Show us your rink!

My former boss, Aimee Thibodeau, knows that “Out There” readers are a handy bunch … and she’s looking for your help. Here’s a message Aimee passed along to me, hoping for some suggestions:

We’re planning our next BDN Maine Outdoors magazine, and have a favor to ask. While there are plenty of videos and instructions on the web that (allegedly) can guide you to creating the perfect backyard ice rink, we want to ask the experts. Yes, that’s you. The ones with the backyards. The ones with children and friends who come over for a weekend of skating and hot chocolate.

Tell us your tricks. What have you learned over the years? What are some beginners mistakes we can help others avoid?

Should you break down and buy the pricey kits you can find online, or can you get by with materials you might already have on hand or can pick up at the local hardware store?

Submit your suggestions, along with photos of your rink if you want to show it off, to BDN Maine Outdoors magazine editor Aimee Thibodeau at athibodeau@bangordailynews.com. We’d like to hear from you by Oct. 24.

John Holyoke

About John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.