Taking out the Ice - Columbia Ice Rink

Matt Basch, Andrew Cleveland, Alex Peck, and Paul Wetzstein take out the Ice at the Columbia Ice Rink. This 40 hour process was sped-up and shown in this 3 1/2 minute video. You can see how messy the process is!

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Columbia
• Ice
• Rink
• Association
• Takeout
• Removal
• Zamboni
• Basch
• Wetzstein
• Peck
• Cleveland

[DTrem08]

It would have been ALOT easier to do what we did at the rink i work at...turn of the compressors first and cut the high spots first (generally the corners) and also use the edger (if you had one). Theres no point in leaving the compressor on. Sucking up water and slush is easier on the charge of the battery (if you have electric) than cutting it all. Not to mention changing the blades...

[mjbasch]

good feedback. the reason we keep them on is because we have a drain about 4 inches in diameter to drain everything. our hot water only works when a compressor is on, so, the snow piles high and is hard to melt. i wish we had a huge pit to dump everything in!

[DTrem08]

True true, our pit is also heated by the heat from the compressors....and our pits 5x10, about 15 feet deep, filled with about 10 feet of water. I thought that thing sucked....

You guys can't dump outside?

[mjbasch]

We use to dump outside, and even though the white paint is non-toxic, it would drain into a stream, and turn a bunch of streams near us white for a few hours. The EPA came in, demanding to see the "Machine of Environmental Destruction" (aka Zamboni haha), and we were told that if we dumped outside again (even without the paint part), we'd be fined or arrested.

Harsh.

[s2020b]

how did u do that, run the zamboni over and over???

[mjbasch]

We literally run the zamboni over and over, cutting snow without laying water. It takes a very long time (at our rink) beacuse there is only so much snow you can put down a drain before it clogs. We are shoveling and melting snow as we are cutting. After about 8 hours of cutting, we turn off the compressors (machines that keep the ice cold) and the rest starts to melt). Because there are no drains on the ice, we pickup the remaining ice/slush/water with the zamboni.

[Srd1126]

Very interesting, I thought they just let it melt then sucked it up with a sump pump or something. As to at least the first phase of clearing it, you could probably get people to pay you to drive the Zamboni.

[TheWitchOvAgnesi]

Wow, this is really neat. Something most people will never see. I love how the lines slowly get darker and darker. And then the end... what a mess.

Oh yeah, and fuck you for synching Vanilla Ice to this.

[IceBears10]

I am a huge hockey fan so about how long does it take

[brokenpsp]

I work at a rink, i hate the having to clean up the white ice paint, it takes FOREVER, its such a kick in the ass

[rparry82]

so basically u turn the refridgerent off and the zamboni continuously scrape the ice off until its a watery mess?????

[javabase99]

one of the coolest time lapse's ive seen. thanks for the up.

[Kingsammich2]

I played hockey there a few times, I did not like how the ice felt for some reason. I live like 20 minutes away from that rink.

[xXcuteiceXx]

hey mj..do you work at the ice-rink> o.o

[grantisdaman12]

Messy Floor. We dont have that problem. You should have cut more with the plant still on.

[casportspark]

Summer time hits, heat rises. The rink is very expensive to run. The compressors which keep the ice cold have to work harder... energy rates go up, the machines will break down. So, just easier to melt during those 90-100 degree summers!