About project o.d.r

O.D.R family ice skating outdoors at night with colorful lights on the ice rink, mountain landscape in the background, and a hockey goal.

PETE’S STORY

A man in a red and black plaid shirt and blue jeans holds a hockey stick on an outdoor ice rink with mountains in the background. Two other people are seen in the background, one in a teal jacket and black pants, and a person in front of a goal net.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to inspire and support the outdoor rink community—and share tools to help anyone build their own backyard rink. We share step-by-step tutorials, real-world tips, and community stories that empower families, builders, and hockey lovers to turn a patch of snow into their own frozen tradition. Our goal is to make rink building accessible, rewarding, and something that brings people together every winter.

Our Vision

Our Vision is to grow a global community of outdoor rink builders who share ideas, stories and passion for the game—keeping the spirit of outdoor hockey alive for generations to come

Person in a red jacket and black hat ice skating at night on an outdoor rink, holding a cleaning tool, with colorful lights reflecting on the ice.

project o.d.r through the years

  • Close-up of a smartphone with an illuminated screen displaying colorful lines and circles on a dark background.
  • An aerial view of an outdoor ice hockey rink surrounded by snow, with players on the ice and illuminated by yellow border lights, and goals at each end.
  • An outdoor ice skating rink illuminated by four bright lights at sunset, with snow-covered landscape and mountains in the background.
  • A group of people in hockey gear posing together on an outdoor ice rink at night, with bright lights and a building in the background.
  • People installing a large solar panel on a snowy rooftop outdoors.
  • People playing hockey on an outdoor ice rink at night during winter, with snow-covered ground and a lit lamp post in the background.
  • Small modern building at night with snow in front, illuminated by exterior lights, with large window showing interior furniture and signage.
  • An outdoor ice hockey rink illuminated with colorful lights at night, with players on the ice.

What other outdoor rink enthusiasts are saying

  • “My kids are lucky to have a rink at their elementary school during the winter months. They absolutely LOVE it and have learned to skate because of this."

    -Sarah B.

  • “I used to do a rink in my backyard with my dad and being able to carry the tradition to with my kids has been truly special. Lots of work but so rewarding.”

    -Jamie W.

  • "We used to this in the East of Finland, school hockey rink was maintained by students and teachers."

    -Mikko T

  • My dad always built me a rink in our backyard plus the one at my school. I learned to skate while he flooded the rink and fixed the ice. Those are some of my happiest memories as a kid.

    Karl S.

  • 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.

    Matthew C.

  • Wow, I have the smallest backyard rink EZ ice sells and I'm having a blast with my kids. 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.

share your story

We would love to hear your rink building story, adventures during the O.D.R. season, and any pictures/videos you would like to share with the O.D.R. community.