Zamboni: history of the ice resurfacer

From ice blocks to an ice rink

Frank J. Zamboni was born in Utah in 1901, the son of Italian immigrants. In the 1920s he moved to Southern California and, with his brother Lawrence, initially ran an electrical and refrigeration business in Paramount. Among other things, they made ice blocks that traders used to keep fruit and vegetables cool. When refrigerators squeezed out this business, the brothers looked for a new use for their knowledge of refrigeration.

In 1940 they opened the Iceland rink in Paramount, at the time one of the largest ice surfaces in the USA. The rink still exists today.

The problem: smoothing ice took forever

Back then, ice was resurfaced by hand. A tractor pulled a scraper over the surface, then several workers pushed away the shavings, sprayed on water and squeegeed it smooth. This took a long time, and the rink stood empty meanwhile. Zamboni wanted to change that: a machine that shaves, picks up the shavings, washes and applies new water, all in one pass and operated by one person.

The Model A

After several prototypes, Zamboni completed the Model A in 1949. It was built on a Jeep chassis and looked more like a home-made project, but it did its job. The machine drastically reduced resurfacing time. In 1953 Zamboni was granted a patent for his invention.

Breakthrough thanks to Sonja Henie

The machine also owes its breakthrough to the Norwegian figure skater and Hollywood actress Sonja Henie. She trained in Paramount, saw the machine and ordered one for her ice show tour. Soon other rinks and ice hockey teams wanted a Zamboni too. In 1954 the Boston Bruins became one of the first NHL teams to use one. At the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, a Zamboni was used at the Olympics and became internationally known as a result.

How the machine works

The principle has stayed the same for decades. A sharp blade shaves a thin layer off the ice. An auger pushes the shavings to a conveyor that carries them into a snow tank at the front of the machine. At the same time, water is applied that loosens dirt and is sucked back up. Finally, a towel lays down a thin layer of warm water that freezes quickly and smoothly. Details are in ice preparation.

A brand name becomes a word

"Zamboni" is a registered trademark. Nevertheless, many people call every ice resurfacer that, much like Hoover or Jeep. The company does, however, make sure the name is used correctly. Besides Zamboni there are other manufacturers, such as Engo from Slovenia and Resurfice from Canada. Modern machines are increasingly electric, because exhaust fumes are a problem in enclosed rinks. Who drives the machine and what else an ice technician does is explained in ice technician.

Zamboni curiosities

• In February 2020, an emergency goaltender had to step in in the NHL: David Ayres, who worked as an ice resurfacer driver in Toronto. He made several saves and won with the Carolina Hurricanes against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• The Zamboni appears several times in the Peanuts comics by Charles M. Schulz, a big ice hockey fan.
• After his death, Frank Zamboni was inducted into several halls of fame, including the US Hockey Hall of Fame.
• The machine's intermission run is a small ritual at many rinks. Children wave to the driver, and some teams raffle off a ride.