- 1). Locate an area of ice where you want to make great pond ice. The area should have solid, blue ice that is at least six inches thick to hold up to one hundred young adults. The area of ice should not be located over an inlet or outlet of the pond. Running water can keep ice thin near the surface and should be avoided.
- 2). Shovel the entire skating area. An area fifty feet wide by one hundred feet long works well on smaller ponds and can be increased as the pond size and area needed increases. Push the snow from side to side in the middle of the ice and then from the middle out to the ends. Use the extra snow to create a seating area on each side and a backstop for flying hockey pucks at each end.
- 3). Break through the ice to create an opening large enough to retrieve water with a bucket. Select a spot on the shore of the pond where the water's edge is deep enough to submerge a bucket. Use a pick axe or hatchet to chop into the ice to create the water hole. Build up a ring of snow and ice around the water hole to show you exactly where you retrieved water from for future icing.
- 4). Dip the bucket into the opening and retrieve a bucket full of pond water. Remove any plant materials that can be pulled from the water by hand. Take the bucket over to the skating area farthest away from the hole and spread the bucket of water out over the top of the exposed pond ice. Repeat the process until you have evenly coated the entire area with a layer of fresh pond water.
- 5). Let the pond ice freeze overnight. Return to the pond the next day and repeat the process. Once you have evenly coated the new ice again, leave it to freeze overnight. Repeating the process for five nights will give you a pristine skating area to enjoy the next game of neighborhood hockey or a pleasant skate down at the local pond.
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