Hi my name is ''Gabriel Layton'', and I am the founder of "Whitefish Disco Skate." For the first 34 years of my life I suffered from an undiagnosed seizure disorder witch really limited my capabilities, and made life very difficult. Life was a mess but thank goodness for my grandma Mary she was so strong and stubborn, If she could do it so could I. She inspired me to keep living and never give up hope. Thank goodness I kept sticking around because in 2016 I met a good friend who changed my life, she mentored me in many ways including changing my diet. I started to eat a lot healthier. All I did was make a few simple but strict changes to my diet. First I stopped eating pork entirely, and second I started followed the Paleo / Keto diet guidelines. The results have been amazing, I no longer have to take any anti-seizure meds and have been practically seizure free for 6 years! It's been absolutely wonderful to have my health back, and be able to live life to the fullest.
In 2018 I set my roots back in the soil of Whitefish, Montana determined to get myself in a good place financially so I could buy a house. I started working a lot, like a lot, and then working even more. By my 4th year in I was working 90-105hrs a week. I been working so much for so long that I had forgotten what I love to do outside of work. Lucky I had good people surrounding me, people that really care about me enough to keep questioning me about what I love. I kept thinking about what I love to do for a while but couldn't figure it out. In October 2022 I was heading to work up north of Whitefish when I noticed people ice skating on Spencer lake. (immediately my memories of ice skating downtown in Toronto at "Nathan Phillips Square" flooded into my mind, I was gliding across the smooth ice under the dark night cityscape sky. I could see the ice glowing from the reflection of the big "Toronto" sign and I could feel the rush of excitement enter my whole body!!! At that moment I remembered what I love to do, and It Was Ice Skating!
I really I love to ice skate! But there are no Free Public Ice Rinks in Whitefish, which was an issue, well at least it was until the lake froze over.
As soon as the ice was thick enough I hurried down to the beach with the snowblower and my shovels and began working on the rink. This was a ton of work with so many steps involved, snow blowing, shoveling, cutting water access holes, flooding the rink multiple times with a water pump, then finishing touches, more snow blowing, shoveling, power brushing it super clean, and finally the finishing step using my home made DYI zamboini to make the ice real smooth.
Continued Maintenence of the rink is a ton of work, and this is the third year I have cut and maintained the Community Ice Rink On Whitefish Lake, it's a labor of love that I have invested countless hours into, but it is well worth it to see everyone enjoy it.
