Brian Packard, YardRink Co-Founder
Nomadic Roots
I grew up all over the country, literally. Having lived in eight states before graduating college, I had a chance to meet lots of awesome people, experience some crazy local traditions, and play every imaginable form of sport. My first time on ice skates was in Chesterfield, Missouri in 2nd grade, when my brother brought me to the frozen pond up the street to play goalie in front of an overturned shopping cart, wearing a catcher’s mask and football pads.
What is That Thing?
But I had never experienced the passion of backyard hockey until my own young family moved to Massachusetts 25 years ago. Every winter, we discovered more yards with rinks. We spotted big houses with hand-me-down plywood creations and humble homes featuring cathedral-like setups with neon signage. It wasn’t until our kids got a little older that we really began to understand. After joining a few rink gatherings at their friends’ houses, we got it. It was all the fun of a backyard pool party, with different clothes and drinks!
An All-Consuming Idea
I’m from a long line of inventors. My desk is filled with new product ideas (and a scattering of patents). I’m that guy that is always scanning the market looking for gaps that need filling. So, it wasn’t surprising that I became obsessed with the world of outdoor rinks. The more I learned, the more respect I gained for the dedicated parents laboring over the rinks they built for their kids. I also discovered a real opportunity to create a dramatically different design that would allow more realistic hockey play. With easy setup, and even easier maintenance, this concept would eliminate many of the major issues with other rinks. I set out to make backyard ice rinks as ubiquitous as backyard swing sets.
Phone a Friend
It was clear I couldn’t do it alone, so I called a friend named Stephen Kurtin, who had graduated from MIT, and then earned a PhD at Caltech. Patents out the wazoo. But, more importantly, a guy that knows how to build and run successful companies with novel technology at their core. We did tons of research to learn why people build rinks in their yards and, more importantly, why they don’t. We discovered that many people really want a rink but lack the confidence to give it a go. So, we set our sights on designing a backyard rink for everyday folks. We came up with the idea to put the tarp on the outside, with walls that were filled and frozen. We spent half a dozen years improving YardRink’s simplicity and performance to the point that it worked amazingly well. Then, in the fall of 2022, we launched YardRink to overwhelmingly positive consumer feedback.
Go Time
Since then, it’s been a breathtaking sprint. Our growing team has been ramping our US manufacturing (including some assembly by an awesome factory in Iowa that provides jobs for Americans with disabilities), securing patents, and starting a retail pilot. We became an official licensed product of the NHL, so kids can customize their YardRinks with their favorite NHL team logos. And this year, we are launching custom-size rinks and a cool puck retention net that ships for both ends of every YardRink.
Thank You
We started this company to create a little joy in the world. And it’s turned out to be a gift that travels full circle. It has been so gratifying hearing from YardRink customers who tell us their kids hit the rink hours before school. And from others who thank us for being a big part of their children’s improved skills. To me, that’s the good stuff. It’s the love of unlimited outdoor ice time and the pure joy of carefree play. We’d like to say a giant Thank You to all of our customers for their support and trust. For those of you thinking about joining the fun, drop us a line, and we’ll be happy to get you started.
