Time is of the essence because winter is coming and so is the ice hockey season.
With the help of Hayden Smith and his donated hiab crane, five sections of seating are being hoisted to the side of the Iceline rink onto rounded poles.
It's an ancient Egyptian engineering method, and it’s effective. Wallis and his volunteer team push the bleachers on the poles around the rink and into place.
"They were heavy but I think it provided some of these guys with some much needed cardio before the season. I can see how they built the pyramids now" Wallis jokes.
The seats were originally from Invercargill’s Stadium Southland, which collapsed in 2010 in a snowstorm.
"We want to provide a good view of the hockey games, figure skating competitions and curling events.
They're something everyone can enjoy”, Wallis says.
"The stands are necessary because the ice hockey club has grown and so has the audience. There was nowhere for people to sit and get a good view of the fastest game on earth."
Adult registrations at the Alexandra club have increased by at least twenty percent since last year.
Female sign-ups have seen the biggest growth with demand so high the club has added another women’s team.
There are now three women's sides competing against each other. The unisex social league or FIHL (Flames Ice Hockey League) have also added a new team, 'The Beavers’, to the roster, making seven teams competing in the league.
There has been a significant increase in children keen to learn too.
Meanwhile new president Josh Hill has restructured the club to help spread the workload. Installation of the new stands is a great example of members stepping up to help.
"The new stands will be great for the "Battle of the Gorge" games, which pit Cromwell against Alexandra, and for parents to watch their kids play on Saturday mornings. We’re expecting great crowd support for the Saturday night FIHL games too."
The 2026 ice is being formed by 'Chief Hoser' Matt Elliot.
He has spent considerable time giving the under ice surface a fresh coat of paint and is spending this week adding and freezing layers of water into a playable surface. This Saturday the ice and the new stands will be ready for the first games of the season.
The women’s teams will be first to take to the ice this Saturday at 4:15pm and 5.00pm, with five games in total scheduled for the evening. 'The Beavers' will play 'The Diamonds' at 8:10pm.
Admission is free and spectators can expect to see some of Alexandra's best dipsy doodling, coast to coast dangles and scintillating saves. For more information - www.flamesicehockey.co.nz
- Jeff Avery
