Crested Butte South hockey rink getting new boards for winter season

$4,000 raised in September

More than 20 donors contributed to the Crested Butte South hockey cause at the 11th hour, giving the subdivision enough money to purchase NHL regulation hockey backboards, with “glass,” for the coming hockey season.

Some might say it’s a bit of a step up from the gouged, scraped, and Super Spec painted plywood sheets the rink at Red Mountain Park has featured for the past eight years.
“They’re going to disappear by the end of the week,” says Crested Butte South Property Owners Association manager Chris Behan of the old boards. He says the subdivision is within $900 of its fundraising goal for the new boards, and the POA board of directors has decided to go ahead and make a commitment to purchase the new puck stoppers. Of course, the POA is still accepting donations in hopes of fully covering the expense.
The new boards will actually be used fiberglass boards from another rink, but they will be stronger and of regulation size, unlike the current backboards, which are several inches too short.
Behan says 27 donors came forward during September, contributing more than $4,000 in a final push to get the new boards installed. Over the last three years, 57 different individuals and businesses have contributed to the cause.
U12-14 hockey coach GJ Santelli says, “The [current] boards are getting older and rotting away. It’s become a bit of a safety issue, but also a playing condition issue. I think what they’re doing is going to be a huge improvement.”
Behan says the POA board is also interested in purchasing hockey backstops with Plexiglas windows. He says to get used boards with “glass” will cost $1,500 extra. To get the Plexiglas installed later would cost over $15,000.
The new hockey boards will show up on October 20, and will be in place for the coming hockey season.
But first comes a daunting task—drilling 450 holes into the cement curb to anchor the new boards in place.