An ice resurfacer lays down a layer of clean water, which will freeze to form a smooth ice surface.

An ice resurfacer in action

An ice resurfacer is a truck-like vehicle or smaller device used to clean and smooth the surface of an ice rink. The first ice resurfacer was developed by Frank Zamboni in 1949 in the city of Paramount, California. Frank J. Zamboni & Co, Inc. and other companies manufacture ice resurfacing machines. Zamboni is a federally (U.S.) and internationally registered trademark, though the term is often used as a generic colloquialism for ice resurfacing vehicles.

[edit] Technology

The heart of an ice resurfacer is the conditioner, a large device dragged behind the vehicle. A large, very sharp blade, similar to those used in industrial paper cutters, shaves the surface off the ice, and an auger in front of the blade sweeps the accumulating shavings to the center of the conditioner, where a second auger (or, in early models, a paddle-and-chain conveyor) picks them up. Directly in front of the blade, wash water is often sprayed on the ice by nozzles at either end of the conditioner. This wash water is confined inside the conditioner by the runners on either end and a rubber squeegee at the rear of the conditioner. The wash water is picked up by a vacuum nozzle, filtered through a screen, and recirculated. This washing process removes any foreign material that might otherwise become embedded in the ice surface. At the rear of the conditioner, a sprinkler pipe wets a cloth towel that lays down clean water to fill the residual grooves, and forms a new ice surface. Hot water (140°F to 160°F, 60°C) is frequently used where available because it melts and smooths the rough top layer of ice to create a flat, smooth surface. This water in many rinks is filtered and treated before being heated to remove any residual minerals and chemicals in the water. These chemicals and minerals could otherwise make the ice brittle or soft, give it pungent odors, or make it cloudy.

The rest of the machine exists to support the conditioner. An engine or electric motor provides propulsion (four-wheel drive with carbide-tipped tire studs) and hydraulic power. The main tank holds clean water for making new ice. The wash tank holds a supply of water for the optional wash function. The dump tank holds the shaved ice picked up by the augers. The conditioner and dump tank are raised and lowered by hydraulic lifts, while the augers are powered by hydraulic motors.

Most ice resurfacers run on natural gas, propane or electric power, or less commonly on gasoline.

Many ice resurfacers are fitted with a board brush, a rotary brush powered by a hydraulic motor. The board brush is extended and retracted on the left side of the machine by a hydraulic arm. The brush sweeps into the conditioner the bits of loose ice that accumulate along the kick plates below the dasher boards of the rink. The use of a board brush can dramatically reduce the need for edging of the rink.

Smaller scale devices and vehicles classified as ice resurfacers have also been designed to provide a smooth ice surface in a manner similar to a traditional resurfacer, but are smaller and a much less expensive. These smaller vehicles can be classified as devices that are self-propelled or devices that are pushed by the operator. Self-propelled vehicles typically incorporate the elements of a Zamboni machine, including an ice-cutting blade and water tank, but on a smaller scale, and are usually mounted to an ATV or golf cart vehicle. Examples are the Ice Wizard by Ragged Point Industries, or the Jimbini Ice Rink Resurfacer. The other group of ice resurfacers are pushed along the ice to create an even layer of smooth ice, but at a cost suitable for home use. One example is the Texahoma Ice resurfacer.

[edit] Pollution

A gasoline ice resurfacer that is not well maintained, can release harmful levels of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide into the air.^[1] Another concern are ultrafine particles which can embed deeply into the lungs aggravating asthma and cardiovascular problems.^[2] However, these are issues common with all internal combustion engines that run with gasoline - like car engines.

[edit] Ice edgers

The ice around the edges of a rink has a tendency to build up because the conditioner blade does not extend all the way to the outer edges of the conditioner and it is unwise to "ride" (drive with the conditioner touching) the dasherboards. An ice edger, a small device similar to a rotary lawn mower, is used to cut down the edges of the ice surface that the ice resurfacer cannot cut. An ice edger can not shave ice that has an overall bowl or mushroom shape.

Certified drivers using latest model ice resurfacing equipment (Zamboni) can effectively cut ice edges within millimeters of the dasherboard.

[edit] Zamboni trademark

Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. has taken a strong stance against the Zamboni name being used as a genericized trademark for ice resurfacers. On August 15, 2000, Frank J. Zamboni & Co, Inc. was awarded a registered trademark on the design and configuration of the Zamboni Ice Resurfacer by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.^{[citation needed]}

There is a band by the name of The Zambonis, which they use under the terms of a licensing agreement from the Zamboni corporation.^[3]

[edit] Competition

Five National Hockey League arenas out of thirty use Zamboni's primary competitor, the Olympia by Resurfice Corp.

[edit] In popular culture

This "In popular culture" section may contain too many minor or trivial references. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture rather than simply listing appearances, and remove trivia references. (June 2009)

• A Zamboni resurfacer made repeated (and always nonsensical) appearances in the Peanuts comic strip, first appearing in a strip during the 1980 Winter Olympics.^[4] Snoopy usually drove the Zamboni, although Woodstock had a small Zamboni for his bird bath. As a result many people who have never seen resurfacers associate them with the Zamboni name. One time Linus thought that the Great Pumpkin was rising out of the pumpkin patch, only to realize, much to Sally's outrage, that it was merely a Zamboni.
• In a Drabble comic strip, Norman's new "exotic foreign sports car" turned out to be a Zamboni.
• On the TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Gil Grissom commented in the episode "Primum Non Necere", "There are three things in life people like to stare at: a rippling stream, a fire in a fire place, and a Zamboni going around and around." Sara Sidle noted immediately afterward that this was a quote from Peanuts.
• Former baseball third baseman Ken Reitz was nicknamed "The Zamboni" for his skill at scooping up ground balls on the artificial turf of Busch Memorial Stadium.
• In the Canadian cartoon series Chilly Beach, Dale is a professional Zamboni driver.
• An episode of the comedy/history series History Bites made a throwaway reference to the Zamboni family, employed to tidy the Colosseum between gladiator matches, circa AD 100.
• WWE wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin once drove a Zamboni to the ring to confront WWE chairman Vince McMahon at Joe Louis Arena.
• On the television series Cheers, Carla's second husband Eddie was killed when he was run over by a Zamboni. Cheers writer Ken Levine has said that the show's writers were initially concerned that they would not legally be able to use the name "Zamboni", but that when Frank J. Zamboni & Co. was contacted about it, the Zamboni family loved the idea and readily granted permission for the name to be used.^[5]
• A hit song by the Gear Daddies is called "Zamboni".
• In the Canadian movie Bon Cop, Bad Cop, one of the bodies is found attached to a Zamboni.
• In their song "King of Spain", Moxy Früvous sings that the Toronto Maple Leafs call the narrator to drive their Zamboni.
• In the musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Freddy sings that he wants his "own personal Zamboni" in the song "Great Big Stuff".
• A Zamboni is mentioned in the "Weird Al" Yankovic song "Canadian Idiot".
• In the ER episode "A Miracle Happens Here", a drunken Zamboni driver levels a group of ice skaters, sending them to the ER.
• In an episode of Spongebob Squarepants where Plankton freezes the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs has ice resurfacer referred to as a Clamboni Machine.
• In the film D2: The Mighty Ducks, three of the "Ducks" crash a resurfacer through the boards.
• In the pilot episode of Reaper, a Zamboni driver gets underneath the Zamboni after it stalls and is killed when it starts up and runs over him.
• In an episode of Dead Like Me, a Zamboni accident leads to the death of a hockey coach.
• A quote from comedy film Blades of Glory, about two male ice skaters trying to compete as pairs team, refers Zamboni: "These guys put the bone in Zamboni!".
• Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has expressed, in an interview with People magazine, that she "always wanted a son named Zamboni."^[6]
• The Providence Bruins (American Hockey League affiliate of the Boston Bruins) have a mascot named Sam Boni.
• On the show 6teen, Jude Lizowski says that in Canada, a zamboni driver is a respected member of the community, when questioned why by Wyatt Williams, Jude replied "I don't know, I guess here in Canada people just like Zambonis for some reason".
• The Plants vs. Zombies video game features a zombie-driven ice resurfacer called a 'Zomboni' as an opponent.
• A pro-war propaganda clip in the comedy film Canadian Bacon references Canada's "threatening lead in Zamboni technology."
• In the movie Analyze That the character mistakes a Stromboni for a Zamboni while in conversation with gang members.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ice resurfacers

• Zamboni Facts and Photos
• Not just a tool of the trade, the Zamboni is a hockey icon
• Zamboni a hot item despite icy economy
• As Economy Stumbles, the Zamboni Glides On, New York Times, 23 May 2009