Many people love going skating at the beloved rink at Longshore. The fun times and the hot chocolate they sell will surely bring back memories of gliding and falling on the ice with friends and family. “I just moved here and I like going skating, so my parents found this rink. I really like it because I can go with my sister, and we can do different things,” said Abby Renger, 6th grader. But making this all possible isn’t easy. Lots of hard work goes into making smooth, gliding memories on ice.

All the work and expenses may seem like a lot, but Tony Lantier, the manager of Thin Ice Management, the company hired by the Westport PAL Ice Rink, has reasons that make it all worthwhile. “By far my favorite part of the job is being open and watching families, especially those with young kids skating at the rink,” he said.

Thin Ice Management has three men build the rink one month before it can open to the public. They do this by following precise steps and special technology. First, they clear the Longshore tennis courts, used for the rink, of net posts and lines. Then level the ground with stone dust. Next workers unroll the freezing nets and put boards up, made of an aluminum frame and a hard plastic. This is what keeps skaters and pucks on the ice. After that comes the regular tap water which fills up the rink, and freezing it. They maintain the cold of the rink by using a chilling machine. They also use a vegetable-based oil called glycol, which is their antifreeze, or what they use to lower the freezing point of the water. This is actually what the chilling machine removes the heat from. Glycol runs through the cooling mats under the ice and doesn’t freeze until -15 degrees.

Once workers have ice, they paint the ice using a water soluble paint designed specifically to be applied at a minimum temperature of 16 degrees. They can get the rink to this temperature even when it has not been 16 degrees using the chilling machine. The cold temperature of the ice is required to maintain a bright paint. Finally, they put in the glass on top of the boards.

The cost of running this temporary rink is not small change. All this work takes a dozen or so workers and about $15,000 a month. Part of the hefty charge results from the price of running electricity all throughout the skating season, but another chunk comes from the technology used to run the rink. Another major part of the rink expence is the ice maintenance. Two Zambonis are used to clear and refernish the ice. This takes about 10 minutes and is used as often as 4-5 times a day. During the rest of the year, it is stored at Gault Yard in Bridgeport.

All this hard work pays off with the town’s love of the ice rink. “It’s fun because I don’t really ice skate; usually I just go with my friends. It’s just nice to skate around,” said Lucia Wang, 6th grader.