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Wicker Park Ice Rink Gets Its Own Golf Cart Zamboni

By Alisa Hauser | December 30, 2015 2:45pm | Updated on January 5, 2016 10:58am
 The new WickerICE rink has finally gotten a layer of thin ice, but due to warm temperatures expected soon, the rink will likely not open until mid-January, volunteer organizers say.
The new WickerICE rink has finally gotten a layer of thin ice, but due to warm temperatures expected soon, the rink will likely not open until mid-January, volunteer organizers say.
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DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser (Rink); WickerICE (Golf Cart)

WICKER PARK — Wicker Park's ice skating rink is off to a slow start due to a balmy December, but when it does freeze, it will have its very own mini Zamboni. 

Erected and filled with water on Dec. 5, the 60-foot-by-120-foot rink won't be frozen and safe for skaters until Chicago gets seven consecutive days of temperatures below 30 degrees, which may not be until Jan. 14. But supporters of the volunteer-run rink are prepared. 

To keep the ice clean and smooth, a golf cart adorned with Blackhawks logos was bought from a seller in the suburbs for around $1,700 and will be converted into a Zamboni, said Doug Wood, coordinator of the Wicker ICE Committee, which is maintaining the rink inside the park, 1425 N. Damen Ave.

Heisler Hospitality, which owns several local bars including the new Queen Mary, Revel Room, Sportsman's Club, Pub Royale and Bar De Ville, is footing the bill for the Zamboni, which was designed by Kris Von Dopek.

Matt Eisler, co-owner of Heisler Hospitality and a longtime Wicker Park resident, said that he sponsored the Zamboni as a way to give back to the community.

Eisler previously played pro hockey and said he has a 2-year-old son who just got his first pair of skates for Christmas.

The back of the golf cart will be outfitted with an approximately 25-gallon bell that will attach to a hose that connects to perforated PVC pipe, so that when the cart drives over the ice, the water will come out, Wood said.

The homemade water resurfacer will also have a towel connected to the pipe, so the towel will smooth over the water, Brian Culliton, the rink's architect, explained to Our Urban Times.

Culliton shows how the back of the ice resurfacer will work [Our Urban Times/Elaine Coorens]

According to the WickerICE Facebook page, once open, rink hours for all ages will be from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, with an adults-only free skate from 7-8 p.m. daily.

Hockey games will be played from 7-9 a.m. and 8-9 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Players will be required to resurface the rink after the games.

For those wishing to play puck-and-stick hockey, registration is required by email and a waiver must be signed before playing.

The park field house will be open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on days the rink is open for restrooms and warming.

There will be no skate rentals available, so skaters must bring their own skates. Four 7-foot-long benches with rubber matting will serve as rest areas and changing stations.

Volunteers interested in riding the Zamboni to clear the ice can sign up online.

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