Weyburn man builds ultimate backyard rink

by Staff - November 28, 2020 49
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A Weyburn man, Dean Schenk has built the ultimate backyard rink for his two children and himself. Schenk told bdnmb.ca that he has been building an outdoor backyard rink for the last 5 years and it seems to get bigger and better every year. The building measures 25’x55′ and the ice surface is 25’x32′.

The project started with some scrap lumber and a tarp and he’s not sure how it escalated to what it is today. “I lost track of hours it takes to put it all together. I painted the boards and painted the “sponsor” logos this year so that took some time. Having a level concrete floor this year vs a sloped back yard lawn saved a huge amount of time and water” he said.

According to Schenk “there’s something oddly satisfying and relaxing about putting on a late night flood in January after a long day of skating and hockey that only a backyard rink builder will understand”.

The rink was built for his son Ashton (8) and daughter Emily (4), and maybe a bit for himself. The door is always open to friends and their kids to use too. With everything going on this year and anticipating covid will likely shut down hockey at some point, he wanted to switch it up and do something special for the kids. Getting out of the wind and not having to shovel snow is an added bonus.

Understandably, the rink gets plenty of use. It’s not uncommon that Dean is tying skates for a quick skate before school, after school, after supper and multiple times a day on weekends. His son is crazy about hockey and his daughter is well on her way skating.

As it relates to upgrades planned for the future, Schenk said “I have some netting on it’s way to protect my shop walls from the slap shots that seem to be getting harder every year. I’m sure I’ll think of something to upgrade or add next year”.
“If anyone has ever thought about building a back yard rink, I highly recommend it. There’s lots of resources available online with advice and tips from guys like me that have already made all of the mistakes. Both of my kids learned to skate in our backyard and the memories we have made on the rink as a family and with friends makes all the hours and dollars spent to build it worth it within minutes of hitting the ice” he concluded.
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