A couple of guys in Watertown have found a fun way to beat the winter blues. They got together to turn a portion of Lake Kampeska located west-northwest of Watertown into an outdoor ice skating rink.

KDLT News is reporting, Liam Culhane and his friend Mike Lawrence had the idea recently of taking a portion of Lake Kampeska and changing it into an outdoor rink for kids to skate and play hockey on.

To pull off this dream, the two men needed to secure a Zamboni machine to help smooth out the ice on the lake, thanks to the frequent freezes and thaws throughout the winter months that make the ice to rough to safely skate. Liam told KDLT News that he sent Mike an ad listed on Craigslist for a 1967 Zamboni HD that somebody was trying to sell. The two decided to check it out, so, they went to Iowa and ended up buying it for $2, 600.

According to the KDLT report, since then, Culhane and Lawrence have received tremendous support from Watertown residents in helping the two men get the Zamboni operational.

Culhane told KDLT, “We’ve had a lot of help from people, they've helped us replace the brakes on it.  Neighbors have allowed us to drive through their yards and park cars out in front of them and people have been really, really great.”

The two have even received parts and consultation from Don Zamboni to get the ice resurfacer working to smooth the ice on the lake according to Culhane.

Safety is the primary concern for Culhane and Lawrence. Culhane told KDLT News, he has taken the necessary precautions to ensure the ice is strong enough to withstand the weight of the Zamboni and the people skating. Culhane said as of right now, lake Kampeska has between 22 to 24 inches of ice on it, with that much ice, you could probably drive a tank on the lake and it would be alright.

If the 2018 winter olympics have you jonesing to play a little hockey or do some skating, you should grab your gear and hit the ice on Kampeska before Mother Nature turns up the heat.

Source: KDLT TV


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