Flooding the Rink 1976
Each November, once the weather had changed and we made the shift from soccer to winter sports, the chore of preparing the rink loomed before us. This meant many late nights hauling the fire hose out in minus 25 degree temperatures, finding that the crew ahead of you had not drained the hose and spending hours thawing it all out!
Flooding the Rink 2004 (Is that a Zamboni??)
It meant convincing your dorm mates that if they wanted to enjoy a season of hockey – they had to help you flood the rink after study. It meant setting off the fire alarm when you forgot to set up the fire pump properly.
In the early years, it meant raiding the kitchen for grape and fruit punch crystals to make the red and blue lines. Only to have the weather warm up and do all of this again.
Tell us your memories of hockey season at Saint John’s?
February 14, 2011 at 8:13 pm
As an Australian who couldn’t skate, my memories of ice hockey were basically of being a human target when I stood helplessly in the goal!
February 15, 2011 at 1:44 am
It was our first Christmas experiencing a real Canadian winter as a family. I was born in Winnipeg, but my husband and children were true Vancouverites where winter meant rain not snow and ice. So, of course we all had to have ice skates. Christmas morning, all the boys were away and the other families were indoors, the Jones family went to the rink. A learning experience for all of us, with varying degrees of success. Our youngest, three-year-old Steve, got as far as getting his skates on, but to this day regrets that by that time the rest of us were ready to go inside and he didn’t get to skate that day. 🙁
February 17, 2011 at 8:16 pm
I will never forget those sub -30 nights flooding the rink with a fire hose and the fine mist from the high pressure water freezing to everything the instant it came out of the hose. After an hour of manning the hose you were stiff like a human ice sculpture and the freezing mist would form beautiful and elaborate halos around the nozzle.
February 25, 2011 at 7:00 am
I remember Pete Christensen came back with a frozen parka that shaped like a human body. Unfortunately, I did not have the honor to do the job during my time in SJSA. It might have been a priviledge I have earned with merit points? or perhaps it was just because I don’t know how to skate … 🙂