Preparation

Setup

Cleanup

Visual Glossary

Preparation - While Zamboni is Running 

• Bring the gripper baskets out of the storage boxes. They are in the storage box closest to the door with the brooms.
• (Steriti only) Bring ‘nipper’ rock box and dust mops down from the storage area upstairs.
• Fill the pebblers with hot water
  • Pebblers are stored in the storage box farthest from the door. They are backpacks with water reservoirs connected to a hose with a sprinkler at the end. Keep the sprinkler head connected to the water reservoir or above the lid. Once filled, moving the sprinkler below the level of the lid will allow for water to come out.
  • Use black hose (green at Veterans) near zamboni storage. Valve is on the wall. It will feed out warm water, the valve only controls the flow.
  • Do NOT fill the pebblers completely to the top. Leave the “neck” of the water reservoir empty. NOTE: A fill line has been added to the pebblers.
  • Once filled, the pebblers will be heavy. If needed, get help putting them on.
• Fill large trash can ~1 foot to dunk hacks with the same hose used for the pebblers. If a trash can is not available, ask the ice rink staff.
• Move hacks over by trash can.

Setup - When Zamboni is finished

• Put clear plastic sheet on ice, and start placing stones on top
• Let zamboni finish prior to putting plastic sheet on ice
• Sweep floor with dust mops to clear debris and “snow”.
• Pebble
  
  • Grab the sprinkler and keep the nozzle pointed to the ceiling until you are ready to start spraying (moving it down will cause water to come out).
  • Move your arm so that it is parallel to the ice (and perpendicular to your body). Make sure the holes on the sprinkler are pointing up to the ceiling (so the water sprays up and then falls down).
  • Move your wrist back and forth quickly as you walk backwards down the sheet.
  • Quickly walk the length of each sheet, about 40 seconds per sheet.
  • Do both lanes twice (one person follow about a sheet and a half behind the first).
  • Make sure you empty the pebblers (dump in the zamboni area drain) before you put them away.
• Nip and sweep
  
  • Nipping can be done after the second pebble has frozen (typically ~1 minute)
  • Fill the nipper box with rocks and push the nipper box it along each lane somewhat off center. Turn around at the end of the lane and clean the other half of the lane. After this pass, the whole lane should be cleared.

• • • Outer nipper (red solid line) covers outside edges of each sheet, keeping 2x4 on outer line.
    • Inner nipper (blue dashed line) covers inner section of each sheet, keeping 2x4 on centerline.
  • Follow with the dust mop.

• Install hacks.
  
  • Dunk in the warm water in the trash can for 8-10 seconds.
    • Do not soak hacks, this will make them take longer to set
  • Briskly walk them out and place them. Place hacks, back of hack is on the horizontal line, hacks centered on the centerline.

• • Stand on them for a few seconds.
  • Put a rock on top of each foot hold for the duration of setup.
• Bring out scoreboards and place at their appropriate lanes.
• Bring out stabilizers and sliders.
  
  • Both are in the equipment box farthest from the door. Sliders are in the drawers (usually the second).
  • Put 1 of each at each lane and each end.
  • Make sure the sliders are placed black (grippy) side down for safety.
  • You can also put out brooms at each lane on one end of the ice if most members don’t already have them.
• Place rocks
  
  • Put all rocks at their appropriate lanes.
  • Retrieve rocks from far hacks.

PLAY!

Cleanup - Put Everything Away

• Make sure the rocks and scoreboards are in their proper boxes (A rocks in A box, B rocks in B box, etc.)
• Pull up the hacks.
  
  • Do NOT use a BalancePlus broom - they can break. Use an old (thick-padded) broom or the broken hockey stick handle.
  • After everyone has left the ice, pour a small amount of water to fill the divots.
  • Note: Veterans prefers us using snow, rather than water, to fill the divots. Grab snow from the Zamboni garage and pack it in with the heel of your foot.

Visual Glossary

Hack

The same hack you push out of when playing!

Mop

It’s a mop!

Nipper

The piece of equipment made out of 2x4s that you put stones in. It is used to clip the top part of the pebble and the frost, and allows for a more consistent running surface.

Pebbler

The backpack with the water in it, used to create a pebble on the ice.