How to Use a Snow Thrower on an Ice Rink

Any outdoor ice rink is likely going to provide months of fun, but it will provide equal amounts of work to properly take care of. Any weather that is sufficient to have an ice rink will undoubtedly provide enough snow to wreak havoc on the rink. Aside from the consistent flooding that makes the ice surface smooth, you must also take care to keep snow off it as often as possible. A snow thrower is an extremely handy way of doing so while still having the energy to skate when you are done.

Things You'll Need

  • Snow thrower
  • Shovel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Bring the snow thrower onto the rink. Start it up and make a single run lengthwise down the rink, tossing the snow to one side or the other. This will get you started and, assuming you have made your pass as close to the middle as possible, ensure that you don't have too much snow on either side of the rink.

    • 2

      Make passes up and down the length of the ice. When passing on the left hand side, toss the snow to the left. When passing on the right hand side, toss the snow to the right. In other words, always toss the snow away from the center of the ice. Make sure to overlap on each pass to ensure maximum coverage. As snow accumulates close to the edges, you may have to make slower passes to accommodate for the greater workload.

    • 3

      Use your shovel to finish the finer details and make the rink as clear as possible. The snow thrower may not reach all the way to the surface of the ice, and it may leave streaks. Quickly shovel up and down the ice to push any leftover snow to the edges.

    • 4

      Depending on the height of your snow thrower, it is not likely able to throw the snow over the edges, particularly if there are boards around the edges of the rink. Use your shovel to lift the snow over the boards and throw it clear of the rink. Try to scrape all snow away from the base of the boards, as this will help maintain cleaner edges around the surface of the ice when it is flooded again.