Ice Rink Maintenance

Newport, NS

Newport, NS by Avard Woolaver, on Flickr

I’ve talked about ice rinks before, but ice rink maintenance is a topic many skaters have questions about. Kroc Center Ice is closing for annual maintenance from July 1st to July 22nd this year. You may wonder what they do that takes that much time.

While the rink does some maintenance every year, this year’s maintenance is a bigger project because they are going to melt down the ice and check the pipes underneath. Also, they are going to replace the yellow kick boards around the rink. They have to take apart the bleachers to access the kick boards on one side of the rink, which takes extra time as well.

This article explains how the ice surface is made and maintained: How Ice Rinks Work.

Have a good July break and happy 4th! 🙂
June 27, 2012

How Ice Rinks Work

Broadgate Circle

This month I’m talking about how ice rinks work. I found an article that answers common questions like how the ice stays cold, how thick the ice is, and how the Zamboni works. The article begins:

While the strength and skill of great ice skat­ers is immediately obvious, it’s easy to overlook the remarkable surface that makes it all possible. But as it ­turns out, varying the characteristics of indoor ice just a little bit can make the difference between a gold-medal performance and an embarrassing spill.

Find out “How Ice Rinks Work.”

Photo Credit: Photo by Mark Kobayashi-Hillary at Flickr Creative Commons.

October 15, 2010