While most students enjoyed a nice snow day after a blizzard swept through Madison last December, crews at Camp Randall Stadium worked to keep the field and stands clear of snow to get ready for this weekend's Camp Randall Hockey Classic. Thanks in part to their work, Patrick Seltsman and Ice Rink Events were able to construct a playing surface in the middle of a football stadium in little more than a week.
Camp Randall is the latest in a long line of legendary venues to host hockey games as part of a new wave of outdoor hockey that has proved to be popular and profitable. At the pro level, teams have faced off at Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, while college programs have played at Michigan State's Spartan Stadium and—in Wisconsin's case—Lambeau Field.
The rise in outdoor hockey has brought up an interesting question: how do you turn a football stadium into a hockey rink? According to Patrick Seltsman of Ice Rink Events, it all starts with a good foundation.
Since the Camp Randall turf is a soft surface, builders relied on layers of boards and foam to create a steady platform that wouldn't flex under the weight of a sheet of ice and two teams of hockey players, not to mention a massive Zamboni. If the surface flexes too much, the ice could crack, so a strong and even foundation is crucial.
Within that ice and foundation is a maze of pipes that will keep the ice solid should temperatures rise above freezing, something the fans who will spend hours outdoors on a February evening might enjoy. Considering outdoor events he has put on in warmer climates than Madison, Seltsman said, the Camp Randall project should be a breeze.
""We have rinks that we've built in Mexico City, we have a rink on the beach in San Diego, so refrigeration's a real important part of that,"" he said.
