Zambonis: Smooth operators

Skating rink saviors | If you’ve ever gone ice skating, you know what a difference a smooth surface can make. If the ice is bumpy, perhaps skated on for hours with grooves and rough patches created by other skaters before you, it can be difficult to glide along or turn accurately. If you’re skating quickly on a rough surface, things get trickier. And if you’re trying to skate quickly alongside nine other people, chasing a small puck, fighting for glory? Things can get downright dangerous. Luckily, Frank Zamboni came along. He realized that the ice resurfacing process, which was originally done by hand and could take up to 90 minutes, could be mechanized. Frank worked for several years to perfect his invention, and developed a machine that could make an ice rink safely playable in a fraction of the time. Few innovations in sports technology have changed the game (and the Games) like the Zamboni has. Strap on your skates, we’re gliding right into this story. (A note: The technical term is a “Zamboni ice resurfacing machine.” In this newsletter, we’ll refer to it as a Zamboni.) 🐦 [Tweet this]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( [Quartz Weekly Obsession] Zambonis February 16, 2022 Skating rink saviors --------------------------------------------------------------- If you’ve ever gone ice skating, you know what a difference a smooth surface can make. If the ice is bumpy, perhaps skated on for hours with grooves and rough patches created by other skaters before you, it can be difficult to glide along or turn accurately. If you’re skating quickly on a rough surface, things get trickier. And if you’re trying to skate quickly alongside nine other people, chasing a small puck, fighting for glory? Things can get downright dangerous. Luckily, Frank Zamboni came along. He realized that the ice resurfacing process, which was originally done by hand and could take up to 90 minutes, could be mechanized. Frank worked for several years to perfect his invention, and developed a machine that could make an ice rink safely playable in a fraction of the time. Few innovations in sports technology have changed the game (and the Games) like the Zamboni has. Strap on your skates, we’re gliding right into this story. (A note: The technical term is a “Zamboni ice resurfacing machine.” In this newsletter, we’ll refer to it as a Zamboni.) 🐦 [Tweet this]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( By the digits [3 miles (4.8 km):]( Average distance traveled by a Zamboni during a hockey game [3-4:]( Number of workers it took to resurface an ice rink in about an hour before the invention of the Zamboni [7:]( Minutes it takes a Zamboni to resurface a rink [57 lbs (26 kg):]( Weight of a Zamboni blade [C$2.6 billion ($2.1 billion):]( Direct impact that hockey has on the Canadian economy, as of 2015 (pdf) [9.7 mph (6 km/h):]( Top speed of a Zamboni [4:]( Months it took for a Zamboni to make it from Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia [$16.99:]( Price of a Playmobil Zamboni [82:]( Member countries in the International Ice Hockey Federation [607,951:]( Registered ice hockey players in Canada [0:]( Number of times the Zamboni is mentioned on the NHL History page of NHL Records Explain it like I’m 5! [An image from Frank Zamboni's patent application for the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine.] In this diagram from Frank Zamboni’s [1949 patent application](, you can see every inner working of his machine—from the intricacies of the warm water pump in the bottom right, to the pulley system running throughout, complete with ice shavings piled inside. First, the Zamboni [scrapes down the rough ice surface]( and collects ice shards and snow, which it later discards. Next, it flushes the ice with water, removing any remaining debris. That water and debris is collected before the Zamboni puts down the final layer of warm water—around 140°F (60°C)—which freezes to create a smooth surface. Photo by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Listen up! 🎧 Life in the cloud --------------------------------------------------------------- It’s safe to say that since its launch, Google docs has changed the way we write, work, and learn. (All Obsession emails start their journey in a Google doc.) That’s what the company intended. But it’s also safe to say that Google docs has made us really comfortable in the cloud—maybe too comfortable. Can hackers access diary entries in Google docs? If you make a grocery list, will companies use that data to spam you with ads? Quartz reporter Scott Nover helped host Kira Bindrim unpack whether these anxieties are valid in [the latest episode of the Quartz Obsession podcast](. ☁️ Listen on: [Apple Podcasts]( | [Spotify]( | [Google]( | [Stitcher]( Sponsored by Alumni Ventures [Listen right now!]( Brief history [1939:]( Frank Zamboni opens the Iceland Skating Rink in Paramount, California. [1947:]( Frank builds a machine that can shave, wash, and squeegee the ice, which he mounts on an army surplus chassis. [1950:]( Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie orders two Zambonis for her tour. [1953:]( The Zamboni ice resurfacing machine is patented. [1964:]( A vertical screw conveyor system replaces the original conveyor belt system, and remains the design standard today. [1971:]( Woodstock, Snoopy’s pal from the Peanuts comic strip, resurfaces their skating rink with a wet tea bag. The duo [upgrade to a Zamboni]( in 1980. [1981:]( James Bond, played by Roger Moore, uses a Zamboni during a fight on an ice rink in For Your Eyes Only. [1989:]( Eddie LeBec, a character on Cheers, is killed by a Zamboni in an episode of the show. [2000:]( Frank Zamboni is inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame. [2005:]( Canadian McDonald’s restaurants introduce a miniature Zamboni ice resurfacing machine in their Happy Meals. [2009:]( The video game Plants vs. Zombies introduces a character called a “Zomboni,” a zombie riding a Zamboni. [2014:]( In Dumb and Dumber To, protagonists Harry and Lloyd steal a Zamboni and drive it across the country. Quotable “There are three things in life that people like to stare at: a flowing stream, a crackling fire, and a Zamboni clearing the ice.” —[Charlie Brown]( Reuters/Christinne Muschi Pop quiz What is the height of the largest Zamboni ever built? 9 ft 6 in6 ft 2 in7 ft 8 in11 ft 4 in Correct. Incorrect. If your inbox doesn’t support this quiz, find the solution at bottom of email. Bob Riha Jr/WireImage Person of interest Not just an ice guy --------------------------------------------------------------- As a young man in the 1920s, Frank Zamboni (above left, with his son Richard) got started producing block ice for the food industry. When refrigeration threatened his livelihood, he opened an ice rink in California with his brother, Lorenzo, and the rest was history. But the ice resurfacing machine was not Frank’s first invention—or his last. Before opening his ice rink, Frank patented several [reactance coils](. In the 1970s, he [turned to AstroTurf](, patenting two turf water removers, one turf paint remover, and a turf handling machine. And in 1983, he patented an ice edger, to complement his ice resurfacing machine. Fun fact! Gear Daddies’ “[(I Wanna Drive the) Zamboni](” was initially a [secret track]( on the Minnesota band’s 1990 major label debut, but after appearances in movies like D2: The Mighty Ducks and Mystery, Alaska, it’s now a staple at hockey games. Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images Zambonis at the Olympics --------------------------------------------------------------- The Zamboni made its [first appearance]( at the Winter Games in Squaw Valley, California (the resort where those Games took place has [since changed its offensive name]() in 1960. Six machines smoothed surfaces, including the Olympics’ first 400-meter speed skating track made from artificial ice. At the 1992 Games in Albertville, France, 18-year-old Laëtitia Hubert, a home country favorite, was cruelly christened “[the human Zamboni](” after she fell multiple times in a skating routine. (Just one month later, she competed in the 1992 World Championships, where she [won fourth place]( overall.) After ice resurfacers from a competing company malfunctioned and [delayed events]( at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, officials brought in a Zamboni from 600 miles (965 km) away. And in Pyeongchang in 2018, the Games’ [37 Zamboni drivers](—hailing from the US, Canada, South Korea, and Japan—would have been the 22nd-largest “team,” if Zamboni were a country. For the latest Olympics news—Zamboni-related or otherwise—there’s still time to sign up for our [Beijing 2022 newsletter](. [Take me to the Games!]( YouTube Watch this! A Zamboni driver’s big moment --------------------------------------------------------------- In 2020, Dave Ayres, a Zamboni driver for the Toronto Marlies, was called into service as an emergency goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes in a match against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ayres wasn’t an inexperienced hockey player—as the video explains, he had played “Junior B, which is a step below Junior A, which is a step below Major Junior.” Here, he saves eight out of 10 shots by the Leafs and assists on a goal himself, helping to lead the Hurricanes to a 6-3 win. Giphy/Peanuts Poll Who would make the best mascot for Team Zamboni? [Click here to vote]( Snoopy from “Peanuts”Harold and Lloyd from “Dumb and Dumber To”Dave Ayres, surprise hockey star 💬 let's talk! ✏️ [What did you think of today’s email?](mailto:obsession%2Bfeedback@qz.com?cc=&subject=Thoughts%20about%20Zambonis%20&body=) 💡 [What should we obsess over next?](mailto:obsession%2Bideas@qz.com?cc=&subject=Obsess%20over%20this%20next.&body=) 🎲 [Show me a random Obsession]( In last week’s poll about [lingerie](, 22% of you said the industry is improving, 68% believe it’s a work in progress, and 9% think everything’s still bad. Today’s email was written by [Sudie Simmons]( (a disaster on ice but loves skating outfits), edited by [Liz Webber]( (prefers hockey skates to figure skates), and produced by [Jordan Weinstock]( (skated this week and didn’t fall once). [facebook]([twitter]([external-link]( The correct answer to the quiz is 9 ft 6 in. Enjoying the Quartz Weekly Obsession? [Send this link]( to a friend! 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