Ice Is Going in at the Rink!
Hard to believe but it’s THAT time of year already. What time are we talking about? Why it’s ice making time at the West Central Events Centre of course!
And how do they do that? It all starts when they turn on the “plant” and that gets the circulation going in the pipes under the floor so that the surface first cools and then freezes.
From there, they apply six coats of water to freeze and then apply two to three coats of white paint. Now it’s looking like a proper rink. But wait, there’s more.
Using a chalk line, they mark out on the surface where all the lines and logos will go. The chalk line is left as they then water the lines so they don’t move. Next comes the actual painting of the red line, blue lines, goal creases, face off circles etc. These are all hand painted to ensure they look their best.
Once the lines are done, it’s just a matter of applying more water to freeze and buildup the ice thickness. Approximately 1.5 to 2 inches of ice is ideal. The zamboni is very efficient at applying water but is only used once the water spray has been applied by hand four or five more times (don’t want the lines to move do we)?
The maintenance staff at the WCEC are efficient and know what they are doing. It’s not a hard process but it’s much easier when you have done it before.
Just one more ice rink to do once the PBR is finished. Well done Kelly, Darian, Matt, Jet and crew!
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
