We wanted to make a few suggestions of some items you should keep around the rink for when it’s time to do some maintenance on the ice. These come from experience of myself and tips I have picked up from others along the way.
- Shovel – To remove the snow both from mother nature and from your skating lessons. I have been using a combination of your typical snow shovel and the ManPlow. The ManPlow has been a wonderful tool in my arsenal and I use it after every skate to clean up the ice.
- Ice Scraper or Floor Scraper – This is a great tool to have around to help take down the bumps in the ice.
- Snow Blower – I use a snow blower to get the bulk of the snow that Mother Nature throws at me off the rink. I made a make shift ramp to get it up onto the rink.
- Water Source and Hoses – Access to your water is key to less head aches when trying to resurface your rink. In addition, the hose that you choose needs to be long enough to reach all parts of the rink and needs to be made of pure rubber. You don’t want to have to be hauling water across your yard if you can help it.
- Ice Resurfacer – The ice resurfacer is the key to getting the ice nice and smooth.
- Propane Torch – It’s a cool tool to use in tandem with the ice scraper to help take down the bumps in the ice.
These are just a few items to have around to help maintain your rink. I don’t do daily maintenance, however the better maintained the surface the easier and more enjoyable your rink will be. Do you have a tip you want to share, contact us.