IamA Zamboni Driver AMA!

After you die will you become a Zomboni driver like in Plants vs Zombies?

Hopefully I become more than just a character in such a simple game. I'd much prefer skyrim, although I'm not sure how a zamboni would fit into the game. :/

I am pretty sure there is already a mod for this.

I'm interested, if you can find it let me know.

[Deadpool spoilers, maybe] What happened when that guy was finally run over by the zamboni Deadpool was driving?

The zamboni probably froze up and stopped moving. If he fit under the front end. Given how slow he was driving the augers probably werent moving very quickly and wouldve had a hard time dealing with a dense body. They are known to jam if they hit a puck just right.

Side note: i got pretty annoyed at that scene because he couldve turned the RPMs way up. I can cut an entire rink in under the 10 minutes he said it would take him to get to the guy crawling on the ice.

Came here to ask this. And to further it, do you feel, as a proud Zamboni driver, that that scene shed bad light on your career choice?

It did feel kind of insulting but its always nice to see a zamboni on a big screen. And I honestly dont think of this as a career choice just as a job to afford school and a gf. Its just a stepping stone.

Don't you dare belittle yourself. You offer a service that cannot be replaced and I for one want to thank you for your work.

You're welcome I guess. The point I was trying to make is that i dont see myself working here longer than a year. I have bigger plans.

Do you appreciate it when I cheer wildly when you have a solid run?

FUCK! YES! It makes my fucking day. Every smile on an onlookers face, every cheer. Every positive response makes the stress of attempting to achieve perfection a dozen times a day worth it.

Ever used the line "wanna ride on my zamboney?"?

Never had the chance.

What's it's top speed, and how long does it usually take you to cover the entire rink?

Top speed is probably around 40-45 mph although when driving on the ice you should only be doing like 15-20mph max. And it takes on average 10 minutes although in rare cases I've had to do it in 6.

Why is the top speed so much higher than its practical speed?

For driving on the highway if need be.

In what circumstances would it be necessary or even legal to drive a zamboni on a highway? Or even a road?

To deliver it to the ice rink. Or to move one from one rink to another.

Going to burst your bubble, ice speed on a 6 minute cut rarely hits above 8mph, a hockey rink is 200'x85', assuming you do two outside runs and then start cutting down the center working to the outside even 3000 feet of movement is generous, this would make your 6 minute cut have 6mph average but your straight always have you moving faster than your cornes. off-ice speed averages around 12mph and most zams redline around 20mph, but it's hard to gauge true speed for most ops with an open air driver seat and a gauge that only tells you engine RPM

You might as well be right. People keep asking speed and I can only really say what it feels like. And in such a small space it feels a lot faster than it actually is i guess.

Is it true that hockey was originally invented as an excuse to use Zambonis?

That and figure skating. Both combined were created so that my existence as a zam driver could be fulfilled.

How much gas does it use? Does it use gas?

Runs on gas. And at least 5 gallons a day.

Edit: at least the 3 I use run on gas.

How many people come up to you and tell you they've always wanted to drive a Zamboni? I personally know many, like it's a theme!

Almost every one I've told about it has said something similar.

Do you sing the zamboni song while driving? I would. Hell, I'm singing it now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW2IWXqXGPQ

Havent heard it yet. I'll take a look when I clock out.

Have you ever driven it naked?

Seeing as how cold it is on the ice I'd rather not. Not to mention how quickly I'd be fired :'( that doesnt mean I havent debated doing it.

So I take it no sex while driving it then?

Unfortunately no

Did you see the Zamboni scene in the new Deadpool movie? How would you rate his driving?

5/7

Actually honestly not bad but how slow he was going was killing me.

Have you ever used your profession as a conversation starter in order to pick up woman?

Works great as an ice breaker (cue rimshot).

Have you ever had zamboni races? Can I drive the zamboni? Why are zambonis still cool despite being the polar opposite of a sports car?

No but ive driven with another zam driver on the same ice at the same time. Its hard cause youre too focused to really communicate. And theyre usually pretty cool because the snow they shave off the ice usually keeps them cold.

Has driving a Zamboni ever gotten you laid?

My gf might deny it but I think it definitely helped.

How much money do you make a game?

I don't drive for NHL unfortunately, I drive for a park controlled ice rink so I'm paid hourly. Although my boss used to get hefty "bonuses" depending on how the game went back when he drove for the NHL

Is there any special certification or course you must take before hand?

I applied for the job and was given on the job training. Only requirement was having a drivers license.

How hard are they to operate?

Took me about a month to get the hang of it. And I'm still learning every time I'm on the ice.

Have you named any of your zambonis?

There's "Red" "Blue" and "Black". They are named after the color of the zams. "Yellow" has moved on unfortunately :/

I have so many questions.

1. What's the minimum number of passes you need to get ice perfection?

2. If a rink has been closed for summer and you're getting it up and running, are you just laying down a layer of ice on concrete?

3. Could you zamboni the street?

4. Is zamboni-ing as awesome as we non-zamboni-ers think it is, or does it turn into a grind after a while?

5. What are some common zamboni malfunctions? Can you fix them on your own? Are there zamboni mechanics?

1)1 lap on the outside, and i think about 6-8 on the inside (I'll count next time I cut the ice and get back to you. Give me an hour or so). This also varies based on the size of the rink, we have 1 small mini rink, 1 NHL sized rink, and one Olympic sized rink.

2)We dont close for summer but if it does melt down we start flooding with hoses and later flood it with the zamboni.

3)Yes but you cant use any of the functionality besides laying water without it damaging the zamboni. Its technically street legal.

4)It's amazing. But it does get boring some days.

5)Augers tend to freeze up if you dont keep an eye on them. Which means you need to get the zam off the ice and clear the snow out of them. Ive also had them stall out a few times. Ive fixed these on my own. And yes there are zamboni mechanics :)

You from Canada or America? Or from like Finland, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway?

America. Born and raised.

Awesome! I'm from Canada myself. I don't follow hockey that much but I played it a lot as a child. Must be fun driving a Zamboni

Its a blast when you get to see people smile as you drive around. But god damn. Figure skaters and speed skaters can be so demanding and without a single thank you.

Assholes! I remember being like four years old and frantically waving to the Zamboni driver and he'd smile and wave back. They always seemed so nice.

Most people I work with and drive with are, with the exception of my boss. I've been here for about 6 months and I've yet to see him smile except for when hes oggling the female skate instructors.

What's the rest of your work day like when you're not on the ice? Are you just sitting around, waiting until you need to go again?

I sit and go on reddit. Or I work somewhere else at the rink like sharpen skates or help with skate rentals. Or I fill up the zams and get ready for the next make.

In your opinion, did Stone Cold Steve Austin do a good job?

Just looked it up. Badass as fuck. I'll give him a 5/7

What kind of specific skills / experience do you need to drive a Zamboni?

I only ask as I went to watch a hockey match recently and the guy driving it didn't seem to be THAT great. He didn't even was the surface evenly or leave a proper layer of fresh ice making water during each length. Would this hugely effect the surface to skate on?

A license and training.

And it would make a difference. A rougher surface is generally harder to skate on.

Is their a hierarchy of zamboni drivers? Do the best ones get to do the NHL rinks?

Pretty sure the best get to do NHL rinks. Im not certain how it works but there's definitely a heirarchy its just not made obvious. (All my managers have between 5-20 years of experience driving a zamboni)

Is it an actual Zamboni, or is it an Olympia? Which do you prefer? Do you want to kill the guy that plays the "I wanna drive the zamboni" song between each period of hockey as much as I did?

3 actual Zambonis. The images in Proof should make that pretty clear. And I actually have yet to hear it, honestly. So I think I'm pretty lucky.

Mr. Zamboni Driver, how do I tell my brother to get a job as a Zamboni Driver?

Tell him to look for openings at ice rinks around you.

How is it operated? What are the controls like? How to do set up the controls? Just generally more information on the process of driving it and what all the knobs and levers do and such.

Sometimes you'll see the operator open a hood and check something, what are they doing?

Thanks

They open the hood to check how much snow is in the tank. If it is filling too fast they need to raise the blade. I actually shouldve done it the last make i just did cause i overfilled the tank and had to get off, empty it, then get back on and finish the make.

Do you look jealously at all the guys you see driving the clearly superior Olympias?

Olympias? Superior? Since when is a knockoff better than the original. I hear they dont even have the ability to set a constant RPM.

Is this you? http://loweringthebar.net/2015/02/another-zamboni-dui.html If not, was this you? http://loweringthebar.net/2006/11/rink_employees_.html Failing that, are you aware of this? http://loweringthebar.net/2015/12/canada-now-challenging-us-for-lead.html and how does it make you feel?

This is god damn hilarious. Ive driven while hungover. Does that count?

Can you control the acceleration, such as the 'turtle' and 'rabbit' throttle for a riding lawnmower?

Yes. It changes the RPMs of the zamboni although it is best to keep the RPMs between 2500 and 2800. But of course the gas pedal is what actually has control over acceleration directly. If pressure is completely removes from the pedal the zam will stop moving.

The RPM control is also used to control the auger speed, which is why it needs to be set so high.

How does a Zamboni work?

There is a blade that shaves off the top layer of ice. An auger that pushes the snow shaved off towards the center which has another auger pushing the snow up vertically and into the tank above the engine. Meanwhile cold water is being pumped out into the snow being shaved, and sucked back up to recycle. This washes the snow and creates slush to fill grooves. And all the way back by the towel, hot water is poured onto said towel to be evenly distributed behind the zam.