zamboni malfunctions

[killer_carlson]

what the hell?

how can a canadian olympics have:

a) a zamboni malfunction; and

b) some zamboni malfunctions????


it's utterly ridiculous

[OILFAN #81]

what the hell?

how can a canadian olympics have:

a) a zamboni malfunction; and

b) some zamboni malfunctions????


it's utterly ridiculous

I can totally understand it happening once and them resolving the problem but this is the 2nd time it has happened in a matter of days. It's been 30 minutes of a delay. The athletes who are about to go must be pissed off that they have to wait around and it ruins what they prepared for.

[Dan02]

but it's the greenest olympics zamboni ever!

[troutman]

what the hell?

how can a vancouver olympics have:

a) a zamboni malfunction; and

b) some zamboni malfunctions????


it's utterly ridiculous

there's you answer

[DownhillGoat]

Maybe that fountain tire guy took them out for a spin again.

[FurnaceFace]

It's an Olympia ice refinisher.

[getbak]

It's an Olympia ice refinisher.
Yes. Don't disparage the good name of the Zamboni company.

[Papi34]

Garbage. This is so ridiculous almost embarrassing

[browna]

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=e30332f9-ffb9-4711-a288-105722d63f55

Battery powered.

And the Canucks may have longer intermissions next year, as these are coming to GM Place next year.

As I said in the other thread, have everyone chip in and do the carbon offset for a gas powered Olympia...although that may destroy the delicate eco-system they seem to have manufactered in there with all the green initiatives.

[dissentowner]

Now they are saying an hour delay. Embarrassing!

[Papi34]

Ugh may be postponed for another day. RIDICULOUS

We shoulda got the 2010 games.

[DownhillGoat]

Schlupp said the new machines use about 25 cents worth of energy for each cleaning, compared with $3 to $3.50 for propane or natural gas machines.I wonder if that was even calculated properly. How many emissions came from the natural gas turbine to charge that ice re-finisher? I'm all for doing my part, but this green initiative gets to be a little too much sometimes.

- - - edit - - -

This article is ridiculous

Mansur noted the league plans to end the production of paper media guides within two years by putting digital versions on discs and expects most teams will do the same.
Paper: recyclable, renewable resource.
CD's : aluminum, plastic. Non-renewable resource. Not to mention the paper that's still used when users of the media guides print them from the cd...

[_Q_]

I want these Olympics to succeed. I really do. But to be quite honest these have been the most amateur Olympics I have ever seen. So much so that I think the IOC will think twice before rewarding the Olympics to Canada again. First death of Nodar in a track that was poorly designed. The debacle of the National Anthem and the Cauldron (both indoor and outdoor), the rain delays and now the malfunctioning Olympia machines. This is truly embarrassing.

[chalms04]

Wow, that shot of the ice looked terrible.

[Jesse834]

Epic fail

[3 Justin 3]

haha, after the next 10 guys, they have to re-surface again. Then they rest, then go 10 guys, then the next 10 pairs. This won't finish until June.

[browna]

I wonder if that was even calculated properly. How many emissions came from the natural gas turbine to charge that ice re-finisher? I'm all for doing my part, but this green initiative gets to be a little too much sometimes.

Even if true, those margins are thrown out if they have to reschedule this to another day...the cost of refunds and reticketing are huge.

That, and then the environmental thing, having to open the oval and power on all the lights and clean everything all over again on an off day.

[DownhillGoat]

The debacle of the National Anthem
I missed that. What happened?

[_Q_]

I missed that. What happened?

It didn't sound like O Canada. Sounded like a broadway tune.

[Sluggo]

Only green I see is the grass.

Better bring your winter jackets, we are going to Canada's warmest winter city.

[killer_carlson]

This is the sort of thing that someone should get fired for.

[Jetsfan]

Geez...come on Vancouver get it together...you're representing the whole country and making us look like idiots!!!

[CMPunk]

So is it the machine that's having issues or is it the people in charge

[Machiavelli]

Amateur hour(s)

[Sluggo]

I bet the Zamboni was made in China and shipped over on a leaky oil freighter that illegally dumped some waste in the middle of the Pacific.

[3 Justin 3]

So is it the machine that's having issues or is it the people in charge

Well the machine has broken down twice, they obviously don't know how to fix it/how it works.

[3 Justin 3]

Well I'm off to eat. With the way things are going, I'll be back and they'll still be waiting. :D

[Bob]

I wonder if that was even calculated properly. How many emissions came from the natural gas turbine to charge that ice re-finisher? I'm all for doing my part, but this green initiative gets to be a little too much sometimes.

- - - edit - - -

This article is ridiculous


Paper: recyclable, renewable resource.
CD's : aluminum, plastic. Non-renewable resource. Not to mention the paper that's still used when users of the media guides print them from the cd...

With a price difference of 80,000 dollars, and a savings of at most $3.25/clean, they'd have to clean the ice over 24,000 times just to offset the additional cost; 6.5 years at 10 cleans/day. That thing is also battery powered, and batteries are full of nasty chemicals and the like, plus they evidently break down all the time.

[FlameCity]

So is it the machine that's having issues or is it the people in charge

It's got to be the machines because I believe the ice crew taking care of the ice in Vancouver is the ice crew from the Oval in Calgary

[FurnaceFace]

I want these Olympics to succeed. I really do. But to be quite honest these have been the most amateur Olympics I have ever seen. So much so that I think the IOC will think twice before rewarding the Olympics to Canada again. First death of Nodar in a track that was poorly designed. The debacle of the National Anthem and the Cauldron (both indoor and outdoor), the rain delays and now the malfunctioning Olympia machines. This is truly embarrassing.

I think we're focusing too much on these things as they're in our own back yard.

As I'm sure was pointed out in the luge thread, the course is not designed by a Canadian or by VANOC, it is a course building expert from Europe and sanctioned by the federation. It really has nothing to do with how the games we organized.

The national anthem is on VANOC but I would doubt anyone besides Canadians and some media really care.

The opening ceremonies torch was disappointing. I don't know if the protection of the torch is any different than other Olympics where the torch would be in a publicly accessible area. Agreed, it would be good if there was a better viewing angle, and hindsight says they should have thought of a better way to provide access. THe opposite though, is imagine how much hue and cry would occur if they allowed access to it and someone vandalized it or got marshmallowed by it.

The ice refinisher is crazy and just sounds like a bunch of bad luck with two machines dying and the third having studded tires.

The weather is a red herring, they've had weather problems in a bunch of Olympics:

At the 2006 Turin Games, the women's super-G race was pushed back 24 hours, and the combined event was split over two days. The start of Alpine skiing at the 1998 Nagano Olympics was delayed for two days, and they wound up needing to shoehorn nine races into 10 days — even racing more than once in a single day. The men's and women's downhills were both postponed at the 1984 Sarajevo Games.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5inRHe8NDLLDzdXL2GoqNOwmtL7qAD9DRMDOG0

I think all Olympics have problems and at the end of it, they are mostly forgotten after they are done. Nomar's death will be a lasting memory, and rightly so.

[DownhillGoat]

It didn't sound like O Canada. Sounded like a broadway tune.
Anybody have a link for the video of that?

[604flames]

To play devil's advocate, the Vancouver Giants have been using Olympia machines for at least two seasons (though not at every game) and it hasn't broken down once there.

[Resolute 14]

Paper: recyclable, renewable resource.
CD's : aluminum, plastic. Non-renewable resource. Not to mention the paper that's still used when users of the media guides print them from the cd...

I'm still pissed that I can't get a paper media guide for the Flames anymore. Paper books >>> PDFs, even if I had to pay $10 for the paper book.

But, yeah, this Olympia machine is an epic fail.

To play devil's advocate, the Vancouver Giants have been using Olympia machines for at least two seasons (though not at every game) and it hasn't broken down once there.

But are they using the "OMG! It's GREEN!" model?

The Flames have been using an Olympia for well over a decade with no problems as well.

[604flames]

But are they using the "OMG! It's GREEN!" model?

The Flames have been using an Olympia for well over a decade with no problems as well.
Sorry to disappoint, they're equipped with the OMG! It's WHITE! model.. unless it got a paint job.

[_Q_]

Sorry don't know how to imbed video, but here's the national anthem:

http://en.sevenload.com/videos/mU7EEkI-O-Canada-Nikki-Yanofsky-2010-Vancouver-Olympics

Edit: If you want to see how a national anthem is supposed to be done at the olympics check these out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNSz0_XJD4s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2zsonAGcto&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp5j9wuywUU

All the above versions are very powerful renditions of the national anthem. I particulary like the Italian one for some reason. You instantly recognize what country's national anthem you are listening to. This is not the opening of the 2010 Grey Cup where it's ok for the singer to "own" the song. This is the Olympics, O Canada is supposed to give us all goosebumps during an event like this. The national anthem should be one of the most memorable parts of the ceremony, but just like the lighting of the cauldron, it was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

[SOMBRI2]

Canada? 'Relax, take it easy approach'.

No surprise but it's definitely embarrassing.

[Hemi-Cuda]

so we've already had an epic torch failure and 2 zamboni failures causing massive delays, and it's only the 4th day. these are the Olympics, the biggest event Canada has ever hosted and they've had 6 years to prepare everything. now i've never paid this close of attention to an Olympic games before for obvious reasons, but is this kind of stuff common? because for such a huge event on the world stage, Vancouver is coming across as fairly bush league so far

[SOMBRI2]

exactly, to some tiny details, could i blame the fashion designer?

man....the ceremony of figure skating.....black carpet, and the chaperons wear dark grey jackets...so no contrast at all? i know it's aesthetic than technical, but british, french or americans would laugh out loud!

[Jesse834]

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/speed-skating/news/newsid=43070.html#zamboni+airlift+rescue+oval
Indeed, in a late-day announcement Monday, the Vancouver organizing committee known as VANOC declared they would be doing exactly that. A Zamboni ice resurfacer from Calgary was to be on the ice by Tuesday, they said.

[Tyler]

I'm still miffed why people are upset about the anthem at the opening ceremonies.

I thought she did a great job, and it was nice to see a bit of a twist put on the anthem.

Geez guys.. it wasn't Jann Arden back in 04 BAD.

[Mayer]

I'm still miffed why people are upset about the anthem at the opening ceremonies.

I thought she did a great job, and it was nice to see a bit of a twist put on the anthem.

Geez guys.. it wasn't Jann Arden back in 04 BAD.

Agreed. I've heard better performances of it, but the version she did was not bad at all.

[HOOT]

I'm still miffed why people are upset about the anthem at the opening ceremonies.

I thought she did a great job, and it was nice to see a bit of a twist put on the anthem.


Worst version I have ever heard. IMO the Canadian national anthem is not an R&B song and shouldn't be sang as such. It was very disappointing in my eyes.

She did a great job singing it but the way she sang it was the problem for me. I didn't even realize what she was singing at first when I heard it from the kitchen.

I'm glad there is lots of time and medals to be given away so most will hopefully forget some of these things. i.e. The Great One holding on to a back of a pickup for 30 minutes.

And the whole thing with people not being able to get close or even clear pictures of the Torch is ridiculous. How stupid can these people be? "We didn't realize people would be that interested in it." Really? Is that why you kept it a secret for all this time? Because no one cares. Stupid!

[SteveToms]

I think people are being a little hard on Vancouver, probably because of the Canucks. Lay off.

[HOOT]

I think people are being a little hard on Vancouver, probably because of the Canucks. Lay off.

Well people blaming things on Vancouver as a city is just silly and they are just trying to get a rise out of the Canuckleheads.

From what I have heard and read is it is actually a guy from Calgary taking care of the ice at 'The Ro' during the Olympics. Which would make me guess it is his people repairing the machine along with those at Oylimpia which is from Ontario.

[Infamous1]

damn calgary ice guy needs to get his act together.......

in all seriousness, this hasn't been a smooth 3 days and hopefully all the bad luck is gone and the rest of the Olympics are great.

Seeing the medal ceremony for the Moguls guy who won the gold for Canada was sweet. Lets hope we get a lot more gold medals.

[Hemi-Cuda]

I think people are being a little hard on Vancouver, probably because of the Canucks. Lay off.

it's not just the Canucks, Vancouver as a sports city itself seems kinda cursed. and some of the head people in charge are making some pretty stupid decisions, like using with a flashy new electric zamboni that had problems in training instead of using a trusted maching you know will work properly the first time. or building a luge track with steel beams right next to a dangerous corner with no protection. or having a Canadian sports icon riding in the back of a pickup in the rain for 20 minutes with virtually no security

i will say the torch fail in the opening ceremonies isn't anyone's fault, since that same door apparently worked earlier in the presentation. but then again that just adds to the whole curse thing

[SebC]

I wonder if some of these problems can be attributed to the Olympics becoming too commercial.

Zamboni is not a sponsor, so no Zamboni.
Coke gets a monopoly on food/beverages, people go hungry at Cypress.

Use the best tool for the job, let people bring their own food... and you don't have these problems.

[SeeBass]

I cant believe that some of you guys didn't enjoy the anthem.

I thought it was one of the best I ever heard.

It was moving, emotional, powerful, tasteful and sung perfectly.

Outside of some of you guys I have not heard a complaint from anybody.

Either you get it or you don't, I guess

[valo403]

Apparently they're bringing in an actual Zamboni from Calgary to save the day

[skins]

Really? Why from Calgary? There are no other spare Zamboni's in Vancouver that can do the job? They must be sending the one from the Calgary Oval (some kind of specialized Zamboni?).

[habernac]

I'm still miffed why people are upset about the anthem at the opening ceremonies.

I thought she did a great job, and it was nice to see a bit of a twist put on the anthem.

Geez guys.. it wasn't Jann Arden back in 04 BAD.

yes, it was. It reminded me of the ridiculously long anthems sung by Little Richard in the movie Mystery, Alaska.

[Addick]

like using with a flashy new electric zamboni that had problems in training instead of using a trusted maching you know will work properly the first time.

Electric ice resurfacing machines are not flashy new toys, they've already proven themselves in Europe and even parts of Canada. Also, I haven't heard any complaints about the ones being used at the Pacific Coliseum.


They'll replace their $90,000 propane ice-cleaning machines with $170,000 battery-powered electric models with zero emissions -- a common sight on European ice surfaces but relatively new to North American rinks.


"In Scandinavia, you can't even sell a natural-gas or propane machine to an indoor facility because no one wants them," said Resurfice Corp. owner Andy Schlupp, whose Ontario-based company makes the electric machines. "I think in the next few years, you won't see any more propane or natural gas machines built."


Zamboni model electric ice-cleaning machines were used exclusively during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino and the Montreal Canadiens now use one to resurface their ice at the Bell Centre.

Full Article (http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=e30332f9-ffb9-4711-a288-105722d63f55)

[valo403]

Really? Why from Calgary? There are no other spare Zamboni's in Vancouver that can do the job? They must be sending the one from the Calgary Oval (some kind of specialized Zamboni?).

I have to assume that's the case, if you could just use any zamboni there'd be no need to reach out to Calgary.

[Bertuzzied]

I think people are being a little hard on Vancouver, probably because of the Canucks. Lay off.


All the criticism directed to these Olympics is Canuck free(well until tonite) and well deserved.

How can you botch the focal point of the entire olympics? The lighting of the torch is they key moment of any olympic games.

I wouldn't be surprised to see at the closing ceremony, them not being able to extinguish the Flame. hahaha. The Flames will be burning Vancouver once again.

[FurnaceFace]

Outside of some of you guys I have not heard a complaint from anybody.

Either you get it or you don't, I guess

It was a really big story after the opening ceremonies dress rehearsal. Directly from people who attended the rehearsal they said it got a horrible reaction. They did not have a clue it was the anthem and it was basically impossible to sing along to. It was in the Vancouver paper the day of the opening.

They should have had Mark Donnelley (sp) sing it...or imported Heather Liscano for a day and get it don right.

[Smell My Finger]

Vancouver has to be smartass's and use unproven Olympia's instead of Zamboni's. Even Catriona Lemay Doan questioned why Vancouover decided to sway from the norm.
What a debacle Vancouver is showing the world.:(

[Flashpoint]

Who sang the Canadian anthem at the opening ceremonies? I've heard a bit about it, but I can't seem to find a link anywhere.

Also - does anyone have a link to that apparent Kids in the Hall skit with Wayne Gretzky riding around in the back of a pickup while pursued by the homeless? Would love to see that.

Finally - thanks for the hysterical article on Calgary rescuing Vancouver's ice.

Link from above (http://www.ctvolympics.ca/speed-skating/news/newsid=43070.html#zamboni+airlift+rescue+oval)

Maybe, Canadian Kyle Parrott suggested, they should have gone with a Zamboni.

"Zambonis work," Parrott told The Canadian Press.

With one machine already out of commission after dumping snow and water about 20 metres from the inner lane's finish line Sunday, a second unit did the same thing Monday during a scheduled resurfacing after 10 pairs had raced in the first of two men's 500 races.

This time, the machine had to be pulled out of commission for some frantic repairs while a third unit, looking stark naked in plain white without the Olympic markings of its counterparts, was hauled out for an emergency flood.

Instead, it butchered the ice, prompting the Dutch team to suggest postponing the race, a notion rejected by International Skating Union officials, including president Ottavio Cinquanta.

Eventually, the secondary unit was repaired, and after three separate turns around the oval, each with chief ice-maker Mark Messer at the helm, the ice was smoothed out and skating allowed to resume after a 70-minute delay.

[Flashpoint]

Oh wow. I found a link to the anthem. That was horrific.

FSBRTR7m7-k

I'm so glad some producer convinced the organizers to allow our national anthem to tardized into a demo tape by a 16 year old I've never heard of.

I'm embarrassed.

[loob job]

I'm still miffed why people are upset about the anthem at the opening ceremonies.

I thought she did a great job, and it was nice to see a bit of a twist put on the anthem.

Geez guys.. it wasn't Jann Arden back in 04 BAD.

I also thought she did a great job, awesome voice.

[Bill Bumface]

^Begging for a techno remix

[The Yen Man]

I dunno, I didn't think the anthem was that bad. But then again, I'm the guy that was on here defending Nickleback, so what do I really know about music? :whistle:

[Jetsfan]

I'm still miffed why people are upset about the anthem at the opening ceremonies.

I thought she did a great job, and it was nice to see a bit of a twist put on the anthem.

Geez guys.. it wasn't Jann Arden back in 04 BAD.


It sounded like a Broadway show tune.

With all the great singers we have in Canada we got stuck with a girl whose only qualification for singing the anthem was that she was a daughter of one of the elites.

[You Need a Thneed]

^ The national anthem was perfectly fine. It was meant to be part of the spectacle, and it was. It wasn't meant to be sung along to.

If it hadn't sped up after the first two lines, though, then it would have been terrible. I'm thinking Bleeding Gums Murphy at the Springfield Isotopes game.

[3 Justin 3]

Well they brought one in from Calgary to use. :)

[Madman]

Really? Why from Calgary? There are no other spare Zamboni's in Vancouver that can do the job? They must be sending the one from the Calgary Oval (some kind of specialized Zamboni?).
Yes, it is the one from the Oval.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Calgary+Olympic+Oval+sends+Zamboni+Richmond+rescue +mission/2572112/story.html

[Resolute 14]

It would be rather ironic if the Zamboni came in and broke down.

[Smell My Finger]

Calgary has to show Vancouver that you stick with Zamboni's do not "try" a new technology that is unproven while the world watches and laughs at you.

[Bertuzzied]

It would be rather ironic if the Zamboni came in and broke down.

So shipping another 1 ton machine from a city 1300kms away and then sending it back again..... it would take another 25 years of operation to recover the 'green' from this. haha

[getbak]

Calgary has to show Vancouver that you stick with Zamboni's do not "try" a new technology that is unproven while the world watches and laughs at you.
The thing is, as far as I know, it isn't new or unproven technology.

The Saddledome has had an Olympia for years and the company that makes them has been around for 25 years. According to their website, they've been making an electric model since 1999.

One thing I have noticed at the Saddledome is that there always seems to be little puddles on the ice after the Olympias are done. Maybe that's a problem with those machines, and speed skating requires a more exacting resurfacing than the Olympia can provide.

[Resolute 14]

Yeah, it's not unproven technology, but VANOC probably went to Honest Ed's Used Ice Surfacers in Burnaby to save a couple bucks.

The Olympia failures are just bad luck.

[Hack&Lube]

Yeah, it's not unproven technology, but VANOC probably went to Honest Ed's Used Ice Surfacers in Burnaby to save a couple bucks.

The Olympia failures are just bad luck.

I thought Honest Ed's was only in Toronto :D

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Zamboni is loving this:

http://zamboni.com/news/Zamboni_Letter_021710.jpg

[pylon]

They should put a 20 year old, carboned up, 6 litre Cummins diesel in it before they ship it out.

[Tsawwassen]

It sounded like a Broadway show tune.

With all the great singers we have in Canada we got stuck with a girl whose only qualification for singing the anthem was that she was a daughter of one of the elites.

They should have used Heather Lascano or the opera like anthem singer from Montreal instead.

[Tsawwassen]

Well they brought one in from Calgary to use. :)The 1988 Olympics lives on! :)

[I-Hate-Hulse]

They should put a 20 year old, carboned up, 6 litre Cummins diesel in it before they ship it out.

It's in Richmond - don't forget. That means it'll be a 1.8 Honda motor wtih a blower and all sorts of HKS/Mugen go fast bits.