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Home Ice: Reflections on Backyard Rinks and Frozen Ponds [Paperback]

Jack Falla (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Release Date: Sep 18 2001
Nothing brings us home to the true roots of hockey as do the memories we have of the backyard rinks and the frozen ponds of our youth. In this collection of heart-warming and humorous essays, veteran sports journalist Jack Falla writes about how his own backyard rink has served as a bridge to family and friends, to the past, and to the game he loves.

Here are stories of all-night floodings and new ice, toddlers learning how to stand on a first pair of blades, romance on the rink, the joy of a brilliant winter’s day, and the sweet sadness of the last ice of the year. Falla also describes his visits with other builders of home rinks (including Walter Gretzky); laments the passing of the venerable Boston Garden, the inspiration for his own backyard ice palace; and lets us in on his secrets for building a home rink.

Home Ice is more than a hockey book. It is a book for readers as interested in the relationships and memories that bind us together, as they are in last night’s scores.

Product Details

Product Description

From Amazon

Anyone who's ever played hockey in the open air will treasure Jack Falla's warm, witty memoir, Home Ice. The New England sports journalist describes how building his backyard rink became a yearly ritual, drawing him closer to family and friends as he "descended the ladder of sports evolution" toward the heart of the game he loves. Falla quotes with approval his 8-year-old daughter, who turns down his offer of figure skating lessons-- "I want to have my own fun, not somebody else's fun." Wonderful moments are captured: an afternoon after a desultory indoor practice when the teenage team he coaches finds a stretch of frozen river on the way home and rediscovers the joy of playing; Falla and his wife together on the rink at midnight, welcoming in the new millennium. We see the rink becoming his best way to connect with the world, a place where friends play shinny, unwind, and reveal their characters by the degree of their willingness to shovel the ice. Near the end he even offers useful instructions on the best way to set up a backyard rink of one's own. Home Ice is an unassuming classic, indispensable for anyone who wants to really understand the world's greatest game. --David Gowdey

From Library Journal

There is no shortage of books that describe how participating in a particular sporting activity strengthens bonds between people. Falla's book accomplishes this feat through a collection of essays on backyard skating rinks and frozen ponds and how these local skating venues allow their participants to get in touch with the game of hockey in addition to building relationships with family and friends. The author, a sportswriter and author of Sports Illustrated Hockey, is the architect and CEO of his full-scale backyard rink, the Bacon Street Omni, around which neighborhood life seems to revolve during the long, cold months. Each essay is short and provides for excellent recreational reading for people interested in skating in general and hockey in particular. Throughout, the author's love for winter sports is clear, especially as a link between his New England childhood and his current life, but readers who have never put on a pair of skates may have trouble connecting with this well written book. Recommended for public libraries already stocked with a strong collection of winter-oriented sports books.DPatrick Mahoney, Off-Campus Lib. Svcs., Central Michigan Univ.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming Ice Story Mar 7 2013
By david m campbell
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Jack Falla told a tale that so many of us would have if we only had his talent.I wish he was still here to tell us more stories.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Heart Warming thought Jan 3 2003
By Brent Burton
Format:Hardcover
I have to say in my 28 years of being alive I can count on one hand the amount of books I have read on my own. But I recieved this book from my wife for christmas this year. I guess she had hopes on me reading more. Well she was right. I picked up the book thrusday morning about 11:00 am and finished it that afternoon. I really enjoyed reading this book. It actually took me back to when I was really young and skated on a small lake my grandparents lived on in Kinston Ontario. I feel almost compelled to build my own rink in my back yard this winter. I won't but it would be great to do it.
Thanks
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5.0 out of 5 stars Pure delight Feb 5 2002
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I have been enchanted by this book. A newcomer to hockey, as both fan and player, I have been soaking up information and lore eagerly. This book satisfies both the urge to learn about hockey, and my wish to experience more of the true joy of the game. Taken out of the huge arenas with the expensive nachos and plentiful beer, there is a game that generations have loved to play and perfect. There are kids playing here, and adults, men and women. There are friends who help shovel the backyard rink, and those who show up later. And there are stories of other backyard rinks, of ponds, and of pros. If you like hockey, I don't see how you could go wrong with this book.
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