For more than 25 years, Carleton College has given its community a chance to skate during the winter, but what goes into having two outdoor rinks throughout the winter, and what can students get out of it?

Behind the scenes, a lot of manual labor goes into the two “natural” ice rinks at the center of campus. According to Jon Rabe, Calreton’s grounds manager, the preparation process involves a complex collaborative effort.

“After the area is cleared of leaves and mowed one last time, a small crane operator is hired to place the light poles with the help of the electricians on campus,” Rabe said. “The hockey boards are brought in by Grounds and staged for setup. Field drains are marked and covered.”

After that, the actual boards and ramps needed to create the rinks are set up. With outdoor rinks, the grounds crew is beholden to the weather. According to Rabe, this year, the first layer of water brought in by the City of Northfield wasn’t laid down until Jan. 2 — a later date than usual.

Students can borrow skates, hockey equipment and broomball equipment between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. for free.

Isabel Gable ’26 took advantage of this winter recreation opportunity: “It was really fun!” Gable said. “My friends and I played hockey on the ice, and I learned that one of my friends is really good at skating.”

For Gable, the ice rinks present an opportunity for winter entertainment, but for others, the ice rinks are a facility for their intramural team or P.E. class. Carleton has men’s and women’s ice hockey and intramural broomball teams that utilize the rinks in different ways. In the past, the college has offered a figure skating class held on the rink.

The many activities that make use of the ice rinks are only possible through a lot of upkeep to make sure that they stay usable.

“We adapt strategies,” Rabe said. “We hope for cold conditions below freezing to drive the frost into the ground and that it stays cold. Without the frost in the ground the water would permeate into the soil. Flooding thin layers of water over the surface slowly builds the layers of ice up to a semi-smooth surface. As long as the temperature remains cooperative, it stays below freezing, said Rabe. ”Once a consistent, skatable surface is established, the rink is swept off each weekday morning prior to the city tanker truck flooding a new layer that will fill in the previous day’s skating marks.”

In previous winters, both rinks have been surrounded by barriers, but this year, only one rink has a barrier.

“I used both [rinks],” Gable said “I first started on the rink with the barrier because I felt a little rusty skating and wanted to warm up.”

Renting equipment is free, but with so many people wanting to use this equipment, it may take some time for students to get their hands on a pair of skates. The same goes for a space on the ice.

“My roommate and I were waiting for skates for a while because it was busy when we went, Gable said. “It took us about 30 minutes to get skates.”

Rabe also emphasized the importance of students exercising caution on the ice. Outdoor ice rinks can be more difficult to traverse than the indoor rinks that students may be used to where a Zamboni does the upkeep of the ice.

“Enjoy it!” Rabe said, “It’s only around for a limited time and everyone should get a chance to take in some skating. Remember, ice is never 100% safe and to have a healthy sense of respect. Clean up after yourself, and if the temperature gets above 35 degrees Fahrenheit, come back later when the temperature has dropped and the ice has refrozen.”