Meet Chas Birkett, Founder of RinkMaster
How RinkMaster Started
Back in 2001, Chas Birkett set out to build a simple backyard rink for his three young kids, then just 5, 3, and 2 years old. What started as a DIY winter project has grown into RinkMaster, a proudly Canadian, family‑run business helping families build backyard rinks across Canada and the northern U.S.
As the kids grew, so did the rink. The simple kits were no longer enough, so Chas started building a sturdier frame using no‑break polyethylene tubing, with a single sheet of rink liner clipped to the frame. This evolved into the foundation of what is now the RinkMaster Skating Rink Kit - a system designed to create one big, reliable “puddle” that freezes into a smooth, skateable sheet of ice.
Neighbours began asking for help and advice, and soon Chas was sourcing materials, testing designs, and shipping backyard rink gear to other families. That grassroots demand is what turned a backyard project into RinkMaster: The Backyard Rink Store
RinkMaster Today - Still a Family-Run Business
Today, RinkMaster supplies everything needed for a great outdoor rink at home: from liners and boards to full hockey and skating rink kits, backed by decades of hands‑on backyard rink experience. That lived experience shapes how RinkMaster designs and selects its products.
Chas oversees product development, operations, and customer support while still staying closely involved in day‑to‑day rink building and testing. RinkMaster remains a family‑run small business, with his son joining the company after university to help manage eCommerce platforms, marketing and communications. If you call for some advice, you're likely to get a Birkett on the phone.
Whether it is answering rink‑building questions or refining a new kit, Chas brings more than two decades of backyard rink experience and a deep love for Canadian outdoor hockey culture to every season.
Off the backyard rink, Chas has also been involved in minor hockey as an OMHA‑certified coach, giving him firsthand insight into how players and coaches actually use rinks for practices and play.
Built on Real Backyard Rinks
Every product RinkMaster sells has been tested on real backyard rinks, not just in a warehouse.
RinkMaster by the Numbers
- Backyard rink experience: Building and maintaining rinks since 2001.
- Began selling under the RinkMaster brand in 2011.
- Team Members: 9 full time staff (increasing to 30 during peak season)
- Families helped: Over 70,000 backyard rink liners and rink kits supplied across Canada and around the world.
- Have sold products to Switzerland, Sweden and even Columbia
- Home base: Guelph, Ontario.
- Shipping: Fast delivery across Canada and northern U.S., supported by integrated UPS Small Business solutions.
Trusted Partners & Media Features
The Birketts talked about their ongoing journey west, Emily’s use of the family backyard rink for figure skating, some rink construction reminders for this time of year, and the start of the new NHL season.
UPS has been a great shipping partner for many years. A UPS Small Business video profile showcases how RinkMaster ships backyard rink products quickly across Canada and northern U.S. states, with integrated tools that keep orders accurate and on time.
RinkMaster partners with TojaGrid to offer Canadian‑made bracket systems that form the backbone of its hockey rink kits, combining durable steel brackets with locally sourced lumber for strong, reusable rink frames.
Supporting the Hockey Community
RinkMaster has supported initiatives such as Hockey Fights Cancer pond hockey events, including donating a custom pink pond hockey net to a western Canadian charity tournament. The team also contributes products to local outdoor rink projects and minor hockey fundraisers when possible.
RinkMaster remains committed to helping grow the game and backyard rink tradition wherever it realistically can.