Making Great Ice
Scraping is always a topic of interest to ice technicians. Let’s look at issues that arise with scraping: preparing new ice, and daily scraping patterns.
As Chief Ice Technician for the Canadian Curling Association, I am often asked for advice from ice makers in curling centres across the country. One of the most-asked questions is about temperatures for the building, the ice and the pebble.
It’s that time of the year when we start to see lots of curling on TV. For curling fans, it’s exciting to watch. But for club ice makers, it’s a nightmare.
It’s already November, which means we are now getting into bonspiel season at curling centres across the country.
Here’s hoping all the ice installs have gone well and that everyone is up and running. Ice techs, here are a few reminders you can share with your curlers.
Summer is heading out the door and another curling season is upon us. Some of you have already done your install, while others are just getting ready. Have you completed your summer checklist? Is your equipment all ready to go?
Another season of ice making has ended for most of us. Now it’s time to make sure we are ready for summer and look ahead to next curling season.
Here we are at Day 21 in the stretch of ice making at two championship events: the Tim Hortons Brier and the Ford World Women’s Curling Championships. For the icemakers, this is what our typical day looks like.
As we go through our daily maintenance schedule, sometimes we create new problems for ourselves. For instance, there are three types of runs that we can create in our ice.
Just another day at a championship.
As the second half of the season progresses, I’m getting lots of questions about ice making problems.
Soon it will be that time of year when every curler in Canada wants 15-second ice and five feet of curl – a club ice tech’s nightmare. Let’s put everything in perspective.
Tis the season! Did you put in your Christmas wish list yet? New pebble heads, a true blade, maybe a new scraper?
It’s early in the season, but let’s talk about some common scraping problems that arise throughout the year.
Here we are in November already, and the season is rolling along. What I tell you next will vary from club to club. You will have to experiment and see what works best for your club.
True Sport Movement
