Slide show: On Thin Ice
It’s a familiar sight in Madison: fans streaming into Camp Randall Stadium on a game day Saturday. But this was no ordinary Saturday. On Feb. 6, the UW’s legendary stadium was home not to football, but rather the Culver’s Camp Randall Hockey Classic, a pair of outdoor games featuring the Badger men’s and women’s teams.
The Hockey Classic matchups represented the first Division I outdoor hockey games since Wisconsin faced Ohio State at Lambeau Field in 2006.
The women played first, taking on the Bemidji State Beavers and dominating 6-1. The men followed, going against the Michigan Wolverines and winning 3-2.
Pulling off this unusual event wasn’t easy. Because the football field is crowned, more than ten truckloads of materials were needed to create a flat surface for a hockey rink. Crews layered plywood, foam, and more plywood, then topped off the surface with layers of ice, sand, painted lines, and a final sheet of ice.
Given how much work went into creating the rink, the UW made sure that others could try it out before the teams hit the ice. A public skate was held on Feb. 5, and available tickets sold out in only 15 minutes.
Months of planning and construction paid off when thousands of fans endured chilly temperatures for a chance to watch their beloved Badgers.
Sounds like football season, doesn’t it?