Four or five times a day during the hockey season, a machine glides across the ice at Bird Arena to resurface and smooth out the slippery playing surface. But to call that machine a Zamboni would be a false assumption.
Most ice-resurfacing machines are commonly referred to as Zambonis, but that name is simply a brand that produces the machine. Ohio University chooses to use an Olympia, which is made by a company of the same name.
The Bobcats use an Olympia because it’s much easier to find parts for repairs. Fixing a Zamboni might require more expensive parts that would have to be specially ordered.
“We go with the Olympia because it’s built on a GMC platform, and the engine is a Chevy 305,” Ohio hockey coach Dan Morris said. “If something goes wrong on the Olympia, we can go to AutoZone, whereas with a Zamboni, it’s an electric engine and has specific parts.”
To maintain the ice, the Olympia drives across it somewhere between 25 and 30 times per week. A blade on the bottom of the vehicle shaves the ice, which creates snow and is then lifted into a tank by an elevator device.
At the same time, hot water coming from a separate tank is distributed onto a large towel on the bottom of the machine, which helps to smooth out the surface of the ice.
Greg Leff, a junior studying mechanical engineering, is in charge of all maintenance that the ice requires. One of his main jobs is making sure that the Olympia is in top condition.
“I do inspections every week to make sure nothing is broken and make sure tension in chains are correct,” Leff said. “There’s also simple stuff like checking the oil and changing the blade out every week.”
Other maintenance includes driving the Olympia across campus to the University Garage when it needs a tire change — a job Morris said is one of the perks of working with the machine.
Leff drives the Olympia three to three-and-a-half hours per week during the months the ice is in use. A normal resurfacing takes 10 minutes, but Leff’s job requires him to take more time with the ice.
The staff in charge of driving the Olympia consists of about a dozen people, Morris said. To earn the right to drive the ice-resurfacing machine, trainees must go through a lengthy training process and be 18 years old with a driver’s license.
The process begins by riding along with an instructor on what is called a jump seat, which is located next to the driver’s seat. From there, the trainee is allowed to drive with the instructor two times.
“Occasionally, we’ll do some things to the people being trained to put them in a situation that isn’t a normal situation, but something that may occur,” Leff said.
“We’ll turn parts off and see if they notice. It’s stuff like that.”
Finally, the trainee gets to take two rides on his or her own. Drivers who successfully complete the process are officially part of the team that drives the Olympia.
ch203310@ohiou.edu
