Making Ice...

[RadioGaGa 162]

http://cyclonesinsider.blogspot.com/2007/0...incy-style.html

I knew it was complicated, but to see the actual series of events laid out....wow! what a job!

[Reaper 0]

Cool article. Too bad the rink he's talking about doesn't have the printed paper lines, goal creases, faceoff circles and dots. When my father-in-law was making ice in Manitoba he said that it would have added an extra afternoon to the process if he would have had to mask and paint the lines by hand. The paper graphics could be easily aligned with markings on the board and the rest of the pieces were laid together in relation to them.

[stevoc 0]

I have also heard that when a venue for a pro team makes ice for the season, the ice stays up for the season. Other events that occur at that venue during the season happen on a floor that is put over the ice. Last year I went to a early day sharks game (1:00 PM start) at the HP pavilion and the SJ Stealth lacross team had a game that night at 7:00. Once the hockey game was over, the crew set up the turf over top of the ice. Interesting.

[JR Boucicaut 3803]

Not every venue does that. MSG tears up their ice a few times a year (tennis, dog show, circus)

[RadioGaGa 162]

Sometimes the ice has to come up...If they have figure skating (which would want no lines) or Curling which would need different lines/sponsors painted on, they have to go at least to at least the first layer and start over.

I've seen them do the transfer from ice to Lacrosse or Basketball on that stop motion film before and it's pretty cool.

[chk hrd 164]

here is a link showing the transformation

[TBLfan 25]

st pete times forum changes their ice a couple times a year. The ice is taken out for the circus when it's in the forum. They also changed out the ice in 2004 in the playoffs. In the middle of the flyers series, I remember because they needed skaters to play to "break in" the ice before game 7 of the series.

[UMWhockey 0]

Paper lines are crap.... mesh lines are the way to go

[Vapor 0]

I have also heard that when a venue for a pro team makes ice for the season, the ice stays up for the season. Other events that occur at that venue during the season happen on a floor that is put over the ice. Last year I went to a early day sharks game (1:00 PM start) at the HP pavilion and the SJ Stealth lacross team had a game that night at 7:00. Once the hockey game was over, the crew set up the turf over top of the ice. Interesting.

For most events, yes. For basketball, concerts, family shows, etc they put comosote (pretty much wood planks) over the ice and then the floor. But for events like the circus they melt the ice. Making new ice inbetween events would be impossible.

[TBLfan 25]

I remember a commentator talking about the basketball court in boston. Apparently, you can see gaps where the floor ends where you can actually see the ice underneath.

[trox_355 0]

Cool article. Always interesting to see what makes stuff work.

Paper lines are crap.... mesh lines are the way to go

What do you know about these? I was at one of the rinks around here a few weeks ago and saw the markings were not paint and this mesh material was coming up through the ice. I've always heard of painted markings.

I remember a commentator talking about the basketball court in boston. Apparently, you can see gaps where the floor ends where you can actually see the ice underneath.

Back several years ago when I was going to photo my first NC State basketball game at the RBC center, I didn't realize what was underneath the basketball court while stepping on one of the tiles. It was a bit loose and I nearly dropped my camera. I'm more careful now :D

[RadioGaGa 162]

I remember a commentator talking about the basketball court in boston. Apparently, you can see gaps where the floor ends where you can actually see the ice underneath.

Wasn't it Boston that had a really bad condensation problem one year when both the Bruins and Celts were int eh playoffs. To the point were the squeegee kids were out at every whistle cleaning off moisture?

[JR Boucicaut 3803]

1990

[UMWhockey 0]

Cool article. Always interesting to see what makes stuff work.

Paper lines are crap.... mesh lines are the way to go

What do you know about these? I was at one of the rinks around here a few weeks ago and saw the markings were not paint and this mesh material was coming up through the ice. I've always heard of painted markings.

I remember a commentator talking about the basketball court in boston. Apparently, you can see gaps where the floor ends where you can actually see the ice underneath.

Back several years ago when I was going to photo my first NC State basketball game at the RBC center, I didn't realize what was underneath the basketball court while stepping on one of the tiles. It was a bit loose and I nearly dropped my camera. I'm more careful now :D

I am a part owner of an ice rink consulting company that has done 40 ice installs over the last year and a half. I have used everything from paint to paper to mesh. Mesh takes the least amount of time and lasts the longest.... that is if the rink managers are not clueless and know how to take care of the ice

[Neal 41]

I only know for sure that one rink I skate on uses the mesh lines. It may be because of improper installation, but that rink's lines are bad, downright dangerous in places. the mesh was sticking up in a couple places and we had to cut it off before we could start our game.

[UMWhockey 0]

paint is just as dangerous when it comes up also.... nothing like going full speed and hitting a spot of paint that has come up and having your skate completely stop...... like I said, mesh is the best, assuming that the rink can maintain proper ice thickness

[CyclonesInsider 0]

I am the author of this blog. It seemed like a lot of people enjoyed reading the entry on making ice.

Here is an entry and photo-essay on paining the ice pink for Breast Cancer Awareness and the process of removing it.

Enjoy! Please leave comments or email me!

http://cyclonesinsider.blogspot.com/2007/1...n-out-pink.html

[JR Boucicaut 3803]

How's Chuck doing? Knew him from his days with the Solar Bears.

[tsanga 0]

IIRC, Bloomington Ice Garden (MN) rink #1 had its ice taken down for the first time in 37 years. There was permafrost several feet deep under the ice that had to be broken up.

[CyclonesInsider 0]

Chuck is doing well. Great guy. Probably bound for coaching in a higher league, but he's doing an outstanding job here.

I'm not surprised about that permafrost, but it is still wild. Most rinks, even up north, take the ice out for a month every year or every other year at minimum, to eliminate that problem.

Modern built arenas actually heat the floor a couple of feet below the top to prevent this. Just under the floor is the brine or glycol lines to freeze the ice but a few feet below that are lines with warm fluid - often it's the coolant fluid from the compressors, pumped out underneath to keep the permafrost at bay while cooling that fluid to be brought back through the compressors, just like radiator fluid in a car engine.

[tsanga 0]

Found the pics.

http://www.ci.bloomington.mn.us/main_top/2...rink1/rink1.htm

Check out what they had to do to thaw out the permafrost. Pretty crazy.

[CyclonesInsider 0]

Very cool. And speaking of the sub-floor heating system, they got it!

[jeffw 1]

I remember a few years ago the Washington Bullets basketball game had to be cancelled because the ice was melting under the floor & the water was coming through.

[gatorade09 0]

for the nhl