It isn't surprising, given that longevity, that Zamboni technology has
 advanced about as fast as the machines move on the ice. Zambonis now are more
 efficient and have had small refinements over the years, but the ones that
 lumber out of the Paramount plant aren't radically different from those
 produced 20 years ago. And the principal mechanism is exactly the same as the
 one jury-rigged by Frank Zamboni in 1949 when he was looking for a fast,
 efficient way to clean ice at his indoor rink in Paramount.
 
 At that time, the only way to resurface ice was by hand. A tractor would drag
 a scraper over the ice, and three to five men would scoop away the shavings
 and spray water over the surface. Zamboni wanted to cut down on the 1 1/2 hour
 time the job took.
 
 He tinkered seven years with a Jeep chasis, a conveyor belt and a blade before
 he came up with a workable prototype that shaved the ice surface, carried the
 shavings to a holding tank and smoothed the surface with clean water and a
 towel. Shortly after the machine debuted at Zamboni's rink, Olympic skating
 star Sonja Henie ensured his lasting fame.
 
 Henie, on tour with an ice show, came to the rink to practice and saw the
 machine. She wanted one to take on the road, and Zamboni built No. 2 just for
 her. The Zamboni -- the machine, not the inventor -- traveled with Henie
 throughout North America and Europe, and every rink operator who saw it wanted
 one for his own.
 
 And the cult of the Zamboni was born. The first 16 machines were built by
 Frank himself, all on four-wheel-drive Jeeps and all different. The last major
 innovation was a dumping mechanism added in 1964. But while the machine hasn't
 advanced much, its celebrity has.
 
 The newest Zamboni technique is the two-machines-at-once approach, created by
 Rasmussen and his partner at Met Center, Bruce Tharaldson. The two men use Met
 Center's Zambonis simultaneously, cutting down the time needed to resurface
 the ice and allowing the new surface to cure more before the players return.
 
 Ice crews around the NHL are watching and imitating the North Stars' crew,
 which is regarded as the best in the business. To Rasmussen, Tharalson and the
 six other crew members, driving the Zamboni isn't just a job; it's an art that
 requires a delicate touch and a craftsman's sensibility.
 
 The Met Center ice is one inch thick. In order to resurface it, the Zamboni
 driver must move the machine over the rink in a precise pattern, being careful
 not to miss any spots and to get into the corners. He must set the blade at
 the right height to shave about 1/16th of an inch of ice, and he has to
 regulate the water flow so that it freezes properly and doesn't create slush.
 
 "It's alot like driving a car," Rasmussen said. "The difficult part is all the
 levers. One of the machines is throttled by hand; then you have the blade
 adjustment and the water control. YOu have to be careful around the doors so
 you don't catch the carriage on something. And with two of us out there, I
 hope we never run into each other."
 
 to be continued... Carol White U of MN GO Gophers!!!