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Construction of the rink usually occurs in November and lasts two or three days. Andrew
Grotte is the head of construction and is usually on top of things. Nich Riveland is usually there to take orders, as
is Zach Myron and Collin and Jason Grotte. Kelly Grotte usually oversees construction and is in charge of flooding the
rink, as well as the putting up and wiring of the lights. Zach Brorby and Marcus Bergstrom have also helped
build the rink in the past. Construction involves clearing an area large enough for the rink, leveling the ground, planning,
hauling all the plywood, doghouses, 2x4s, and other building materials to the rink site, measuring, putting up the boards
and making sure their straight and level enough, screwing the plywood to the doghouses, curving the corners, putting
of the doors of the rink, painting the plywood, digging holes for posts to hold the lights, wiring and securing the flood
lights, stapling the poly to the boards (easier said than done), inserting the rope lights for lines, hauling approximately 1550
gallons of water to the rink site, and flooding the rink. There's actually a lot more to construction that goes
on behind the scenes but we won't get into that. If you think it's an easy job, it's not, and there's always some
sort of setback in the process, but the Grottes are farmers, and they always find a way to make things work.
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