For nearly a decade, Jeff Banasz has created an ice rink in his backyard.
For nearly a decade, Jeff Banasz has transformed the backyard of his family’s Moorestown home into their own personal ice rink. Each year, the rink has grown in both notoriety and size. When the rink first opened, it measured 20 feet wide by 40 feet long, but today, the rink has grown to 35 feet wide by 65 feet long.
“I’d like to make it about 40 feet wide by 100 feet long,” Banasz said enthusiastically.
On Friday, Dec. 29, the rink opened for the ninth year. The Banasz family spread word of the opening via the Facebook page they created to update family and friends about the rink.
Banasz grew up playing ice hockey in both high school and college. When his family moved to Moorestown in 2006, he wanted to share his joy of skating with his three children, and so he took eight-foot sections of plywood and a 20 feet by 40 feet long ice rink kit and made an icy wonderland in his backyard.
Banasz has opened the rink six out of the last nine years. Over time, the rink has steadily grown larger. He said if he could, he’d continue to grow the rink, but one of the critical components to having a safe, smooth rink is level ground. He said with a six-inch dip in his backyard, it’s made continuing to grow the rink a challenge.
“If every winter was like the one we’ve been having now, I’d level [the ground] off more,” Banasz said.
Each year, attendance at the family’s backyard rink has grown. Banasz said, as his oldest son is in fifth grade, second eldest son in third grade and daughter in pre-K have grown and made more friends, word of mouth has spread.
While attendance at the rink is primarily limited to family and friends, the family created a Facebook page to let those in the know when the rink is open. According to the page, all kids on the rink are required to wear a helmet, and those playing hockey must bring elbow pads and gloves.
“Typically in January and February, most people are stuck indoors,” Banasz said. “The ability to have an outdoor activity is nice. It’s become as much for parents on a Friday or Saturday night to come over and have a big bonfire.”
Despite being open for only two months of the year, the rink requires a fair bit of maintenance. On Tuesday, Dec. 26, Banasz began filling the rink at 9 a.m., and the two hoses weren’t switched off until 3 a.m.
He said the rink has to be worked on after any time someone skates on it. This means shoveling all the snow off and filling in any grooves in the ice. Banasz said he fills the utility sink in his garage with hot water and then sprays the rink down. He said hot water — which is what is in a zamboni — freezes faster, and so overnight the rink will refreeze and become level.
“Frankly, it’s a ton of work, and you really have to pay attention to the weather,” Banasz said.
In November, Banasz orders a new liner for the rink from a company in Minnesota, and he waits for the weather to get cold enough for the water to freeze. He usually opens the rink in late December or early January, and the rink remains open into February. He said come February, however, the direct sunlight hitting his backyard begins to melt the ice.
Despite the constant maintenance, Banasz said, in his eyes, keeping up the tradition is completely worth doing. As the coach of a middle school-aged hockey team, he said it’s special to have a place for his son and his friends to log a little extra practice time.
Since first opening the rink, Banasz said he has heard from friends who were inspired to create rinks of their own. He said to his knowledge, though, he’s the only one in town who does it on a consistent basis.
“A lot of our friends and family look forward to it every year,” Banasz said. “I look at it as a great way for our friends and our neighbors — in a time when everyone is shut in their houses — to get outside and be together.”
