Complexities of curling ice

The curling season came to a shattering close yesterday morning as the ice surface at the Fort Frances Curling Club was ripped up for the summer.
Unlike the end of the soccer season or the football season, where you always can find other places to kick or throw a ball, the end of the curling season hinges indisputably with the availability of ice.
With no fanfare, all six sheets of ice were removed from the club yesterday after a very successful season of play. Like the game itself, the removal of the ice was time-consuming and loud, with occasional violent spurts of action.
However, the process of laying the ice to start the season is a drastic contrast to the way in which it is removed.
“We turn the plant on for three to four days so it will get cold enough to begin misting,” explained club manager Rick Grenda.
Misting is the process by which a thin layer of water is spread over the bare concrete floor. That layer freezes and provides a base upon which the rest of the surface is built.
“It takes the better part of an hour to get it set up,” added Grenda. “But once you’re done that, you can start flooding.”
Flooding the ice is exactly what you would imagine it to be—large quantities of water are spread to make up the majority of the curling surface. From there, the lines are painted and rings are laid down.
“The paint is a powdered mixture, a lot like finger paint,” noted Kevin Busch, who was on hand to help with the ice removal yesterday. “The white base gets sprayed on, and then the lines go down and the rings are rolled on.”
A crew from Thunder Bay makes the trip every year to take care of the painting responsibilities.
After the misted layer, the flood, and the painting, the ice measures around an inch deep, but another number of layers are laid down before play can begin.
At the end of the process, the ice can measure three inches thick or more.
“This process is a little different than at a hockey rink,” said Busch. “They can use that heavy equipment to get their ice down. If you’re out a little, no one really notices.”
And with the use of a Zamboni over the course of the winter, mistakes will get worked out.
“[At the curling rink], if you’re an inch out at either end, the rocks will let you know,” Busch added.
From start to finish, the curling club goes from bare concrete to playable ice in less than two weeks.
Taking that ice out requires considerably less precision.
“We turned the plant off on Thursday night,” noted Grenda. “That gives three or four days for the ice to soften up.”
After that, it’s as simple as opening the door and letting a front-end loader get a piece of the ice.
Glen Carmody has been responsible for ice removal for a few years now. Within a few hours, he’ll break up the ice and haul it outside to melt.
A couple of quick sprays with the hose eliminates any remaining paint residue from the concrete—leaving the floors bare and ready for next year.
Or, in the case of the Fort Frances Curling Club, ready for a garage sale. The club will be holding its annual fundraiser on Saturday, May 3.