I built my first backyard rink in 2010 when my kids were 11, 8, 6, 4 and 3, and today they would tell you that that rink and the ones I have built since have been my greatest dad accomplishments. Our homemade rinks have provided hundreds of hours of winter enjoyment for my children and have transformed us into a bona fide "hockey family." But constructing that first rink was a momentous challenge, and before embarking on such an ambitious project, I wish I’d known the five basic steps for successful rink building:
1. Choose a flat space
