Zamboni

Book excerpt: Enjoy a (slow) spin around the old rink in the only history of the world-famous Zamboni ice resurfacer…now available in an updated edition to celebrate the 70th birthday of these iconic machines! Until 1949, resurfacing an ice rink required an ungainly tractor-pulled shaver followed by three or four workers scooping away the shavings and then spraying and squeegeeing water. The process—including the refreezing—took more than an hour, as skaters or hockey players waited patiently. That all changed when a tireless inventor by the name of Frank J. Zamboni—who also happened to own a skating rink in Southern California—put his mind to creating a quality sheet of ice in a shorter time. The story of the machines the Zamboni Company has produced—now as beloved among sports enthusiasts as ice skates and hockey pucks—is fully told in this fun-filled history of machine-age ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit that forever changed the nature of ice sports. Inside this official illustrated story, created with the cooperation of the Zamboni Company, you'll be greeted by a wealth of visual material from their archives. Explore: The early development of Zamboni ice-resurfacing machines How they work and have evolved over the years The story behind figure-skating legend Sonja Henie's personal Zamboni ice resurfacers Anecdotes from drivers Stories behind paint schemes Colorful tales about Zamboni ice resurfacer drivers And much more Witness the design and workings of the latest models, such as the world's first OEM lithium-ion-powered ice resurfacer, and read fun new Zamboni tales and milestones, like the 12,000th machine delivered and the 2018 formation of Zamboni Europe in Sweden. Entertaining sidebars explore the appeal of Zamboni machines, take you inside Zamboni facilities, examine the company’s other less-well-known machines, and highlight Zamboni machines' television and film "roles." The only book on the subject not geared for young kids, Zamboni: The Coolest Machines on Ice offers sports enthusiasts a fun-filled and informative look at one of the most beloved machines on four wheels!