WINNIPEG – The transformation of the MTS Centre from hockey arena to curling rink has begun.
“We came in (Sunday) and put a levelling flood,” said Winnipegger Eric Montford, one of the men responsible for putting in the sheets for the Roar of the Rings Canadian Olympic qualifier and the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi. “After it froze, we painted, and you can see the results from there.”
All of the water used to flood the ice is deionized to remove the minerals and make it as pure as possible. But the most delicate process is getting the markings of the rings and hog lines just right.
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“It’s very critical because once it’s all in, we can’t move it,” said Montford. “It’s checked 10 times by several of us to make its sure it’s all perfect.”
The ice temperature is constantly monitored and recorded every 10 minutes right until a champion is crowned.
Winnipeg skip Chelsea Carey, who’ll be competing in the Roar of the Rings, said these are the best icemakers in the world and consistency is the key to perfect conditions.
“From sheet to sheet and throughout the game, you want it to react the same in the same spot all the time,” said Carey. “If it’s like that, then it doesn’t matter how much it curls or runs straight or whatever. Those things are a little bit less important as long as it does it every single time.”
The Roar of the Rings begin Sunday afternoon and wraps up a week later. When the event is over, crews will bring out the Zamboni and scrape the ice back down to reveal the Jets logo and the rest of the hockey lines.
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