The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
People who enjoy winter sports may be disappointed with this year’s winter weather. Snowfall is down and temperatures have been warmer than last season, but skaters continue to enjoy public rinks in Stevens Point.
The Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department builds and maintains four rinks within the city in hopes that skaters can enjoy them all season long.
Some of the largest rinks are at Goerke Park, which features a large oval rink, a hockey rink with boards and a staffed warming house with bathrooms.
Rinks at Emerson Park include a small oval rink and a lazy river-style loop. McKinley Elementary and Iverson Park both have oval rinks.
Scott Halverson, a parks maintenance supervisor, explained the construction and maintenance process.
“Obviously we need to have cold weather,” Halverson said. “It is ideal to have four to six inches of snow.”
Photo by Avery Jehnke.
Halverson said when temperatures are consistently below freezing, park staff begin flattening and compacting snow using its water tank truck. Once the truck has made a smooth enough surface, the driver begins laying ice.
“The truck is specially designed to flood rinks,” Halverson said. “The water is warmed by the truck and is spread by a bar on the back.”
It can take several days of flooding to achieve an ideal rink surface and may be slowed down by snow and thawing.
“The truck keeps adding water until there is a smooth surface and there are no more bumps,” Halverson said.
Once the rinks are open and people begin skating, staff perform daily maintenance by brushing snow off with a rotating sidewalk broom and re-flooding with the tank truck.
Halverson said staff occasionally level the ice surface using an old zamboni blade pulled behind a tractor.
Regular maintenance helps keep rinks in good condition on occasional warm days, but when temperatures rise above freezing for consecutive days, ice can become rough and unpleasant for skating.
“About a month ago, we were in a tough spot,” Halverson said.
A prolonged warm spell made it nearly impossible to build and maintain ice. Luckily for skaters, low temperatures returned, and staff could continue maintenance.
“This time of year is still decent for anticipating cold weather,” Halverson said.
Halverson said around the middle of February is when he usually expects weather to warm up and ice to start melting in small amounts, though it is not always the case.
At some point, all efforts are stopped to maintain the ice because it is too warm.
“If we get a warm spell and lose the majority of the ice, then we know it’s only a start,” Halverson said.
Senior Darrek Sams wishes the ice conditions were better this winter, but says he will make the best of it.
“I skate almost every day,” Sams said. “I love hockey, and it’s fun to get out here with my friends and shoot some pucks. It’s disappointing when you get to the rink and the ice is rough or there’s water on it, but that’s just the way she goes.”
Sams says there are casual pick-up hockey games at Goerke Park nearly every day.
“It’s nice to see the kids out here having fun,” Sams said. “It’s a good time.”
Avery Jehnke
Reporter
ajehn738@uwsp.edu
