If you’re like me, then you are often confused by simplistic processes. While I have been a hockey fan for the majority of my life, it was not until last week that I learned how venues produce the sheets of ice that cover a rink.
I am currently pursuing my Master’s of Professional Studies degree in Sports Management from Georgetown University. My last class was centered on facility management, and we discussed how arenas create these vast expanses of ice. I am now going to share with you the magic that I learned …
At the bottom of all ice sheets lies a concrete surface. Within this concrete slab lies an intricate pipe system, and the pipes are filled with a brine solution, which is a calcium-chloride mixture. This acts as a refrigeration system and keeps the concrete cold – approximately 12-18 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now that we have a cold surface, it’s time to make the ice! This scientific process involves none other than a hose.
The sheet of ice is created in many very small layers. The hose sprays the cold, concrete surface, freezes, and then another layer is placed on top of it.
Once enough layers have been made, it comes time to make the ice white. If the ice were not painted white, one would be able to see the concrete slab beneath the surface. In addition to the white paint, the lines, logo and sponsorship markings are all painted on the ice as well.
After the painting process is done, the hose reappears, and more layers are made. This is done until the ice reaches its ideal thickness.
And what might that thickness be? The professor, Bobby Goldwater, who worked at both the Staples Center in Los Angles and at Madison Square Garden in New York City, had the class shout out guesses to this question.
"Three feet?"
"Eight inches?"
"A foot and half?
After a few rounds, it was revealed by Capitals General Manager George McPhee, who is a co-professor of the class, that the ice is merely three-quarters of an inch thick.
This number boggled my mind. One would think that the constant skating during games would wear down a surface of this size to practically nothing. Apparently, this is not the case, as I have yet to see a hockey player trip on the concrete beneath the Verizon Center floor.
Furthermore, the ice is only made one or two times a year. I think this is quite remarkable, considering that in addition to the 41 games skated on it each season (or more when we win the Stanley Cup this year), the ice also suffers the hardship of having Wizards’, Mystics’ and Georgetown’s men’s basketball teams playing on top of its surface.
For those of you who don’t know, the ice always stays in place during these other events. For basketball games, concerts and the like, the court or other hard surfaces are placed on top the ice, with the brine-filled pipes keeping the ice beneath intact.
The process of altering a venue for different events is known as the "changeover" and can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the contest. All quite extraordinary indeed.
Well, there you have it – the magic of the ICE. I am going to start writing features every couple weeks or so for Scarlet Caps, so please email me your comments and suggestion to: scarlet@washcaps.comyour
I welcome any story ideas as well.