BACKYARD RINK BONANZA
Dorval man's business has taken off
On a typical day, you can find Phil Pinsky sitting in front of his computer and then tinkering in his workshop on some home-improvement project.
These days, however, the Dollard-des- Ormeaux resident is juggling his day job of implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for businesses with building custom backyard skating rinks for local families.
Pinsky got into the rink-building business almost by accident when a friend and fellow dad remarked that with hockey season cancelled for most children, the only way for many to get out and play hockey this year will be if they build their own rinks.
“I built one with my friend, and it was his wife who suggested that I should do this as a business,” said Pinsky, 40.
He didn't bother to set up a website or advertise. Pinsky merely posted a picture of his outdoor rink on his own Facebook page and Instagram feed. The response has been overwhelming. He has built roughly 30 rinks in the last two weeks and figures he has another 30 to go in the next two weeks.
“I've been doing as many as I can and I will continue until the weather doesn't allow me to do it,” Pinsky said. “I'm sitting on my butt all day in front of a computer, so to be out there swinging a hammer and driving in screws is a ton of fun for me.”
Pinsky built his first ice rink last year for his children, Jake, 7, Emmy 5, and AJ, 3. He said it was so much fun skating in his backyard that he wanted as many children as possible to be able to have the same experience, especially during the pandemic.
“Franky, I love kids,” he said. “A lot of time, the kids are out there with me and they love that it's being built for them, and they ask me a million questions.”
Those who order Pinsky's rinks get 16-inch-high wooden boards built for them to a customized size for their yard. The rinks come with a tarp to hold the water in and ensure it doesn't all get absorbed in the ground.
Pinsky charges $1,500 for all but the largest rinks. He says that price surprisingly only allows him to make a small profit, after paying the cost of the wood, the brackets to hold them and the tarp, not to mention the cost of renting a truck and his own labour. Most of the material lasts several years, so the rink can be rebuilt the following year at a much lower cost.
Pinsky said juggling his full-time job with building rinks has been a challenge, but one he feels has been worth it.
“I've never slept better,” he said. “I used to think after a long day of implementing computer systems that I was tired when I came home, but on a day when I built three rinks, it was 8:30 at night and I was like, `goodbye.' I fell asleep in my clothes.”
Pinsky credits his wife, Lauren Katz, with keeping him organized and setting his schedule, and picking up the slack around the house during his long days outside building rinks.
He's already making plans for next year. Depending how this season goes, he may offer the service again, and he's considering including an ice-maintenance service and skating lessons. This year, however, it's the parents who have to get the ice ready themselves. Pinsky tells owners to start with a base layer of water and allow it to freeze for two days, and then to continue flooding it regularly until the surface is smooth.
Hampstead resident Karina Roskies, who got her custom rink built by Pinsky on Thursday, said she's up to the challenge.
“I'm a hockey player, and as a kid I used to do this with my friends every year,” Roskies said. “I always dreamed to be able to do this for my kids. I have two little girls (Tori, 2, and Jordyn, 4) and this will be the perfect way to get them started.”
Roskies said she has already been skating with her girls and found the outdoor rink in Westmount to be crowded, “so this is another reason why I love having our own rink.”
Pinsky isn't the only Montrealer who has seen a boon in rink sales. Town of Mount Royal-based Ice N' Go sells do-it-yourself home icerink kits. One is a basic system that holds in the water and can be assembled with no tools. The other requires owners to buy wooden boards. Prices start at roughly $400 and go up to $1,600.
“It's been a wild run so far,” said Blair Robertson, who co-owns the company with Michael Schwar. “Last year, we sold 750 kits. This year, we blew that in October. We have sold 1,500 kits and liners to date.”