About project o.d.r

Hey! My name is Pete, and we’ve been building a backyard rink for the past seven years.

Growing up, my dad built us a rink every winter. We kids looked forward to the annual build, and even more to skating on it once it was done. His rink was made with 4x8 sheets of plywood on each end and 16-inch boards along the sides, all held in place with rebar stakes.

Fast forward to 2018: we had just purchased property with enough room for a rink, but the best spot had a 7-foot slope from one end to the other. We figured out a good size, rented a skid steer and excavator, and leveled the area. Year 1 it was 44 feet wide by 88 feet long — built mainly for friends and extended family before we had kids.

For Year 2, we expanded the rink to 60 feet wide by 120 feet long. We wanted the area to be big enough that someday we could pour concrete and make it a year-round sports court — for tennis, roller hockey, or basketball. The 4v4 hockey setup has been awesome, but maintaining such a big surface at 5,280 feet elevation in the foothills of the Rockies is no joke. The wind and snow are a constant battle!

Over the years we’ve continued adding new features and improvements: large LED stadium lights, a warming house, under-ice LED lighting, benches, team flags, decals, and more. Every year we learn something new — especially when it comes to working with the weather, maintaining the ice, and keeping everything running smoothly.

Today, we have a 3-year-old son and a 1-year-old daughter.
Our son loves helping build the rink and getting out on the ice. He started by pushing a bucket around at age 1, and by his second season he was gliding on skates!

While building a rink has been a ton of work, it has absolutely been worth the investment in both time and money. It keeps our family outside and having fun all winter long. The kids have improved so much, and we’ve been able to share the rink with friends, neighbors, and others from our community.

Thanks for following along with our backyard rink journey. Britt and I hope it gives you inspiration and guidance to build your own backyard rink — so you too can create lifelong memories on the ice with your family.

Cheers!
Pete and Brittany

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.
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.

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.