Is This Beloved Minnesota Pastime Going Extinct?

I never was much of a hockey player, but I do have many fond memories of going to an outdoor rink and playing pick-up hockey in my neighborhood.

The atmosphere at these games is hard to beat. Kids of all ages against the neighborhood dads, all gliding around the ice breathing fresh air and smiling while getting in a great workout.

I can remember my dad, who used to play college hockey, taking all three of his then-teenaged kids to the rink one day to dance circles around us to 'show us how it's done.' Sure his back hurt for like three weeks after that, but he had made his point.

I can remember going to a rink one night with the temperature well below zero and heading to my car with my beard, eyebrows and eyelids all frozen solid.

However, due to Minnesota's rising winter temperatures, the Washington Post is reporting that several communities are shutting down outdoor skating rinks altogether.  For example, Minneapolis closed two of its rinks this past winter and plans to close three more next year.

The story also says that Maple Grove has gone from 20 neighborhood rinks to 'less than half of that number.'

The article quotes a Minnesota DNR website that says Minnesota's winter temperature has risen between five and seven degrees over the past few decades, leading to less time for ice cover on rinks (and lakes).

The Post says that each rink 'takes at least a month of watering for 14 hours a day to create its base. Once the ice reaches four inches, it has to be sprayed with water daily to keep it smooth.'

In a Facebook comment, the City of Sartell's Parks and Recreation Department says they try to get out to the rinks daily while the rinks are open, adding that they see 'a lot of traffic' during the winter.

This year, the rinks at Val Smith Park in Sartell opened on December 13th. The rinks were temporarily closed a couple of times for snow and closed for the season on February 26th.