-lines, so cool. Amazing build, again. woow
Love the LED's, they really add to the rink. Glad to see the flag made it through last winter, I will get a new one out to you for next year.
Wow, I have the smallest backyard rink EZ ice sells and I'm having a blast with my kids. This rink would be the ultimate dream. I was surprised how many skating and puck handling drills I could create for myself and the kids with a few low pylons and a little bit of creativity. My legs get worked in no time.
Unbelievable guys.. I build and maintain a rink at our local lake here in chicago .. And when i see your videos .. Its frustrating and satisfying at same time.. It is alot of work but like u say when u see kids and adults alike smiling and having fun its worth it .. Awesome job- thx for showing the journey.
Great to hear from you and that is really cool you maintain a rink in the Chicago area! Definitely a labor of love. I hear ya on the ups and downs of doing the project :)
@@DIYPETE if you look up= bangs lake wauconda ice skating you will c our rink . video by aaron hechtman
@@scn102 Very cool and beautiful rink! I just watched the video. Love it! ua-cam.com/video/jXuiabPx2UI/v-deo.html
@@DIYPETE 👍thx
@@DIYPETE its nothing compared to your setup.. Mann love the warming house 2.. Do u get donations .. Thats what i need .. People dont realize there r costs involved .. Besides your whole winter of free labor .. .. Haha.. .. O well i must like it cuz i keep doing it ... I even took bobcat for a swim 5 yrs ago .. Yikes ..
Wow, this odr looks like heaven. With that beautiful landscape around it and all those happy people there.
Thanks so much! It has been a labor of love but well worth it. Cheers!
Awesome bud. Doing a great service for the kids and their friends as well. It Will be lifetime memories for them
Gorgeous rink guys! Congrats from Northern Alberta!
I love the LED lights and the black bag idea for bumps.
Small tip: When you do your initial fill, wait for a clear, freezing cold night and hire a commercial water truck. We haul around 42 cubic meters of water for our initial fill and it's well worth it to not fight snow/wind/chance of not freezing. Costs us around $525 Canadian and worth every penny.
hats off
Thanks so much Tyler! Hope all is well up in Northern Alberta man! - For year 2 I tried to hire a water truck but no one wanted to do it and I couldn't find a single service willing to. So my buddy who owns a plumbing company let us use a 4000 gallon tanker. I ended up going through a ton of gas and the round trip to fill it up was about an hour and a haul including fill and empty time. So it ended up taking a day and a half still and with having to get a volunteer who was certified to drive it and all the gas, it ended being a little time consuming. If I could hire somebody reasonably though I'd do it in a heartbeat! That's awesome it works out in your neck of the woods!
@@DIYPETE when I lived in North Dakota, I had a friend that had a backyard rink as well and some how they were able to work out a deal with the fire department to have them bring over a truck and fill it up. Any chance you’ve thought about and/or looked into that??
Hey! I have and I have a family member and friends on the department. Their biggest rig holds around 2000 gallons so it would be a lot of truckloads. It took us a day and a half with trips back and forth using 4000 gallon tanker and getting a driver, putting the hours on the truck, and paying for fuel didn't seem worth it to me vs turning on a hose and letting it fill a few days. Cheers!
Wow, the amount of work. You have my highest admiration.
Incredible results!!!
Thanks so much Mike!
Super cool my wife is a figure skater. We live in the mtns so her local rink is 40 minutes each way. We are installing a backyard NiceRink this season for her this is a great video showing so many tips and providing many great insights. We are starting with a smaller 32 x 58 rink but net season will clear some of the woods. Thank you for this video and sharing your experience : )
That's awesome! Keep me updated on how it goes and I'd love to see a photo of it someday! Have fun with the build!
If you build it, they will come. And that includes not only friends and fellow skaters, but sponsors as well. What an awesome project, and great luck getting the sponsors on board. Now all you need is somebody to donate a building to put over it, maybe some kinda quonset hut or dome type that can handle that wind.
Should be getting a year 5 rink video pretty soon and I am super excited to see what upgrades they made
That is a insanely cool set up. You definitely go all out except for a full size Zamboni.😁👍
Thanks so much for following along! If I can get a heated shop built someday --- I will make the upgrade to a real one! :) Cheers!
can yoy uimagine waking up to those views in the morning. It looks soo good with those mountain in the background.
Thanks for following along Tirth!
You'll build it, and they will come😊😊
THIS IS AMAZING!! HANDS DOWN, THE BEST COMMUNITY GUY EVER!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR INSPIRATION!!
Thanks for watching! Cheers!
This is the ultimate ODR. I've been watching your build every year, and it never disappoints. Keep it up and the NHL will be calling you to host the next Winter Classic!
Hey Pete, if you bring the shed to one of the sides instead of behind a net, it’d help with drifts. Also I think if you bring in the snow fence a bit maybe to like 50 ft from it it’d stop most of the drifts or you can plant a wall of trees
Thanks so much for the tips Michael! Hope all is well and that you and your family are getting in a lot of skating this winter. Cheers!
I always look forward to this Series. I liked the Under ice lighting idea and might try it myself
Thanks for following along Mason! You'll definitely have to try out the lighting --- it's a pretty simple upgrade and the "Wow" factor is worth it!
Came here to say that tarp idea to smooth out bumps in the ice is genius! I would never have thought of that. Definitely using that idea this season for sure! Incredible build!
Pete is on something
Absolute legend
Thanks for following along Max! Hope you are getting in some hockey this winter. Cheers man!
From the UK but I love watching these from you.
absolutely inspiring. I did my first rink this year in our yard, 24 x 32, kids love it! I have watched each season and drool as I do so. Until the yearly bad weather footage obviously. haha. Keep it up cant wait to see what you have planned for next year!
That's awesome you did a 24x32 rink for the kids RJ! Sounds like it has been a huge hit! I love it. Thanks so much for following along over the years. Cheers!
My year has been a carbon copy of yours. Weather wise at fill time, same power sweeper, used liner goes to friends for reuse. Not to mention the summer of earth moving to make room for a level area. Had to cut into a large hill. I also have clay. Dug out a couple feet and replaced with sand. But still worry about the ground swelling when the temps get really cold. So I know every feeling you are experiencing during the ups and downs of a season. I feel mother nature can be a cold hearted B.
Hey Mike Great to hear from you! Sounds like you have a very similar setup! What size rink are you working with? Awesome to hear you dug out the area to level it and have been working hard to get it all dialed in. I hear ya about the amount of work it takes though! Keep it up, I'm sure it has been a hit with families and kids :)
@@DIYPETE We are 50x100. And I am different than most rink builders, as I have no desire to go bigger. Looking forward to your warming house video.
What a stunning scenery @ 13:30
Life goals in Diy Ice Rink & a DIY Zamboni!
💪
I don’t even play hockey but that rink makes me want to! Amazing job!
Thanks for watching! Hockey is a great sport and it's hard to beat playing on an outdoor rink! You'll have to lace up some skates and get in some skating this winter :) Cheers!
Man this is exactely the kind of stuff that makes me love the U.S. or Canada so much. Just do it in your own backyard that's it.
Cheers!
Me and my boyfriend actually met on a ice skating rink 7 years ago and have been skating together since ❤️
Just Fabulous. I'm a subscriber, and because of my love for Hockey and for the people like you that live it...
Been Waiting For this all Year! Amazing work Pete! Amazing what your doing for the community!
Thanks a ton Aiden! And thank you for taking the time to say hi!
Finally i was waiting for it. So crazy, that it is the 4th time you set up the rink and i followed every time. The new features are nice and i consider the led`s for our rink next year. Greetings from Oslo, Norway.🇳🇴
This is the definition of labor of love... your dedication is outstanding!
Thanks Vince! Hope all is well!
Hockey has always been part of life your outdoor rink is pretty cool
This is one of the coolest projects i've ever seen. Nice. Next year will be a fully enclosed, year round. Calling it now
I've been waiting for this video to come out
Thanks for following along Max!
Goals. So humble and respectful
Thanks for watching!
We built a backyard rink here near Chicago Illinois unfortunately it was before we all had cameras on our phones ! It’s a lot of work to hope that Mother Nature will provide us with a cold winter! It’s always hit or miss here! 43 degrees today on February 11th. But the time you get out there to enjoy it is well worth it!!!
We use to build these in Indiana considering we grew up in the one and only city in the state without a rink. Was perfect for when the winters weren’t cold enough for safe pond freezes. Had them built nowhere near the size of yours but they got the job done. My cousin moved there to Montana and is a ski and snowboard instructor up there. He absolutely loves Montana. I need to send you a Florida Panthers flag since I live right down the road from where they play even though I’m a Hawks fan 😉 Haha I think it would be cool though to see the palm tree / stick logo patch on a flag up there. Would remind you guys that warmer temps will eventually someday arrive back to you ha 😉 Definitely need a Blackhawks flag though no question. I may still even have a TB Lightning flag buried somewhere from when I lived there also that I might be able to find and send. Anyway this is my very first video I have watched of yours and am now a new subscriber. This was absolutely awesome!💪🏒🥅🇺🇸
you are amazing who spends so much time on your hockey rink. it's wonderful to watch your movies about this.
with kind regards Marcus from Sweden
One of the best parts of winter is your rink up date!
So cool, thanks Thomas!
This has always been a dream of mine to have a rink like this. Cool to see all the work and time put in to it. And the mountains in the distance are gorgeous! Love it!
Thanks for watching!
Rink looks fantastic. I have been waiting for months for this video! I did notice you had some goal net burnin. One of my sons hockey teammate home rink uses a winch/pully on a stand behind the net side board, when they are done for the day they hook the net to the winch and give it a crank or two which lefts the net about an inch off the ice so it doesn't melt in. It is so simple that his 10u squirt does it himself
Thanks so much for following along! That's cool about the winch! We move the goals off sometimes and put them off the rink to the side, but a lot of the times I try and leave them on in the same area and the melting helps keep them in place when we are playing so the wind doesn't blow them around :) Cheers!
Very jealous! We had a backyard rink for about a decade but it just doesn’t get cold enough here in eastern PA anymore. Definitely miss the skating and late night hockey games, but also the building & maintaining it. To those that know, you know what I mean
Thanks for taking the time to comment and say hi! I wish PA had colder winters for ya. Outdoor rinks definitely create some of the best memories. Take care and I hope you make it to an ODR soon!
That was super cool!! Very glad I stopped and watched. Couldn't imagine what it feels like to skate on that with that view once finished. Awesome stuff
Thanks so much for saying hi and taking time to watch the video! Take care and hope ya have a great ODR season!
Well done. We see the progress every year. It's impressing to see. Have fun, enjoy. It's always good for the heart to see how happy kids and also your friends and neighbors are. Good job. Greetings from Switzerland
Really amazing. You need to landscape it with some ever greens and you need a stick rack outside the warming room!
Great story. Great project. I wish I had one of these when I was growing up.
Thanks for following along!
Awesome job, great to see something like this in Montana
Thanks for watching! Hope all is well!
I love the addition of the lights and higher walls.
Thanks Terri!
That is a lot of work ! I guess plans are being drawn up on a covered structure ? Lol. Looks nice when the weather cooperates .
Thanks Allen! It is but has been well worth it :) Cheers!
Большой респект вам из России, также за такой труд и прекрасную подачу 🔥👍
Очень замотивировали переделать в нашем городке городскую площадку, привлеч внимание молодежи к активному спорту. Всех благ и успехов вам
Outdoor pickup hockey is a great memory ... 15 guys per side on the ice at once. That's what hockey is supposed to be about.
Love watching this every year Pete! Excellent work as always!
Pete, I like all of the improvements for this 21-22 season. It looks like you have some systems in place to help protect the rink from those wind and snowstorms that are so prevalent in Montana. I love the warming hut you put up, and that will help keep the friends and families warm. The bigger snow broom looks like it is kicking butt. Did y6ou ever look at the Ventrac I mentioned to you last year? Priced you right out of the rink. LOL!!!! Happy skating, my friend. Felix
Hey Felix! Thanks so much for all the kind words and hope all is well! I did look at the Ventrac --- those things are sweet! With my property I definitely need a skid steer so I can't justify having both --- but the Ventrac looks like it would be a perfect rink maintenance machine!
Congratulations!! The work you’ve done has certainly been of heart and it is beautifully thought out and executed.
Thank you for the inspiration and sharing your tips for rink maintenance.
Thanks so much Ali!
Great work so far!!! I have a suggestion,Get yourself that Zamboni or preferably a tracked vehicle and chain up a big log or something similar and then hook up oa field drag to the log and have it tail behind.. This will fill all low spots and knock down highs and if you angle it then it will kick the spoil snow off to the side *in theory* haha but it’s Pretty much the same concept as a motor grader .. BTW this is how I grade out a couple acre area of DIRT and I would think snow would work similarly 🤷🏻♂️ Hope it helps!
Every time I watch this video it gets more and more awesome
Thanks for checking out the video again Ryan!