The art of the zamboni master

Author: Kevin Carpenter

During the lull between periods at an ice hockey match at Middlebury's Kenyon Arena, a murmur can be heard among the crowd as the zamboni cruises by. Spectators have heard countless remarks from those yearning to take a ride on the massive mechanic monster. But the lucky men who get to man the zamboni, Butch Atkins and Stan Pratt, can attest to the craft needed to operate the machine effectively.

Atkins' role in the management of the rink started in 1981 when he took on a job in the equipment room during his rehabilitation following a knee surgery. Soon after that start, Atkins stepped up to manage the rink and improve the efficiency of the maintenance.

"At the time, the rink had problems," said Atkins. "A staff of eight to 10 people was working on the rink and the process lacked consistency and fluidness. I only wanted one other person working with me." Stan Pratt and Atkins helped him take the reins.

Atkins started driving the zamboni in 1981 and now, 28 years later, he has upgraded from his original model. The zamboni used on the ice is a Model 552. A 77-inch blade is mounted underneath the body of the zamboni, which contains a 195-gallon hot water tank and 85-gallon pre-wash tank. The machine is crucial to the upkeep of the rink and ice quality.

"The ice is probably our foremost responsibility," said Atkins. "It's our job to make sure the ice is ready to go every time."

The Model 552 runs on a high-performance electric battery. "The model can perform seven ice resurfaces on a single charge," said Atkins. And just like a gauge on an automobile's dashboard, a monitor indicates the amount of juice left in the battery charge.

To the unsuspecting eye, the zamboni is merely a fancy and expensive device. But the zamboni plays a crucial role in maintaining a playable surface for the ice hockey teams. Without the zamboni to groom the ice between periods, the fluidity of play would be greatly affected. Snow would pile up near the crease and the benches; more ruts would form and inhibit normal passes and the movement of the puck and the ice would be riddled with cracks and fissures that threaten the safety of the players.

The 77-inch blade in the front of the zamboni, controlled by a crank, shaves a thin layer of ice from the surface. The amount of ice shaven varies in particular spots. When Atkins loops around the ends of the rink, he lifts the blade, as keeping the blade lowered would shave too much ice off the surface. The shaven ice is then collected by a series of augers and propelled into a snow collection tank located on the front of the vehicle.

Next, a prewash is dispensed to rinse the ice and help fill in the deeper ruts from skate marks. The excess water is subsequently collected by squeegees, filtered and returned to the tank. The water dispensed from the back of the zamboni is heated to approximately 140