July Blog - Cooling Off in the Zam Room

The notoriously hot Colorado summers are back in full swing, so I decided to cool off in the Zamboni office with Carl and Bobby to learn more about the ins and outs of this cool job. 

Before we dive into the questions, let’s first learn what exactly a Zamboni does. You may or may not know this machine by its other name, an “ice resurfacer”, however, it gets its more common brand name from its inventor, Frank Zamboni. Frank was originally in the refrigeration business where he created a plant that made ice blocks to cool refrigerators and their contents, however, as the technology advanced, he had to find a way to advance with it. In 1939, he built the Iceland skating rink in California and found the manual process of resurfacing the ice was both labor intensive and tedious. He sought for a way to resurface the ice in a more efficient way. Long story short, he dedicated his time to this project and the Zamboni was born. 

As we will come to learn through my talks with Bobby and Carl, there is quite a bit that goes into the mechanics of the machine itself. I’ll avoid any lengthy explanation about how the machine works internally, as it all flies up and over my head, but essentially, the machine is propelled by either an internal combustion engine or an electric motor that propels the machine and helps power all of its various functions such as shaving off the top layer of ice, funneling those shavings into a large snow container, and laying down a thin layer of water to help fill in any gaps. 

Now that we are a little more familiar with this machine, we can turn over to Bobby and Carl and learn more about what it’s like to be the one behind it. Throughout my interview with Bobby, the most consistent thing he mentioned was, well, inconsistency! Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly if you’re more educated on the inner workings of the machine than I am), there is never a lack of tasks in the Zam room. While the ice cut schedule generally stays consistent, the maintenance, unique scenarios and high attention to protecting the safety of those using the ice always keep you on your toes. 

Carl and Bobby both emphasized that each day brings its own challenges and sequence of events. Not only are they managing the facility amenities, they are also constantly tuning into the ice itself. Carl described the ice as a “living, breathing thing that is heavily influenced by several factors that can change daily”. He went on to say that things such as humidity, barometric pressure, and sunshine on the building all impact the ice respectively. 

Already from having talked to both men, I realized that while never having quite the same day, they find that these unique challenges and situations are the things that make the job so rewarding. Carl and Bobby both emphasized enjoying critical thinking and the feeling of achievement when something new arises and they are able to work as a team to communicate and solve the problem even amongst the chaos of hundreds of people in the facility during busy times. 

All in all, I think more than anything, I learned how complicated the maintenance behind the facility (especially the zamboni is) and wanted to extend a thank you to our incredible maintenance team who literally keep the facility running! 

If you want to learn more on the inner workings and how to drive one yourself, keep an eye out for the next Zam Camp.