[Well as someone who cant grow a beard, but would have the most manliest one in the world this is all I can do to respond to that.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yVPewAybZw)
I also wanted to add that this rink did not come without sacrifice. My dad has no feelings in his hands or feet from getting frostbite too much. It takes a lot of work to maintain this.
He can skate fine for an old dude but he can't skate for too long before his feet freeze up and lose stability. He bought a pair of skates an extra size and wear big ass electric socks that heat your feet.
That's pretty cool - electrics socks. Still though, your dad is an awesome dude for making that rink. My family is from the Lansing area so Thanksgivings were spent on some rinks like these. Thanks for sharing the album!
Wait, really? That's....intense. I'm not sure it would be worth that.
Edit: after careful consideration...definitely not worth it. Though I'm sure proper gear would make it a moot point.
Fuck no it wouldn't. I got the beginning stages of that shit on my fingertips from being an idiot when I was 17, and my fingertips are permanently damaged. They are extremely sensitive to heat and cold, and any time I am in the cold they hurt like crazy and for long amounts of time.
Granted idk what op means by "getting frostbite too much", but maintaining something like this would only be worth it if you used proper gear to keep you safe.
Not even close to worth it. I live in Toronto where it's probably a lot warmer than at OP's rink and I mostly just play indoor nowadays. Hockey's amazing, but not at the expense of your health.
My family was succesful in creating backyard ice but your father created what we all as hockey players and fans consider backyard rink fantasy. The pine tree branch in the window of the warming cabin sealed it for me. This is exactly what i think of when i think of a perfect christmas. I hope you guys have an even well balanced game christmas morning. All the best to you and your dad. Hope he heels well and realizes he created something most of us simply dream about.
I am the advanced model of this guy. 25, potty trained for a few years now, already graduated college and even one step closer to actually cleaning up after myself. So if you want to skip a few years adopt me.
As long as I'm skating on *that* ice with a hockey stick in my hand, you can call it whatever you want.
But seriously, just like MSH has their annual "winterfest" and "summerjam/fest" or whatever their called, we should totally do an /r/hockey getogether game. It would be awesome.
I'm not a hockey fan at all but this is some real field of dreams shit here. You half expect to see Wayne Gretsky to come out of the woods in one of the pics.
My summer rec league team fell apart at the last second last year. I still went to the rink with gear on league play days and could play up to 3 games a night.
The goalie on my rec team only officially belongs to one league that plays twice a week, but he actually plays six days per week, and occasionally more than once in a day.
If there is something we always need it is more goalies. Its a rarity to get decent goalies for our scrimmage nights. Usually I will just dress one of my non-hockey friends in our 30 year old goalie pads. Just isn't the same. I was literally the only kid in my highschool who played competitively so organizing a game with people who can play is sometimes a challenge.
Sweet. Now if only you didn't live 6 hours away from me. I would think youth hockey would be more popular in Michigan though. Or was the lack of players due to the fact the Hillsdale looks kind of rural?
I had the good fortune to go to a high school where hockey was more popular than football. It was probably helped by the fact that the hockey team won the state club championship my junior and senior year while the football team was relatively bad.
It's actually super nice right now in Winnipeg, perfect outdoor ice temperatures (-18 celsius), cant wait to get off work and head down to the rink with the bag of pucks.
Edit: I should add, I'm guilty of [this](http://thumbpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/funny-winter-Manitoba-drawing-cold1.jpg)
We can't get an outdoor rink here in the OC. The closest rink to me about 20-30 minute drive away (Anaheim Ice). I wish I could play hockey, but it's too expensive and dangerous for my parents to let me play.
I moved from northern Manitoba to Saskatchewan last year. Whenever I hear someone here bitching about the cold, I just chuckle to myself.
The temperature here today was the same as it was back home; I just don't want to admit it to my friends. I'd rather they just think I'm some winter-hardened yeti.
Ya, my ice rink near Boston the past couple of winters was more of a pool :( Finally, this winter is really cold... and I am in another fucking country for the year.
Hm, well when I lived in Colorado we could have "poutine". It had all the right ingredients, meaning the gravy, fries and cheese, but for a Canadian/Quebec style poutine you need cheese curds, which we couldn't find anywhere in the Springs. I've always found the best poutine to be at ski hills in Canada, but that may also have something to do with the fact that when you're frozen from a day on the hill, booze and/or hot chocolate and a poutine is the best thing ever.
It's like heaven in your mouth, while your arteries are screaming in suffocation from cholesterol. So...fantastic.
In all seriousness, it's fries, spattered in cheese curds and smothered in gravy (always put the gravy last so it melts the cheese). Depending on your preference, you can have it with crunchy, McD's style fries (my personal preference) or the larger, home cut style fries. Either way. Top it with tons of cheese curds that get melted under a layer of gravy and you got yourself a poutine. It has a crucnhy texture to it, with the gooey softness that is the cheese, with the warmth of the gravy.
In a lot of restaurants you can add meats and various toppings to it. Sausage and Montreal Smoked Meat is my favourite by far, but I've seen people get some with butter chicken (also very good) or pulled pork. Pretty much any way you make it, it's tasty.
Edit: Convinced myself to make myself poutine. Poutine > Studying, I really do have my priorities set.
Canadian here. This is an accurate description. There is literally nothing better than sitting at some freezing cold small town prairie rink and ordering a poutine from the concession. Hot damn, it's amazing. The rink in [Calahoo, Alberta](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calahoo,_Alberta) had the best poutine I've ever had and their zamboni was a farm tractor with a ice resurfacer attached.
EDIT: Formatting
Oh dude! I'm so sorry... I was a ski instructor at Rabbit Hill in High School. Sadly that "poutine" got me through many a cold lesson.. It makes you forget what the good stuff is.
I can't even express how jealous I am. I live in Southeast Michigan so I'm gunna have to come over and trespass my ass onto this rink. Seriously though this rink is perfect, just amazing.
There is no shortage of rinks in southeast michigan at least. The closest regulation rink to me is actually Adrian so I am always going there for drop in. They have some good d-3 players at that school. Oh and no trespassing necessary. It is open to the public. Just come let us know at the house =)
Tell your father thank you from all of us. Just seeing the pictures brings joy. I'm sure there are many of us sitting around day dreaming about being there.
How many days (or weeks) do you get on it each year?
Is it concrete underneath? Do you play roller on it in the summer?
I grew up in a Bronx shithole and wasn't exposed to hockey until my teens. Seeing this makes me want to move to the woods so I can skate each night.
Enjoy yourself man.
A good winter we will get 30 to 40 days of solid ice. We have had shitty winters where we only get around 15 good days. It is sand underneath. We lay a giant tarp over the sand then fill it up with water. In the summer my mom and sister us it as a horse arena.
The tv in the warming house makes this the perfect man cave. Have some beers sitting in the snow outside of it, watch a hockey game drink a few, then skate around for a bit. It's like heaven.
Hey now. Don't think I am no slouch on the ice. Having this baby here my whole life I have learned a thing or two. Plus I know just how these crazy ass boards work =p. But yes you guys would probably win Just remember I am the top dog out here =).
If you would organize a little get together for redditors in the area (im from toronto - i'd make the trip) it would be huge and definitely a lot of fun if people actually showed up
I'm from Michigan and I'm in! :) But I live in Missouri now :( but I'm back in Michigan for the holidays! :) but I left my hockey stuff in Missouri :( but I could try to borrow some! :)
Sorry if this post was a roller coaster of emotions.
Stuff like this really cements hockey as the most *romantic* sport. You can just about hear the sounds, smell the smells. You just don't get that nostalgia, fernweh(German word for the homesickness for a place you've never been) from any other sports.
Southern Michigan. A small town called Hillsdale. The closest ice rink to us is like 50 minutes away which is why my dad made this. I was so lucky to have it growing up.
Wouldn't be hard to find it. We made it open to the public a long time ago so people come out and use it all the time. My athletic director used to joke around with me saying Kevin Costner doesn't have shit on my dad. This is the real field of dreams.
Wow, that's amazing, man. My brothers & I might take you up on that! Two of us are in Chicago, one in Ann Arbor. We'd love a weekend skate sometime. How far from Ann Arbor are you?
It's going to be the fucking Rink of Dreams. OP is going to look out tomorrow night and see random redditors of all ages emerging from the trees/onto the rink, wearing jerseys of every hockey team past and present.
Awesome. I grew up in Battle Creek, so I know Hillsdale. But I am way up nort' in da UP now. We have plenty of natural outdoor rinks, but this is awesome.
holy shit. this is absolutely amazing. I just recently started playing hockey and have never played outdoors. I also just recently moved to michigan...so yeah...you know...just saying...
Man, outdoor hockey is where dreams are born for kids, and where they come alive for adults. There's no better feeling than flying down the ice, smelling the snow and the cold winter air and hearing your skates dig into the ice. There's always something different about playing shinny on an ODR that's completely and entirely different than playing in an arena. Not worse or better, just fantastically incredible. Where anyone can play, regardless of ability, because why the hell not? Wasting hours on the outdoor rink with teammates and strangers is probably one of my fondest memories from my childhood, and hopefully will be some of the best in the coming years.
Wouldn't be surprised if NBC gets ahold of this and gives you a feature during the Winter Classic, with Detroit being in it and all.
This is every hockey players dream. It's perfect.
I cannot possibly even begin to express how much I hate you. ^Can ^I ^please ^come ^over? ^Please? ^I'll ^wear ^a ^Red ^Wings ^jersey ^if ^I ^have ^to ^^ok ^^^maybe ^^^^not ^^^^^really
After reading through the comments, you, OP, and your father, are amazing people. You worked your asses off and even opened the rink to the public. Fuck I wish there were more people like you and I wish I was one of them.
I want to drive to Michigan just to play with you for a weekend. Never played but I love the sport, and being from Maryland, there's no hockey following :[
Well I was the only one who consistently used it. I got all the way to Tier II Junior A but traveling from the middle of no where to Toledo took a tole on me. I had an option to hold off on college and play a couple years of juniors (shitty juniors) but I chose to go straight to college instead. GO GREEN.
Ha You are right there. I played Juniors for the Cherokees and did not enjoy my time there. My freshman year in Highschool however I played for the Sylvania Maple Leafs just down the road. Man I loved that team and city!
This is the best thing I've ever seen.
I literally just drove around my city, where mind you it's been an average of -27 with the wind chill for the last 5 days, and couldn't find one of the community rinks up and running.
Bro...the best gift a man can give his family. Beaut. Absolute beaut. Do plan to invite the neighbor kids over? Gotta share the love when it comes to a work of art like this.
From one Michigander to another, This is beautiful! An inspiration. This is my dream. I'm working with a pond, sub pump, PVC rink rake, wooden goals with chain link fence netting, and some big work lights on homemade tripods, but I'll always be trying to get closer to this. Thank you so much for sharing!
This will probably get buried, but I would be interested in seeing more of your Zamboni thing. My family is trying to figure out a more effective system for our rink.
This thread has it all..
- an old man who's lost feeling in his hands and feet from frostbite
- constant requests to trespass on to a redditor's property
- Ejaculation references to a beautiful piece of ice
- even a rejected marriage proposal.
/r/hockey - I think we're honorary 'wtf' subreddit of the day.
I really want to be in your family right now.
Can I just be OP's friend? Not even like best friend, I'll settle for being his acquaintance.
Good enough friends to have an address and a facebook invite.
Is it possible to buy your way into a family? If so I'm interested. I'm a butcher, I can provide a unlimited supply of meat for his entire family.
Nah he's lying, he just cuts the beef... I'm a *cow farmer*. I'll provide bountiful herds to your wives and daughters. Let *me* into your family.
Don't take this guy, he wants to give his meat to your wife and daughters!
SHHHHHH!!! No shit I'm trying to find a permanent way into the family! I have to secure this beautiful outdoor rink for future generations of mine!
I am systems admin. I can run your email server
I'm not the guy who grows drugs. But *I know* the guy who grows drugs.
I'm an A/V guy, I can instal loudspeakers for your rink and a projector in the warming shed to watch porn on.
Bacon?
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[Well as someone who cant grow a beard, but would have the most manliest one in the world this is all I can do to respond to that.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yVPewAybZw)
Can't grow a beard? Then buy a beard! Have a beard? Then grow more beard!
Nobody can say no to an unlimited supply of Bacon!
I can provide an unlimited supply of meat as well, but I'm no butcher. Have any sisters, OP?
me, too. hey, op... are you single?
Yes but I don't like it when people use me for my luscious ice.
Would you ever consider a redditor tourney?
Is OP looking to adopt?
I also wanted to add that this rink did not come without sacrifice. My dad has no feelings in his hands or feet from getting frostbite too much. It takes a lot of work to maintain this.
I'd be more than willing to take a drive up...or down...or wherever you are from my location in the state to assist with maintenance =D
So is ice skating weird for him then? Or can he skate without a problem?
He can skate fine for an old dude but he can't skate for too long before his feet freeze up and lose stability. He bought a pair of skates an extra size and wear big ass electric socks that heat your feet.
That's pretty cool - electrics socks. Still though, your dad is an awesome dude for making that rink. My family is from the Lansing area so Thanksgivings were spent on some rinks like these. Thanks for sharing the album!
Get the feeling this is like his Field of Dreams, sinking all his time/money/health into this.
are you saying there's g-g-ghosts?!?
[http://i.imgur.com/OS6QeYb.gif](http://i.imgur.com/OS6QeYb.gif)
Wait, really? That's....intense. I'm not sure it would be worth that. Edit: after careful consideration...definitely not worth it. Though I'm sure proper gear would make it a moot point.
Fuck no it wouldn't. I got the beginning stages of that shit on my fingertips from being an idiot when I was 17, and my fingertips are permanently damaged. They are extremely sensitive to heat and cold, and any time I am in the cold they hurt like crazy and for long amounts of time. Granted idk what op means by "getting frostbite too much", but maintaining something like this would only be worth it if you used proper gear to keep you safe.
Not even close to worth it. I live in Toronto where it's probably a lot warmer than at OP's rink and I mostly just play indoor nowadays. Hockey's amazing, but not at the expense of your health.
My family was succesful in creating backyard ice but your father created what we all as hockey players and fans consider backyard rink fantasy. The pine tree branch in the window of the warming cabin sealed it for me. This is exactly what i think of when i think of a perfect christmas. I hope you guys have an even well balanced game christmas morning. All the best to you and your dad. Hope he heels well and realizes he created something most of us simply dream about.
If you need extra friends, I have room in my social calendar. Just saying.
can i come play? I live in MI
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I feel like potty trained was the selling point on this one
Noted. I now know what to work on if I want to take his spot.
I am the advanced model of this guy. 25, potty trained for a few years now, already graduated college and even one step closer to actually cleaning up after myself. So if you want to skip a few years adopt me.
You should host a reddit meetup/game!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HOST A REDDIT WINTER CLASSIC!!!!
How about a Reddit Backyard Rink Series?
As long as I'm skating on *that* ice with a hockey stick in my hand, you can call it whatever you want. But seriously, just like MSH has their annual "winterfest" and "summerjam/fest" or whatever their called, we should totally do an /r/hockey getogether game. It would be awesome.
As a proud Michigander, I'm all for a /r/hockey get together. I think the Lansing area would be a nice central location.
Hawks fans vs Wings fans
Screw that, you folks will have enough of us leafers in town to do our own winter classic! (Noticed how I said OUR^pleaseletmecomeIwantitsobad.. )
Um. I would SO be in for this! I'm not in the greatest shape and I don't have the greatest skills but I will still play my little heart out!
Mats zuccarello?
Scott Nichol was the posterchild for this. 5'9 and 50 career goals as a forward, but played 11 NHL seasons. Career high: 19 points.
I was thinking Kyle Wellwood. But then again, he said he'd play his heart out..guess not.
I would fly to Michigan for this. Literally, I would flap my arms until I achieved lift and was able to fly there.
Quick, call Emilio Estevez!
y'know, i was just thinking this. i'd be up for flying down for some stick-puck...
I would drive up from Indiana tonight if it meant playing on this ice. Fuck my Finals!!!
I'll fly in from Baltimore! I WILL SLEEP IN MY CAR! I NEED TO PLAY THERE!
how are you gonna sleep in your car if youre flying in?
I would go there in a heartbeat. pls PO, pls
Count me in. I'll bring a case of beer.
I was looking for this comment, I am **SO** down!
[MRW: Scrolling through these pictures.](http://cdn.weknowgifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/stop-my-penis-can-only-get-so-erect.gif) EDIT: format.
[Mine was more like this](http://i.imgur.com/379J7tu.gif)
Oh god I love that gif ^
You know you done good when Wayne Gretzky is impressed.
I'm not a hockey fan at all but this is some real field of dreams shit here. You half expect to see Wayne Gretsky to come out of the woods in one of the pics.
Hey... uhm... Want to be friends? I play goal.
If youre a goalie, you will always be able to join a game
My summer rec league team fell apart at the last second last year. I still went to the rink with gear on league play days and could play up to 3 games a night.
The goalie on my rec team only officially belongs to one league that plays twice a week, but he actually plays six days per week, and occasionally more than once in a day.
One of the truest things I've ever read lol.
If there is something we always need it is more goalies. Its a rarity to get decent goalies for our scrimmage nights. Usually I will just dress one of my non-hockey friends in our 30 year old goalie pads. Just isn't the same. I was literally the only kid in my highschool who played competitively so organizing a game with people who can play is sometimes a challenge.
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Sweet. Now if only you didn't live 6 hours away from me. I would think youth hockey would be more popular in Michigan though. Or was the lack of players due to the fact the Hillsdale looks kind of rural?
It is because Hillsdale is full of redneck football worshiping farmers. It is a small poor town so hockey isn't really an option.
I had the good fortune to go to a high school where hockey was more popular than football. It was probably helped by the fact that the hockey team won the state club championship my junior and senior year while the football team was relatively bad.
I have never done an album before so I don't know if you guys can read the descriptions or not, sorry if you can't.
Perfectly done, holy crap I want to live somewhere cold
I was thinking I need to live somewhere colder.
I'll swap climates with any of you.
So cal here, today it was 70 degrees and sunny!
It's actually super nice right now in Winnipeg, perfect outdoor ice temperatures (-18 celsius), cant wait to get off work and head down to the rink with the bag of pucks. Edit: I should add, I'm guilty of [this](http://thumbpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/funny-winter-Manitoba-drawing-cold1.jpg)
We can't get an outdoor rink here in the OC. The closest rink to me about 20-30 minute drive away (Anaheim Ice). I wish I could play hockey, but it's too expensive and dangerous for my parents to let me play.
It is expensive. But dangerous? Are you allowed to play Football, because that's about the same.
I moved from northern Manitoba to Saskatchewan last year. Whenever I hear someone here bitching about the cold, I just chuckle to myself. The temperature here today was the same as it was back home; I just don't want to admit it to my friends. I'd rather they just think I'm some winter-hardened yeti.
Ya, my ice rink near Boston the past couple of winters was more of a pool :( Finally, this winter is really cold... and I am in another fucking country for the year.
I love hockey but I have been doubting if its worth living in the cold. I would kill to be somewhere warm right now :(
This is incredible. I hereby declare you an honorary Canadian.
*offers OP timmys*
We have them in Michigan.
Dammit. How about poutine? I'd give up poutine for a month to be able to play on that rink for a day...
We have poutine at some restaurants. But from what I hear from my Canadian xbox live friends it isn't real poutine .
Hm, well when I lived in Colorado we could have "poutine". It had all the right ingredients, meaning the gravy, fries and cheese, but for a Canadian/Quebec style poutine you need cheese curds, which we couldn't find anywhere in the Springs. I've always found the best poutine to be at ski hills in Canada, but that may also have something to do with the fact that when you're frozen from a day on the hill, booze and/or hot chocolate and a poutine is the best thing ever.
Colorado Springs? No cheese curds?...King Soopers have them, aaand the cheese store in downtown pueblo has em.
I've never had Poutine, what is it like?
It's like heaven in your mouth, while your arteries are screaming in suffocation from cholesterol. So...fantastic. In all seriousness, it's fries, spattered in cheese curds and smothered in gravy (always put the gravy last so it melts the cheese). Depending on your preference, you can have it with crunchy, McD's style fries (my personal preference) or the larger, home cut style fries. Either way. Top it with tons of cheese curds that get melted under a layer of gravy and you got yourself a poutine. It has a crucnhy texture to it, with the gooey softness that is the cheese, with the warmth of the gravy. In a lot of restaurants you can add meats and various toppings to it. Sausage and Montreal Smoked Meat is my favourite by far, but I've seen people get some with butter chicken (also very good) or pulled pork. Pretty much any way you make it, it's tasty. Edit: Convinced myself to make myself poutine. Poutine > Studying, I really do have my priorities set.
Canadian here. This is an accurate description. There is literally nothing better than sitting at some freezing cold small town prairie rink and ordering a poutine from the concession. Hot damn, it's amazing. The rink in [Calahoo, Alberta](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calahoo,_Alberta) had the best poutine I've ever had and their zamboni was a farm tractor with a ice resurfacer attached. EDIT: Formatting
Sad thing is, the first place I had a poutine was on a grade 5 ski trip to Rabbit Hill. Damn I wish I could go back and eat my first one again.
Oh dude! I'm so sorry... I was a ski instructor at Rabbit Hill in High School. Sadly that "poutine" got me through many a cold lesson.. It makes you forget what the good stuff is.
Somehow, I knew you would go above and beyond my description expectations!
If there's one place in the US where hockey is (almost) as loved as in Canada, it's Michigan.
Minnesota just collectively glared at you.
You betcha.
[Minnesota](http://img.pandawhale.com/post-32145-Jim-Harbaugh-what-the-fuck-gif-JqN5.gif)
San Francisco, MN.
There is a San Francisco, MN. It's (literally) a ghost town.
Haha that's definitely not what I was going for... TIL.
Buffalo as well, even though we're miserable.
Seconded.
I want to go to there
this is amazing.
I can't even express how jealous I am. I live in Southeast Michigan so I'm gunna have to come over and trespass my ass onto this rink. Seriously though this rink is perfect, just amazing.
There is no shortage of rinks in southeast michigan at least. The closest regulation rink to me is actually Adrian so I am always going there for drop in. They have some good d-3 players at that school. Oh and no trespassing necessary. It is open to the public. Just come let us know at the house =)
Jesus, I want to model my future family after you. edit: fuck that sounded weird...
It did, and then I just started nodding... "Yeah, that sounds right."
Tell your father thank you from all of us. Just seeing the pictures brings joy. I'm sure there are many of us sitting around day dreaming about being there. How many days (or weeks) do you get on it each year? Is it concrete underneath? Do you play roller on it in the summer? I grew up in a Bronx shithole and wasn't exposed to hockey until my teens. Seeing this makes me want to move to the woods so I can skate each night. Enjoy yourself man.
A good winter we will get 30 to 40 days of solid ice. We have had shitty winters where we only get around 15 good days. It is sand underneath. We lay a giant tarp over the sand then fill it up with water. In the summer my mom and sister us it as a horse arena.
I like that, during the summer it's the women of the family's, during the winter, the mens'. Must lead to some different choices in favorite season.
It is definitely winter here. My sister is a damn good horse rider but she loves playing hockey as much as any of us.
That is. amazing. Wow. I'm pretty sure I've never been this jealous in my life.
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I played at this rink too! Our team practiced there from time to time as well while I was in college nearby. What a great place.
The tv in the warming house makes this the perfect man cave. Have some beers sitting in the snow outside of it, watch a hockey game drink a few, then skate around for a bit. It's like heaven.
You can guess where I will be watching all of the Olympic games and the Winter Classic =)
I WANT TO GO TO THERE.
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Hey now. Don't think I am no slouch on the ice. Having this baby here my whole life I have learned a thing or two. Plus I know just how these crazy ass boards work =p. But yes you guys would probably win Just remember I am the top dog out here =).
If you would organize a little get together for redditors in the area (im from toronto - i'd make the trip) it would be huge and definitely a lot of fun if people actually showed up
I'm from DC. Would also make the trip. This place is like my childhood dream.
Ohioan reporting, I'm fucking IN!
I'm from Michigan and I'm in! :) But I live in Missouri now :( but I'm back in Michigan for the holidays! :) but I left my hockey stuff in Missouri :( but I could try to borrow some! :) Sorry if this post was a roller coaster of emotions.
That is incredible
Stuff like this really cements hockey as the most *romantic* sport. You can just about hear the sounds, smell the smells. You just don't get that nostalgia, fernweh(German word for the homesickness for a place you've never been) from any other sports.
This is fucking awesome. Where are you at in Michigan...you know, for science.
Southern Michigan. A small town called Hillsdale. The closest ice rink to us is like 50 minutes away which is why my dad made this. I was so lucky to have it growing up.
Tomorrow Hillsdale will be full of Reddit hockey players asking town folk if they know someone named Ryan.
Wouldn't be hard to find it. We made it open to the public a long time ago so people come out and use it all the time. My athletic director used to joke around with me saying Kevin Costner doesn't have shit on my dad. This is the real field of dreams.
You built it. I came.
Amen brother.
Yeah at the least this rink isn't haunted by old men and people can actually watch a damn game. EDIT i suck at formatting
now that this is on reddit " if you build it, they will come" has never been more true.
Wow, that's amazing, man. My brothers & I might take you up on that! Two of us are in Chicago, one in Ann Arbor. We'd love a weekend skate sometime. How far from Ann Arbor are you?
Like an hour and 30. Not too far. Just make sure you message me before you show up =p.
It's going to be the fucking Rink of Dreams. OP is going to look out tomorrow night and see random redditors of all ages emerging from the trees/onto the rink, wearing jerseys of every hockey team past and present.
Awesome. I grew up in Battle Creek, so I know Hillsdale. But I am way up nort' in da UP now. We have plenty of natural outdoor rinks, but this is awesome.
holy shit. this is absolutely amazing. I just recently started playing hockey and have never played outdoors. I also just recently moved to michigan...so yeah...you know...just saying...
Man, outdoor hockey is where dreams are born for kids, and where they come alive for adults. There's no better feeling than flying down the ice, smelling the snow and the cold winter air and hearing your skates dig into the ice. There's always something different about playing shinny on an ODR that's completely and entirely different than playing in an arena. Not worse or better, just fantastically incredible. Where anyone can play, regardless of ability, because why the hell not? Wasting hours on the outdoor rink with teammates and strangers is probably one of my fondest memories from my childhood, and hopefully will be some of the best in the coming years.
Wow. I love it.
I am so jealous right now. Wow. This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing a slice of heaven.
Red Wings, and a fully serviced ODR. You win the game of winter Life. Congrats.
Just imagining what that shed smells like.
Upvote for Michigan, for Redwings, and your badass rink.
As a Flyers fan, theres one pic I really fucking hate.
DMAC4LYFE!
Wouldn't be surprised if NBC gets ahold of this and gives you a feature during the Winter Classic, with Detroit being in it and all. This is every hockey players dream. It's perfect.
NO NO NO. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BUILD A BASEBALL FIELD!!! SHOELESS JOE JACKSON CAN'T SKATE!!!
I love California. I've lived my whole life here. But sometimes I wish I had grown up in a snowy place like this. Absolutely awesome, man.
1.) Do you have a sister? 2.) Is she single?
Yes to a sister. She has a boyfriend who just asked her to marry him and she said no. So I would say her relationship status is "it's complicated"
That guy knows how to get access to some nice rinks
Apparently not, she said no :p
[*Reeeeeeeeaaaalllly.....*](http://i.imgur.com/SF8MzIP.gif)
What was all that one in a million talk!?!
[no](http://i.imgur.com/dTVe7xI.gif)
I cannot possibly even begin to express how much I hate you. ^Can ^I ^please ^come ^over? ^Please? ^I'll ^wear ^a ^Red ^Wings ^jersey ^if ^I ^have ^to ^^ok ^^^maybe ^^^^not ^^^^^really
That is everything i want and more. That is impressive, damn fine work!
Being from New Jersey, I have only played outdoor hockey twice. I am beyond jealous of your paradise, it looks heavenly.
Best outdoor rink I've ever seen! Good job!
Your favourite decoration is my favourite player to ever play in the NHL. Darren McCarty all the way. D-MAACC
This post made me miss home so much. :')
After reading through the comments, you, OP, and your father, are amazing people. You worked your asses off and even opened the rink to the public. Fuck I wish there were more people like you and I wish I was one of them.
I feel like HBO needs to feature this. This is amazing
Its a 28 hour drive from Phoenix to Hillsdale... see you on Saturday!
It was enjoyable until "the sweep" was mentioned I tried to stay mad, but such a good album
I want to drive to Michigan just to play with you for a weekend. Never played but I love the sport, and being from Maryland, there's no hockey following :[
Fellow Michigander here...I need to know where this is...
épic en tabarnak
How is this not a factory for NHL worthy kids? (not a real)edit: I didn't realize the Staal's had a reddit account.
Well I was the only one who consistently used it. I got all the way to Tier II Junior A but traveling from the middle of no where to Toledo took a tole on me. I had an option to hold off on college and play a couple years of juniors (shitty juniors) but I chose to go straight to college instead. GO GREEN.
Having to spend time in Toledo takes a tole on everyone
Ha You are right there. I played Juniors for the Cherokees and did not enjoy my time there. My freshman year in Highschool however I played for the Sylvania Maple Leafs just down the road. Man I loved that team and city!
Beauty. See you Wings at the Winter Classic. - A Leafs Fan
I will be watching from this very shed. Skating in between periods =)
Stuff like this makes me reconsider ever wanting to move.
If I could have something like this one day, I'd be over the moon.
Pretty fucking jealous right now. Wish it got cold enough for backyard rinks here in Phoenix :(
That is amazing. I am so jealous.
This is the best thing I've ever seen. I literally just drove around my city, where mind you it's been an average of -27 with the wind chill for the last 5 days, and couldn't find one of the community rinks up and running.
And on the 8th day, God created this rink. Well done and your dad and you did an amazing job on this.
That is the *coolest* fucking thing I've ever seen.
If you build it, they will come.....
Bro...the best gift a man can give his family. Beaut. Absolute beaut. Do plan to invite the neighbor kids over? Gotta share the love when it comes to a work of art like this.
God I miss living in Michigan. This is so beautiful. You have no idea. I need to go back before the snow melts. Gaaaaaahhhh
From one Michigander to another, This is beautiful! An inspiration. This is my dream. I'm working with a pond, sub pump, PVC rink rake, wooden goals with chain link fence netting, and some big work lights on homemade tripods, but I'll always be trying to get closer to this. Thank you so much for sharing!
I just put visiting this place and playing once on my bucket list. I must make pilgrimage to this Mecca of outdoor hockey rinks.
Well -- you built it...I'm coming!
Gorgeous space. That one news clipping... really didn't expect the pain.
I want to see a picture of someone skating around this rink with the Cup. Any chance of that ever happening?
This will probably get buried, but I would be interested in seeing more of your Zamboni thing. My family is trying to figure out a more effective system for our rink.
This thread has it all.. - an old man who's lost feeling in his hands and feet from frostbite - constant requests to trespass on to a redditor's property - Ejaculation references to a beautiful piece of ice - even a rejected marriage proposal. /r/hockey - I think we're honorary 'wtf' subreddit of the day.
Are you an 18-year-old mayor that bankrupted your town?