'Yuppy ice' giving Staveley rink users hope for use three months each year

July 16, 2021

In recent years, the classic meetup spot hasn’t been cold enough.

It is hoped "yuppy ice" will enable people to take to the ice of a Canterbury rink three months, every year.

Currently, the beloved rink in Staveley sees seven years of good frost and seven years of nothing. 

That's according to John Syme, whose brother, Ivan, has been checking the thickness of the ice for 25 years. Before Ivan did it, it was their dad.

That's because there has been skating at Staveley since 1951. 

The Staveley ice rink today.

"We've always worked on four inches, which is about 100ml, before we go skating," Ivan told Seven Sharp. 

In the coming years, people may be skating over a refrigerated base — the Staveley Hall Society is trying to raise money to make this happen.

They need about $150,000 from crowdfunding, according to Givealittle.

The Staveley ice rink back in the day.

"So it will be a 150ml slab of concrete and then glycol will be pumped through it at minus 15," the society's Rob Withers said.

It would be "cracker" if the "yuppy ice" came to fruition. Ivan said.

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