Making Great Ice
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.
So your final flood is done, but did you remember to scrape before you put it on?
The base of your curling ice is made, and the white paint is on and sealed in. Are you ready to paint the circles and run your lines?
Let’s make some ice! Hopefully by now your plant is up and running. You want to make sure your floor is cooled down to at least 24 degrees F.
Well, guess what? Another season is fast approaching – if it hasn’t reached some of us already. Are you prepared?
Now is the time to make sure your sand floor is ready for ice installation in the fall. If you noticed any dark patches coming through your paint during the season, you may have had a small brine leak.
True Sport Movement
