What Is a Zamboni Machine?

Since the invention of the ice hockey rink, there has been an ever apparent bi-product of each and every hockey game. All of that skating shaves off the ice bit by bit until the surface is no longer skate-able. When those inevitable times come, an unsung hero drives into the rink and repaves the surface to perfection. That hero is the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine.

  1. Zamboni Early History

    • The Zamboni ice resurfacing machine has a rich history which dates back to 1940, in Paramount, California. The Zamboni brothers were originally in the ice production and refrigeration business before they decided to branch out by creating their own ice rink. Unfortunately, resurfacing the ice was a very long and labor heavy undertaking. Frank Zamboni thought that there had to be a better way to easily accomplish the job in a short amount of time.

    The Zamboni Model A

    • In response to that desire to have a better way to resurface the ice, Frank Zamboni decided to invent and adapt several ice resurfacing machine prototypes that could make the job faster, easier and more efficient. After 9 long years of development, Frank finally created the first suitable prototype and named his creation the Zamboni Model-A Ice Resurfacer. With his invention working at its peak efficiency, it was finally able to produce an excellent sheet of skate-able ice in the summer of 1949.

    How Does a Zamboni Work?

    • The Zamboni ice resurfacing machine works by utilizing its key components. First, there is a razor-sharp blade located in the front of the machine which removes the layer of used ice as it moves. A squeegee and a horizontal auger clean the shaved ice from the blade, and make up what is called the conditioner system. The ice then moves up back into the ice shaving storage compartment and is later dumped out for disposal. Finally, by adding hot water to the ice rink from the Zamboni's reservoir, the water quickly freezes over to create a new layer so everyone can resume skating.

    What Is it Like to Drive a Zamboni?

    • It has been said by Car and Driver Magazine that a Zamboni drives like a 1970's Cadillac. However it is unlike any other motorized vehicle that is available on the market today, because its sole purpose is to resurface the ice in a rink to make it skate-able again. Although the machine moves at a walking pace, that doesn't mean you can't have some fun while driving it. The Zamboni ice resurfacing machine is also capable of extreme ice drifting and drives sideways, sliding along with incredible ease.

    Where are Zamboni's Manufactured and How Much Do They Cost?

    • The Zamboni company manufactures its products out of two locations. One facility is still in Paramount, California and the other is located in Brantford, Ontario -- about 45 minutes from Toronto. Each one of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machines are custom made to suit each owner's desired specifications. There are a wide variety of different models to choose from, starting at $100,000 for the base model in 2011 and working up to the low six figure price range.