I stopped by Valley today to see what the ice was like (I was sort of in the neighborhood) - and it looked okay. I asked one of the skaters I saw there if it was better than last Friday and she said it was a lot better.
But I got a report from her coach (and another skater who emailed me) that it was terrible this morning and that some of the adult skaters turned around and went home when they found how bad it was.
What I saw this afternoon looked okay - it didn't have those zamboni-wide "shelves" where you were constantly entering new levels and it looked like the flow was pretty good from what I could see of the figure and recreational skaters that were on the ice this afternoon.
That's all for now - I will try again tomorrow as I have a friend from out of town who wants to skate and she has liked Valley in the past...).
Lisa, your redundant reporter.
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5 comments:
There usually is no excuse for ice like that. But then, if you think that is bad, try skating after a junior A team or a college group.
I'm pretty sure I can make a solid guess as to what happened here. Some group was out on the ice, beat the death out of it. The resurfacer driver, in a valiant attempt to remove the ruts, shaved really hard. Maybe a little harder than he/she should have, and ended up spinning the wheels. Zamboni/olympia wheels are studded, so spinning them, leave a double rut. Hence the rut over the rut problem.
What can you do about this kind of thing happening? Not a whole lot. 90% of the time, that driver only has 10-15 minutes to drive. What does it take to shave out / fill in a rut like that the correct way? If its a quarter inch deep, about an hour or so. A rut like that doesn't really warrent packing with ice water. Most of the time those kinda patches in a minor rut like that pop out.
Good ice drivers know there isnt much you can do other than, slow down a bit in that area and shave hard. If they don't get it, they do the same thing next time around. And keep doing it until the area is fixed. Sometimes it takes all night, even if you are driving every 60 minutes.
If I was a hockey player, I wouldn't even bat an eye at a rut like that. Outdoor ice is chalk full of ruts worse than that. As a figure skater, skating on ice that was just used by hockey players, you just have to shrug it off. I've seen figure skaters leave divots in the ice that went all the way down to the concrete. So it's kind of a take some lose some.
I just sorta wanted to say, if you wanna see really bad ice conditions, jog on up here to minnesota, and have a look at what even the highschool teams can do to the ice. It's very common for a goalie to take it to the concrete.
Well, thanks for the comment - actually this blog is kind of related to our area - Portland, OR - in an attempt to let other skaters in this area know what's going on at the area rinks.
I am sure that there is worse ice out there, it's just that this is the worst we see here in this area most of the time.
Lisa
Ruts made by the Zam are caused by two things...not level blade or the blade is cranked down too far. You will see the lines in the corners, mostly behind and near the goal. You will also get washboarding with a dull blade cranked down, or traveling too fast along the boards after edging. I usually make a dry cut after heavy use, usually after the game, late at night. If that is not possible, in the morning before people show up. Also, use the wash water. Using the wash really helps fill the ruts. Slowing the regular cut using extra water...provided there is time for the water to freeze before it is used. You just can't fix the sheet with one cut after a hockey game. I go in early and make 2-4 regular cuts to make the ice nice for the public. Anyone can drive a Zam. Operating one properly and maintaining one is another story altogether.
Thanks for your comments, anonymous. So where do you work? A rink in the Portland, OR area?
Lisa -
North of you in Washington. Another possible problematic area...is the sheet level? Corners tend to build up. I have seen a few sheets which resemble a roller coaster, sheet wide. Attempting to get a decent cut with those conditions is very difficult. Another reason you will see lines and ridges in areas. Does the rink maintain the ice? What are the depths of the ice? Take a look at the dasher boards as you skate around. Ask the Zam operator questions, or the management. Our rink is 1.75-2 inches. If it gets to high we edge and cut the needed areas. Too low, we flood late at night.
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