White Christmas...

Big thanks to Ian, Jamie, Jeff, Kris, Jamal, Craig, Andrew P., and Kurt for getting down this morning and clearing the snow. We built the whoopsie doodles on the upper sheet and set out the little nets. It took us 3 hours but got it done.

We are scheduled again for Tuesday night clear and flood. Hope to see you then.
Merry Christmas everyone!!

Keep the hose on the ice,

Kurt

Iceguys Christmas Party Thursday

Some photos of our party Thursday Night

Thursday, Christmas Cheers

Big thanks to everyone who turned out tonight to raise a glass.
Bud
Kris
Keith
Jeff
Austin
John
Kurt
Ian
Craig
John
Andrew G
John

Nick's Steakhouse And Pizza for keeping all of us "fueled" tonight with energy to put on Three coats.

Total number of coats = 25 coats on each

Dec 19th, Monday Night

Windy and cold...
Andy, Craig, Andrew G., Andrew P., Ian and Kurt worked on getting down a light coat and a medium on each tonight.

Total Coats = 22 on each.

We also put out the nets and goalies on the lower ice.

Hope to see all of us cheering on Thursday for the Christmas party.

Thanks everyone.

Keep the hose on the ice,
Kurt

Ice Crystals in the Air

Team safety meeting last night. The snow was falling fairly steady when we got down there last night around 8 PM.
Craig, Andrew P., Claire, Jeff, Austin, John, Jamie and Kurt were ready to throw down some serious water, but the falling white stuff gave us pause for the cause.
So instead, we monitored the snow, scraped the upper ice with new SNOW PUSHER. They work very well! Especially with a skiff of snow and using the squeegee edge it cleans really nicely.

This weekend is going to be warm and the ice will get used, lace up your skates and give it a try this weekend. We will GO Monday night at 8 PM. Then Thursday we will have our annual ICE GUYS Christmas Cheer. Bring down your favorite Bevy to share and be merry.

I set up the timer last night to go 4-12am.

20 coats and holding.

See you Monday.
Keep the hose on the ice,

Kurt

Day 8, Skaters tonight

We got down at 8 PM and found three skaters playing hockey on the lower ice wearing headlamps.
Kris, Dave, Austin, Craig and Kurt turned on the lights before flooding the upper ice, and witnessed the three skaters grabbing our shovels to scrape off the ice they were just playing on. NICE GUYS!

We put to coats on tonight

Total number of coats = 20 on each.

The future weather looks good to keep flooding Wednesday, and Thursday.  Let's get out there and do a last PUSH before the weekend.
Anyone that can make would be greatly appreciated.

Did I mention BEER?

Keep the hose on the ice,
Kurt

Getting Ready For Skaters

Yesterday, Monday Dec 12, we had a small team in the after noon flood 2 coats. We finished by 4 PM and came back at 8 PM for another 3 coats on each.
Total number of coats = 18 on each.

Here are some photos taken with Bud's camera yesterday... Kurt, Glenn, Andy, Lee, and Kris.

As we walked down to the surface there were skater's marks on both surfaces. The ice is still fairly thin and does need more coats to get ready for the mass public coming out this weekend. So, we are going to go every night this week at 8 PM . Thursday will be the last night at 8 PM. Take the weekend off and flood Monday night at 8 PM. We will put out the nets and goalies Tuesday night next week... gonna need some help with that.

Regular schedule is Monday and Thursday nights at 8 PM. If there is a big dump of snow we will need help to clear and we'll organize a time to do so.

See you tonight at 8 PM

Keep the hose on the ice,
Kurt

Day 7, and 15 Coats

The afternoon team was down today at 2 PM to scrape, shovel, clear and flood.
Thanks to Bud, Lee(Bud's friend), Kris, Glenn and Kurt for getting a couple of layers on before the official flood tonight.
Total number of Coats = 15

We will continue to flood without the nets this week and put the nets out Monday next week.

Hope to see a group tonight. Kris and Kurt are down but we need more to make it easier.

See you at 8 PM

Keep the hose on the ice,
Kurt

Friday Night Flood Fest!

The bone chilling -22ºC didn't hold us back from making ice last night. The Annual Flood Fest was a great success thanks to all the great people that weathered the cold.
People like; Jamie, Craig, Dave, Ian, Mike Morel (from Tuscany), Ben (the new guy that can down to skate, then came back help us), Dennis (didn't really help but loved the sausages), Bud, Russ(Bud's friend), Andy, Glenn, Claire, Grant and Kurt.

Even though it wasn't a record setting night for the number of coats, (some say 17), we layered and built a quality amount of water putting down 8 coats on each.

Coats to date = 13 on each in SIX days!!!!

A big shout out to Spolumbos and Village Brewery for there generous donations in fueling us for the night!

Let's take the weekend off and go again every night we can next week at 8 PM. However... Bud, Kurt, Kris and Andy are down Monday at 2 pm if anyone would like to join us. We go Monday night at 8 PM as well.

Keep the hose on the ice,

Kurt

Day 5, Ready for Skates

WOW!

We have had an incredible week of cold weather and warm bodies out late at night! Last night we were able to stay and get another heavy coat on.

Thanks to Craig, Kurt, Andrew P, Austin, Bill, Ian, Colin and a surprise appearance form BUD.
As you can see in the photo around the fire we are warming up our beverages. Yes it has been cold.

Hope to see all of you that can make it down to the Flood Fest tonight. Should be a great time and a productive event.


Keep the hose on the ice,
Kurt

Day 4, Four coats down

Made quick work of it tonight at 8-10 PM, by laying down another coat.
Total Coats = 4 on each.

Great work by Dave, Jeff, Andy, Glen, Andrew and Kurt as part of the rotating team of iceguys getting the job done. We can see some great parts on the upper ice already. It would not be a surprise to see some skate marks real soon from a brave skater.

Thursday night (tomorrow), we will put down another heavy coat. Then Friday's Flood Fest we will attach and work with the nozzle and put on many, many lighter coats.

This daytime shot was taken this morning.

Keep the hose on the ice,

Kurt

Day Three, 3rd BIG Coat

Well the hard work is paying off. After our third day, and without the nozzle attached, we have put down a total of 3 layers on the rinks.
Speaking of layers, everyone last night layered up the clothing as the temperature keeps hovering around -20ºC.
It is hard to tell who's who in the photos with all the big coats being worn.  Claire, Austin, Ian, Dave, Craig, Jamie and Kurt stayed on the hose til about 10:30 PM to ensure a proper flood.

Claire trying to stay warm.

We are going everynight at 8 PM.  See you done there.

Keep the hose on the ice,

Kurt

Day Two of First Floods

Great turn out last night and put another HUGE layer on both rinks.
Number of Layers = 2

Thanks to Ian, Craig, Andrew P., Bill (new iceguy), Grant, Jeff and Kurt.

 

Temperature was -18ºC but felt colder.

 

We took the nozzle off the hose to get some good volume down quick and fill in the low areas. It seemed to work well, and everyone on the shift last night was making suggestions to improve the process. Great work team!

We are organizing our annual Flood Fest for this Friday Dec. 9, around 6:00 PM. Special thanks to Spolumbos and The Village Brewery for helping fuel us IceGuys.

We will start the BBQ around 6 PM and flooding around 7ish. Kids are more than welcome they can help out or watch us. We will have hot dogs for the kids too. The temperature will be perfect for setting a new record of number of layers in one night.
Depending on who you ask. the record is 17 coats on both sheets of ice on a previous Flood Fest.
Make sure you don't have plans for Saturday, cause you will be sleeping in!




Keep the hose on the ice,

Kurt

First Flood, The first week of December

It is hard to believe that we have not had cold enough weather to start until Dec. 04, 2016.
Our dedicated team of Rosemont Iceguys swarmed the lightly snow covered grass yesterday in order to get a good base going.
Thanks to Craig, Bud, Andrew, Colin, Ian, Jamie, Andy, Austin and Kurt for running two shifts Sunday afternoon and evening to lay down enough water to create a slurpee base to start this late season.

 Photo shows Ian and Austin flattening the snow by hand instead of being pulled by a truck. In years past we have had much more snow that helped us to quickly pack one night, let it set overnight, and then flood. This year is pressing us to try different approaches to getting the ice up and ready.

Craig discovered by dragging a snow shovel over the freshly made slurpee, knocks down and helps flatten the slurpee and getting the air out.

Colin, the new guy and firefighter, showed us that taking a shovel hand held by two iceguys under the hose, helps to squeeze the air AND water out and down when draining the hose before rolling up hose.  This is much better than our old method of over the shoulder.

We are going every night this week Dec 05-11th to take advantage of the deep freeze.
Keep the hose on the ice,

Kurt

No Shinny, The Third Week

It is sad and disheartening to see the ice like this with all of our work and efforts this year in keeping the ice in the best shape it has ever been... now melt away.

This Thursday we can get together for a pint and piece of pie as well clean up the yard a bit. Put away shovels and goalies and reflect a bit on the year.
Let me know if this work for you by emailing me availability, say 6:30-7 pm to meet,

Kurt

Blame It On The Weather!

It was a great, very short season. This 2015/2016 ice making year seemed to go by so quickly.  After a struggle to get the ice ready before Christmas the ice was as good as it has been in years thanks to all the volunteers:
Kris
Ian
Biagio
Jeff
Craig
Andy
Andre
Claire
John
Austin
Andrew G.
Andrew P.
Glen
Dave
Kelly
Keith
Jesse
Jim
Kurt
Conrad
Bud (The silent and invisible one)

Number of Coats this year
Nov.   19
Dec.   31
Jan.    31
Feb.   8

Total = 89

We are going to have to thank ourselves with some beer and pizza soon. As the melting continues I will pick a night and we can put away the gear and have a cheer.
Note for next year equipment wise, we need to get some new snow shovels and light ones that we can keep locked up in the shed for just us.

Big cheers to all of you.

Thanks
Kurt

It Was Like Military Exercise!!!

The emergency flood tonight was well executed.

Craig emailed me first thing this morning after he studied the weather pattern for this week. He suggested that tonight might be the best and/or only night to get a flood in. He was Right!

After the emergency call-out to the squad of iceguys this morning, I was able to juggle your busy schedules. Some at 7 pm and others at 8 and 9 PM.

Biagio, Craig, Kris and I scraped off the ice at 7 pm. We met DAVE, skater from Huntington Hills, who came down to get a workout on the ice. He helped us after he skated on the lower ice. Meanwhile we were flooding the upper. Thanks Dave.

Craig recruited Conrad, one of the shinny dads on Tuesday night to help out if he could. Conrad, showed up before 8 pm with his cousin to give us a hand. So the 6 of us laid down a coat and talked over a pop while waiting for the H2O to solidify. Then put down the second coat.

Jeff, like clockwork showed up before 9 pm, while just Craig and I at this point. Craig handed the "torch" to Jeff and I putting down a third layer on each.

As if the night couldn't be orchestrated well enough... Ian shows up to put the finishing touch on the last coat. Yes, that is right, 4 coats on each tonight!

Well done everyone. With temperatures barely freezing over night, for the next 7 days, it was great to get this done while we could.

Don't forget the Party Friday night. Bring the kids! Have a skate and a cheers to yourself for the work done!

Thanks,
Kurt

Yesterday's Flood

Great turnout last night!

Kris, Craig, Andrew P., Ian and I washed the sheets with two coats on the upper and three lower.
The upper ice is getting the worst of the warm weather.  We noticed the melting run-off from the north slope is already making the ice turn yellow and thinning.
We were commenting on how much better it is to have the hockey set up on the lower ice. The question was posed as to who's idea was it to move the hockey to the lower ice.....

Of course it was Biagio who for years was the big advocate of migrating the nets south.

The weather doesn't look good for a flood Thursday I'll keep you posted either way but for now I say no go!

Cheers
Kurt