The Snow Doesn't Stick to the Puck

Our Operator-to-Operator Series is all because of Zoom, I'd say.

Before Zoom, if arena folks were interested in knowing more about the REALice floodwater treatment system, we would forward a list of references that they could call or go visit.

As visits became more difficult to arrange, however, we had to pivot. Like many companies, we turned to Zoom to bring operations staff from arenas with questions and, perhaps, challenges, together with operators using REALice who'd faced something similar.

An Alaskan Rink with Hard Water

When an Alaskan operations team had questions, we set up a Zoom. Because they are way up north and wanted to hear from another northerly rink with hard water, I asked Clarey Martin to come on the call. He's the arena manager at the Upper Skeena Recreation Centre in Hazleton, BC. And although it's not the most northerly community using REALice, Hazleton is pretty far north and not so far from Alaska. I brought on a couple of other operators, too. Steve Wolf from Castleton University's Spartan Arena in Vermont, who uses well water. And Greg Mitchell from Kitimat, BC - another northern rink.

Did You Do Something to the Pucks?

As we have come to expect, Clarey notices a big difference in the ice with REALice -- so do the "senior guys" and the officials. But it was an ask from the officials that really made us chuckle. They wanted to know if Clarey's operations team had done something to the pucks - maybe sprayed them with silicon or something -- because no snow is sticking to them anymore. Watch him tell that story below:

That's what happens with REALice. Using floodwater treated through the REALice system creates ice that is clear, dense and durable. And because it freezes so much quicker, the brine settings need to be raised higher to prevent the water from freezing too quickly. The ice is still hard, just like the skaters like it, but it's hard at warmer ice temperatures. With less-fragile ice, the skaters produce a lot less snow -- even in the dying minutes of the 3rd period. Less snow means the puck stays flatter -- and tape-to-tape passes are easier to make -- especially with snow that doesn't cling to the pucks!

We know that ice maintenance is a delicate topic with operators who have been using extremely hot water for floods for decades. Bryan Hawn from the City of Vernon recently discussed operator hesitancy in one of these calls. He says they looked at REALice -- not because their existing process was broken, but because this is a new process that does the same thing, costs less -- with very little risk. You can watch that one here:

Relationships are the foundation for every business. And with the help of Zoom, we're able to build on those relationships, make them stronger, learn from them, and make new ones! ?It’s bcome a part of our arsenal and is helping us reach our goals easier.

Sort like pucks that no longer collect snow!