Olympic ice refers to the uniform ice surface designated for international competitions, including the Winter Olympics.
The skilled technicians are responsible for creating and maintaining the ice and are known as ‘ice masters’.
The team is tasked with maintaining the surface optimally for athletes to compete in sports such as curling, ice skating and ice hockey.
The ice hockey stadium in Milan-Cortina was built from scratch for the men’s and women’s games due to delays, concerns and last-minute construction.
But how do you make ice for the rink?
It all starts with laying five centimeters of insulation on the concrete floor. Engineers place a vapor barrier on top of the insulation before laying a mat containing glycol on top to keep the ice cold.
Then place the boards and glass walls around the rink and then add about 2 inches of water on top of the mat. At this time, ice sheets are created.
The surface is painted white, sealed and has ice hockey markings and logos added.
Finally, fill the rink with 3 to 4 cm of water to create a playing field. Temperatures remain between -5 and -4C.
Resurfacing machines, colloquially known as Zambonis, are sent out regularly to remove ice and form a new smooth layer.
Ice master Mark Messer, who oversees long track speed skating, said the most difficult part was “working with a new system for a high-profile event with very little time to prepare.”
He added that while ice had been made temporarily, ice had never been built on this scale for an Olympic Games.
Milan-Cortina will be the first venue where a temporary venue has been used for long track speed skating in the Winters.
