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Electric ice resurfacers sputter at Olympics

Eco-friendly ice-resurfacing machines sounded great -- until they stopped working in the middle of the men's 500-meter speed skating event.

By E.B. SolomontWed, Feb 17 2010 at 11:45 AM EST
 6

ICY: After an electric ice-resurfacing machine (right) broke down, officials brought in the old-school, dependable Zamboni. (Photo: Peter Dejong/AP)
When the Vancouver Olympic committee opted for electric vehicles instead of the old exhaust-spewing ice-resurfacing machines, environmentalists everywhere had reason to cheer.
 
Until the eco-friendly machines — part of Canada’s attempt to throw a “green” Olympics — failed several times, delaying both the men’s and women’s speed skating heats.
 
The Canadian-built Olympia ice-resurfacing machine ground to a halt on Monday night, delaying the men’s 500-meter event, news outlets from The Vancouver Sun to The New York Times reported. After the first machine failed, a second and third one were brought out to no avail. With athletes reaching speeds of 40 mph on the ice, the uneven surface was deemed too dangerous to go forward. Officials decided to bring in new machines from Calgary, but athletes, spectators and bloggers were already abuzz.
 
After initially waiting out the delay on Monday, American skater Shani Davis eventually withdrew from the competition, a race he was using to prep for the 1,000-meter race. (Davis won the gold in the 1,000-meter event on Wednesday.) His decision may not have been related to the ice, but he had this to say about conditions: “It’s part of the game. It happens. Bad ice is bad ice,” he said.
 
An ice-resurfacing machine also broke down on Sunday, midway through the women’s 3,000-meter event. After the faulty machine flooded the ice, a rough patch developed near the finish line. 
 
Officials apologized to the athletes and to spectators, assuring them that a new ice-resurfacing machine was on the way. But skaters were unhappy with the ice from the get-go, calling it “humbling” and “worker ice,” because of frost buildup, prompting American coaches to request additional turns with the machines to smooth out the surface.
 
“I realize they wanted to make a green Games … but Zambonis in the past have worked for years and years,” Canadian speed skater Kyle Parrott told The Toronto Star. “I don’t know why they didn’t stick with them.”
 
After a replacement machine was shipped from Calgary, the venue’s general manager, Magnus Enfeldt, said the Olympia machines had been working properly for more than a year before this week’s glitches. “For now, our main concern is the athletes,” he said. “Being consistent and fair and the safety of the athletes is our No. 1 priority.” 
 
Editor's note: This story initially identified a different kind of ice resurfacing machine in the headline. The Olympia is the electric-powered ice resurfacing machine involved in this incident. As the commenters pointed out below, a Zamboni is a different brand of machine.
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Related Topics: Electric Vehicles, Olympics

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anonymous
Rob 02/18/2010 16:08 PM

It's not because the Olympia is cheaper (though it might be), it's a sponsorship deal: the venue is called GM Place and GM makes the Olympia ice resurfacing machine.

It seems like a foolish chance to take trying an 'eco-machine' when there are hundreds of Olympic-network deisel busses running around the citty half-empty (as busses often are). There are lots of good busses in Vancouver, but they didn't have enough - seems stupid to risk the ice when the machine will be 'offset' by the.... More

anonymous
Simone 02/19/2010 12:30 PM

Sorry, but you're misinformed, because Olympia is made by a Canadian company called Resurfice in Ontario.

anonymous
Tim 02/18/2010 10:04 AM

Only hardcore ice/hockey/skating wonks would know that. So who cares? There are many products where they are all known by one brand name so calm down. What would you call it? Generic ice smoothing machine?

anonymous
Troy 02/18/2010 12:32 PM

Drew's right: three Olympia's broke down, not three Zamboni's. They brought in a Zamboni from Calgary to cover the broken Olympia's in Vancouver. It makes for a very confusing article when even the people quoted in the article (i.e., Nick Pearson) can't keep the machines straight. And for the record, they're called "ice resurfacers."

anonymous
John 02/18/2010 15:10 PM

that the Zamboni company offers battery powered machines such as the ones used at Torino and Lillehammer games. This is not an environmental issue. Seems the VANOC went with the cheaper machines over price, not 'green' concerns.

anonymous
Drew 02/17/2010 19:30 PM

"When the Vancouver Olympic committee opted for electric Zambonis instead of the old exhaust-spewing ice resurfacing machines, environmentalists everywhere had reason to cheer."

Inaccurate. Zamboni is a brand name. The Olympia broke down, which is in no way tied to Zamboni. Fact check and get your terms straight.

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