Zamboni: The Coolest Machines On Ice

Until 1949, resurfacing an ice rink required a tractor-pulled shaver followed by three or four workers scooping away the shavings and then spraying and squeegeeing water. The process-including the refreezing-took more than an hour. That all changed when a tireless inventor by the name of Frank J. Zamboni, who also happened to own a 20,000-square-foot rink in Southern California, put his mind to creating a quality sheet of ice in a shorter time. The story of the machines he produced-now as beloved as ice skates and hockey pucks among winter sports enthusiasts-is fully told for the first time in this book, a fun-filled history of machine-age ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit that forever changed the nature of sports on ice. Beginning with a prehistory of the machines, this fully illustrated book goes on to explore the early genesis of Zamboni ice-resurfacing machines, how a Zamboni works, tips from drivers, various models that have evolved through the years, colorful anecdotes from and about Zamboni drivers, and more. Entertaining sidebars examine such topics as Zamboni wipeouts, non-ice-resurfacing machines from the company, the Zamboni factories, Zamboni toys, and television ""roles."" Officially licensed, the book features a wealth of material from the Zamboni archives.

Cartoonist Rube Goldberg was famous for illustrating fabulously involved machines intended for simple tasks. Goldberg would have loved Zamboni ice resurfacers-perhaps he would have even designed one had the thought had occurred to him. Fortunately, another great man took the ice-making and resurfacing idea from the drawing board to the rink. That man was Frank J. Zamboni, and he never dreamed that his name would become part of the woof and warp of the world's arena life.

With this book we have a magnificent chronicle of the history of Zamboni's ice resurfacers, from the original machine and ice queen Sonja Henie's personal model right up to the present, streamlined contraptions that reside in virtually every rink from the company's home in Southern California to Moscow. Three cheers for the Zamboni and its history!

 

-Stan Fischler

MSG Network and Fox Sports New York hockey analyst

Eric Dregni is a freelance author and translator, and the author of six previous books, including The Ads That Put America on Wheels, Scooter Mania!, and Let's Go Bowling! He resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and two sons.