Outdoor rink - boards

[SirCoach2U]

Okay...well it is obviously that my love for the game far out-weighs my sense of financial better judgement. :-)

I have a relatively large back yard (new house) that needs something done with it. I was going to sod it, but damn, that is going to be a lot to mow. Or, maybe I am just trying to talk myself into something crazy. Anyway, I am looking into the cost of paving a small area and using it as a "shooting range". Maybe put nets up around it. I would lay it out in such a way that the next person at our house could use it as an RV/boat storage pad or something like that...so it isn't too ugly.

Anyway, my question is...without the cost of actually building boards around this thing, what should I use around the perimeter to simulate hockey boards as far as rebound is concerned? I have seen people use 2x6's, but that seems to be a little more "live" that real boards. Any other ideas? I guess I could get a thin piece of plastic to put over the 2x6 to act a damper.

Anyony out there have any experience with this? I live in FL...so a lot of the northern winter "pond hockey" solutions won't work because materials seem to get a little softer when it is 90 rather than 10 degrees! :-)

[RichardGraham]

Hi SirCoach2U,

How about BorderPatrol? You can stack 'em in your garage when you're done with them.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[Muzza_77]

Hey

I have set up a 'shooting range' in my backyard. And I am proud to say that is pretty much the only reason that I can do a slap and snap shot today. What I was this. I built my self some goals as I wanted to be as cheap as possible. Then I found a sheet of veenered MDF board, I layed that on the ground and presto there is a perfect shooting range. I place two pucks on the board, shoot them into the goals then afterwards go and collect them. So it is possible to do this really simply and cheaply. And when I want it to be mroe game like I just wear outdoor skates. Simple!

[Muzza_77]

Mind you I am thinking of upgrading

[SirCoach2U]

"Thinking of upgrading"...too funny. :-)

I like the border patrol idea, but I am hoping to come up with something that I can leave out there. The reason I want borders/boards is so that I can also work on passing, stickhandling (bouncing it off the boards), etc.

I am getting a quote on the concrete tomorrow, so we will so how that goes. It won't be a BIG area...just big enough.

Like I said, my hockey whore mentality over rides my financial judgement all the time! :-)