Zambonis=Awesomeness

Okay, so you’re asking, why a post about Zambonis? I will tell you. Zambonis=hockey. Hockey=most amazing sport. See?

These truck-like cleaners were attributed to Frank Zamboni who was a U.S. inventor and an Italian-American (all the more reason to like him). He began in the electrical business, branched out to electrical refrigeration units, and then opened his own ice rink in 1940.

Eventually, he figured out a way to resurface his ice rink more quickly and the job went from 90 minutes to around 10 minutes. He patented his machines in 1953. While the term Zamboni is patented, it’s sometimes broadly used to refer to any brand of ice resurfacer (not exactly accurate). He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990 for his contributions to the sport. I just think the machine is pure awesomeness (as do most 5 year olds).

A Zamboni works by shaving off the surface of the ice with a very sharp blade. Then an auger picks up the shaved ice while hot water is sprayed to create the new ice surface. Cool, huh? They have a maximum speed of about 9-10 mph so we’re not talking NASCAR here but it’s all good. They still have the cool factor.

Maybe, one day, I’ll even get to drive one around (highly unlikely due to my over-enthusiasm but a woman can dream)! In the meantime, although I’m impatient waiting the 6-7 minutes for the Zamboni to finish (so I can finally see some HOCKEY), I’ll enjoy watching it make its laps (yes, I am easily amused).

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