With consistently cold temperatures and a long holiday break for local students, the skating rink at Homesteader Park in Powell has been a popular destination so far this winter.

“It’s been really busy at the rink with the kids on break,” said Del Barton, parks superintendent for the City of Powell. “We’ve seen kids from kindergarten up through the college coming out to skate.”

A number of recent upgrades to the rink have made the skating experience a more enjoyable one, creating a smoother surface while making it easier for the parks department to maintain.

“The fall before last, a slurry seal (a cold-mix paving system that can remedy a broad range of problems on streets, airfields, parking lots and driveways) was done on the existing surface, which is the basketball court,” Barton explained. “There were some large cracks and broken pieces of asphalt, so the slurry seal was re-done, and was the first part of the project.”

The City of Powell then purchased, through SealMaster, a three-phase process to protect the surface, according to Barton. The first phase was an acrylic sealer put down on top of the slurry seal. The second phase was the application of a color-tinted acrylic sealer on top of the original sealant, followed by the third phase, a wax sealant on top of the color-coating, which keeps the surface weather resistant.

“What the whole process did was basically seal any existing cracks that we had or any place water was leaking out,” Barton said. “And because the surface is a lighter color, it doesn’t absorb heat like a darker color would. We have a very light, sandstone color tint, making it easier to keep ice on the rink.”

The rink now has 4-5 inches of ice on it with very little leakage and evaporation, thanks to the frigid temperatures. During the week, the surface is groomed daily to remove any accumulated snow and ice shavings. It’s then covered with a thin layer of water, much like a Zamboni would do, to smooth out any rough spots.

“It’s worked out real well,” Barton said of the three-tier sealing process. “The surface has been real smooth with very few cracks. Because of the colder temperatures, there are no air bubbles forming. It’s been a really good, smooth surface. We’ve seen a lot of use out there, every single day it seems.”

Once the weather changes and the snow melts, Barton and his crew will squeegee off the excess water, allowing the rink to revert back to a basketball court. Basketball players will also enjoy the benefits of the new sealant, as there will be fewer cracks and ridges on the court. Barton said the combination of the slurry seal, the two acrylic coatings and the sport wax coating has put the court/rink in good shape for the next five to 10 years.

“Talking to the manufacturer, it depends on how much wear and tear it takes,” he said. “If it gets a lot of use and it wears out quicker, from basketball or other activities, we’ll have to put another coating on it. But typically, we haven’t seen a whole lot of significant public use on the basketball surface, so we’re thinking it should last a while.”

Whether it’s the upgrades or the colder temps, Barton said this season has been the busiest one for skaters in recent memory.

“The last three winters that I’ve been here, this is the first one I’ve seen where that many people have been coming out to use it,” Barton said. “Not just kids, but people of all ages. That tells me people are happy and satisfied with the skating surface, as well as the facilites themselves.”

Those facilities, courtesy of the Powell Recreation District, include the warming house, where skaters can rest and warm up with a cup of hot cocoa and other concessions. For those without skates of their own, rentals are also available in children and adult sizes for $2.50 a pair. Skating is free for those with their own skates.

“I think the ideal skating conditions, along with the skate rentals and decent weather to keep ice, is bringing out a significant number of people to the rink,” Barton said.

The skate shop hours are daily from 1-5 p.m. For those wanting to skate early in the day or into the evening hours, Barton said the rink is open regular park hours from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. There are lights for the rink that run on a one-hour timer, which skaters can activate as needed.

All in all, it’s a great time of year to be on the ice.

“Skaters are welcome to enjoy the rink as long as we can maintain it,” Barton said. “We just ask for folks to use it safely and wisely. We have plenty of parking and our facilities there, so we hope people will keep stopping by.”