Santa Fe Curling

Ice Prep

GCCC Ice Prep

Allow 20 minutes for ice prep with help, 30 minutes without.

  • Put Rocks out after Zam has made at least 2 passes by the boards
  • Warm up hacks with hot water. Unnecessary in Summer
    • this is sometimes optional. It depends on how cold the ice it. It takes a bit of experience to figure out when to. If the arena feels cold, then warm up the hacks. If it feels mild, then it is not necessary.
  • Fill the pebbler with hot water from large zam hose (big yellow hose on ceiling). Ask Zam driver if you do not know where the hose or shutoff is, they are happy to help. Fill it about 3/4 full. Use the “M” pebble head. Pebbler is on the shelf in the back zam room.
  • Put hacks in as soon as the Zam comes off. The back of the hack goes on the line. Eyeball it to make it square with the back line. Stand on each one for 30 sec to 1 minute to sink in. Put two rocks on each hack if you are pressed for time.
  • Pebbling: 2-3 passes per sheet. It depends how good the Zam cut was done. If the ice is rough, do 3 passes. Most of the time we just do 2 down the center of the sheet.
    • Prime the tank and hose line to get the air out. Spray for a few sections off the sheet.
    • The goal is 35-40 seconds back line to back line and 80 strokes. You should be whipping it quickly at hip height.
    • The spray should be about head high – that is about 1 pump every 2-3 steps. If the tank nears empty, it will require faster pumping.
    • For every pass, go in the opposite direction as the last.
    • Walk backward, just to the left of the centerline so the pebble head is in the middle of the sheet.
  • When finished, dump the remaining water into the Zam snow pit, spray out the hose. Leave the tank upside down in the snow pit to drain. Be careful with the pebble head. Put the pebbler back on shelf after the game.
  • If time allows, it is always a good idea to run rocks with the rock box. 4 passes per sheet is ideal but two on either side of the centerline is also good.

This video is a good guide, not all of it applies but the pebbling is close to what we want to do.