Indiana Man Constructs a 40-Foot Ice Rink for His Kids in His Backyard

Indiana Dad Behind the World Record Sunflower Builds Backyard Ice Rink

If you live in Indiana, the name Alex Babich might already sound familiar. He is the Fort Wayne man behind the Guinness World Record-breaking sunflower named Clover. Last summer, Alex set out to grow the tallest sunflower in the world and beat the previous record by six inches.

But extreme gardening is not the only thing Alex is known for.

A Backyard Ice Rink Built for His Kids

Alex also builds some seriously cool things for his kids. Back in December, he constructed a 40-foot ice rink right in his backyard so they could skate all winter long.

I first saw the rink in an Indiana Facebook group we are both part of, and I knew I had to share his ingenuity with the world. In his post, Alex wrote:

“Built a 40-foot ice rink in our yard for the kids this year, and using our sunflower structure to light up those evening skates. Got a pretty solid sheet of ice now. Had perfect weather for a small body of water like this, got solid fast. Kids have been using it just about daily. Got a warm day coming with some rain, but it will tighten up again soon.”

Indiana Winter Weather Makes It a Challenge

Winter weather in Indiana has been a bit of a roller coaster this year. With January temperatures hitting the 70s in parts of southern Indiana and other days dipping below zero, an outdoor ice rink is always at the mercy of Mother Nature.

That is what makes this build even more impressive.

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The Man Behind the Build

After seeing the rink and knowing his history of record-breaking creativity, I had a few questions for Alex about his insanely cool backyard project.

What made you decide to build an ice rink in your own backyard, and how did the idea first come together?

My kids are nuts about hockey! We took them to a Fort Wayne Komets game 4 years ago and then fell for the sport head over heels lol.

How long did it take to build, and what were the biggest challenges you ran into along the way? 

First ice rink I built for them was 2 years ago, it was only 10 by 14 feet, with wood I had laying around and a black plastic lining.

We had ice for only 2 weeks that year but the kids loved it! And used it daily. Then last year I invested some money and build a 15 by 30 foot rink. And I ordered a nice white ice rink liner on line. The ice froze and lasted 2 months! They loved it.

Then a buddy of mine offered me a free rink kit that was given to him by a fellow church friend. So this year I built his rink with some of my added parts and ordered a bigger liner for it. If is 20 by 40 feet right now.

I pump free water from a ditch creek behind my house instead of using city water to fill it.

Is this something you plan to re-build and use every winter, or was this a one season passion project? 

Kids had the rink for about 2 weeks this year in Dec, but right now with the warm temps the ice isn’t good to use. We’re waiting for the cool front to move in and tighten it up, prolly later this month.

For families seeing this and thinking, “Could we do this too?” what advice would you give before they start flooding their yard?

My recommendation to folks - buy a kit, it’s easier to build one. NiceRink.com has decent kits.

Read More: This Indiana Ice Trail Offers One of the Most Unique Skating Experiences