HUNTSVILLE — When temperatures in Huntsville are still hitting 80-plus degrees during the build, it might seem impossible for an outdoor ice skating rink to appear in the heart of the city.
Yet, every holiday season, crews with Skating in the Park transform the greenspace behind the Huntsville Museum of Art into a winter wonderland. The rink draws more than 18,000 skaters and 40,000 spectators each season.
Creating the rink requires a carefully orchestrated effort that begins well before Halloween.
“We would not be able to do this without the support of the city,” said Andrea Petroff, director of development for the Huntsville Museum of Art. “The mayor, General Services, Parks and Rec, all the departments are instrumental in helping us make it happen each year.”
And of course, it helps to have someone who knows a thing or two about ice.
“It’s a glorified pond,” joked Tim Keller with his wife Terri. The couple have spent more than a decade helping construct and maintain the rink.
Keller grew up in New York, where ice and hockey were second nature, before moving to play hockey for the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He and his wife, Terri, have been part of the project since its earliest days.
“We’ve poured a lot of love and hard work into this rink,” Terri said. “It feels like our baby. Every season, we get to watch families make memories on something we built together.”
Weeks of work before the first glide
Building the rink takes several weeks and a lot of cooperation. The city of Huntsville’s General Services, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works departments help lay the foundation by constructing a level “sandbox” base.
The Keller family and their small crew, usually five or six workers, handle the rest: laying down plastic, running cooling coils called glycol mats, and setting up the rink walls.
The mats are the secret to real ice in Southern weather. They circulate glycol, a cooling fluid, from a large chiller near the art museum. The city even installed permanent underground tubing years ago to protect the lines from Alabama’s heat.
Once everything is in place, the team begins the careful process of making ice.
“Honestly, Tim just stands out there with a hose and starts spraying water,” said Terri, who manages daily operations. “Rain is always appreciated, but the hose usually does the trick.”
With a little luck and consistently cold nights, the rink’s surface solidifies in about a week and a half. By opening day Nov. 21, the ice reaches the perfect thickness for two months of skating under the stars.
Keeping it frozen and fun
Sunny 70-degree days are the biggest challenge. Even with the chiller running at full power, the top layer of ice can melt under the Alabama sun.
“You can still skate,” Terri said. “But you might get wet. Sometimes there’s an inch of water on top.”
By sunset, temperatures drop and the surface refreezes, good as new.
To maintain the ice, the crew uses a Zamboni, actually it’s a John Deere tractor fitted with a resurfacing blade. On cold days, they run it every few hours. On warmer ones, they improvise.
“Sometimes I’ll go buy bags of ice from Kroger to patch the corners,” Terri said, laughing.
This season, the rink grew by six feet thanks to new glycol mats replacing the damaged ones. It also takes a lot of skates to keep the fun rolling, about 300 pairs in constant rotation as families and friends take their turns gliding across the ice.
Moments that melt hearts
Over the years, Skating in the Park has hosted everything from marriage proposals to special-needs skate sessions. One of Terri’s favorite memories still makes her smile.
“A man called and said he’d been married 25 years but had never actually proposed properly,” she said. “He surprised his wife on the ice with all their kids there. It was so special.”
The rink also opens early for groups like Merrimack Hall’s special-needs dancers, giving them a private morning to skate and laugh together.
“It’s just pure joy,” Terri said, adding that the park works hard to accommodate all visitors.
Tips for first-time skaters
For Southerners more used to flip-flops than figure skates, Terri has simple advice.
“Tighten your skates, really tight. Pull the laces from the toe up,” she said. “And don’t be afraid to use the scooter. Adults use them, too.”
She also suggests coming early in the day, when crowds are light and the ice is at its best.
“Everyone wants to skate at night, but if you come in the morning or early afternoon, sometimes you have the rink all to yourself,” Terri said.
The science of Southern ice
Maintaining an outdoor ice rink in Alabama is no small feat. From monitoring temperatures and humidity to resurfacing the ice and patching sun-softened spots, every detail matters to keep the rink smooth and skateable.
“Anything fun is always worth the hard work,” said Terri. “Every year when I see families out there laughing, I know it’s all worth it.”
Skating in the Park is open Nov. 21 through Jan. 4 including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Admission is $15 for ages 10 and up, and $5 for ages nine and under. Skate rentals are $5, but visitors are able to bring their own skates to avoid the skate rental fee. Scooter rentals are available for $5.
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