The Heart of the Edwards Outdoor Ice Rinks
Get ready to lace up your skates and join us for another unforgettable season on the ice! The Edwards Outdoor Ice Rinks will be back for their fourth year, offering free daily access for public skating and hockey. Let us take you behind the scenes to explore how these rinks came to life, the effort that goes into building and maintaining them, and how our dedicated volunteers make it all possible.
Tom Boyd, an Edwards resident and our dedicated lead volunteer, grew up in West Vail, where winters always meant skating on rinks crafted by local dads. Wanting to continue this cherished tradition for his own children, Tom took the lead in creating the Edwards Ice Rinks. According to Tom, the vision for the rinks is to foster a fun and close-knit community, where kids can casually sling their skates over their shoulders and walk to the rinks. These rinks have quickly become a neighborhood gathering place, offering spaces for both recreation and connection. What makes them truly special is their design—two distinct rinks, one smaller for casual skating, and another larger netted rink dedicated to hockey enthusiasts.
Maintaining the rinks is hard work, but the reward comes when you see the community enjoying them. “Kids rush to the ice after school, screaming with excitement. They can’t wait to get their skates on, and we can hardly get them off the ice. They’ll stay out there until it’s dark,” Tom shared. “I’ve even had parents tell me they can’t get their kids off the ice for a snack break. But it’s not just the kids—adults come out during their lunch breaks to enjoy the rinks, too. And we also get beginners who’ve never skated before, borrowing Mountain Rec’s equipment to try it for the first time.” Skates are available to use for free at the ice rink, located in storage boxes by the baseball dugouts on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is a limited supply of skates and sizes, so be sure to grab a pair early!
Creating these ice rinks is no small feat—it’s a process that requires both creativity and commitment. Tom explained that the Edwards setup is particularly unique because the rinks are built on turf, requiring a specialized strap system to secure the boards in place rather than the traditional method of driving stakes into the ground. “We start by laying down a liner, setting up the ice boards, and spraying water in layers using a firehose,” Tom shared. “We then patch any holes with slush, cover the edges with more slush, and the fun part is using our little Zamboni, which we built into a golf cart.”
To help improve the process, the district has purchased geofoam that will go under the large west ice rink. This geofoam will help level out the rink and cut down the build time by 1-2 weeks. “We have about a 12-inch drop from one end of the rink to the other, and this geofoam will minimize that drop, allowing us to open the rinks earlier,” shared Brad Johnson, Mountain Recreation’s Edwards Facilities Supervisor. While this elevation change has been a challenge for staff and volunteers, the team is hopeful that this solution will make a significant difference for the 2024-25 rink season. Mountain Recreation and the Vail Mountaineers have partnered to split the costs of the geofoam, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support of the Vail Mountaineers hockey club.
While innovations like the geofoam help streamline the rink-building process, none of this would be possible without the commitment of our volunteers. The Edwards Ice Rinks are a 100% volunteer-driven project, fueled by the dedication and hard work of community members. “Many of our volunteers are hockey coaches, and since we’re often on the road with our kids, we need new volunteers to step in when needed,” Tom explained. Helping with the rinks means bundling up in warm ski gear, handling a fire hose, shoveling snow, and making slush to patch up the ice. But the rewards go far beyond the work itself. “To be a rink builder is to be a community builder,” Tom said, emphasizing the deeper impact of volunteering.
Getting involved is easy—anyone can sign up for a morning or evening shift each week. With the rinks currently under construction and set to open for the holiday season, this is a perfect opportunity to help create a safe, festive space for families to enjoy during Christmas break and beyond. By volunteering, you’ll play a key role in bringing joy and connection to Edwards.
Along with our dedicated volunteers, the success of this project wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the Edwards Metro District, Single Tree/Berry Creek Metro District, Vail Honey Wagon, Vail Mountaineers, Division 7, and Mountain Recreation’s Tom Padilla and Brad Johnson for their invaluable contributions. As we kick off another exciting season of free public skating and hockey, we invite you to join us on the ice—whether as a volunteer, a visitor, or a supporter. Together, we’re creating a vibrant space for our community to connect, have fun, and make memories that will last a lifetime. See you at the rinks!