This beautiful ‘baby’ has had a long gestation period:

The arena renovation project began right after our 50^th anniversary in April of 2019, which meant melting the ice and replacing all the pipes, as well as going from a sand base to a concrete floor. In November, we rebuilt the ice surface’s exterior walls with 6’ plexiglass for safety, new team player benches, and a scorer’s booth. Then we were immediately shut down for covid.

 

What timing.

 

After all this work, we decided we needed to invest in the newest electric ice resurfacing machine model.

The delivery was longer than we expected due to all the excuses that the pandemic spawned – parts, ships stuck in the Suez Canal, supply chains, the whole shebang.

 

Finally, it was delivered.

 

 

But for more of the Zamboni story, we should go back to the opening of the Redwood Empire Ice Arena in 1969.

Part of the necessary equipment for any ice arena is an ice resurfacing machine – in this case, a product built in Southern California by Frank Zamboni.

Like everything in Sparky’s life, and because he likes funny words, Zamboni made it into the comic strip. In fact, he used the word Zamboni in 35 comic strips.

 

Here is the first of those strips, published on January 27, 1980.

 

The mention of Zamboni in the comic strip caught the eye of Richard Zamboni, Frank’s son, who was now running the company.

 

In 1996 Sparky dedicated this strip to Richard.

 

And in 2015, Richard and Alice Zamboni, along with other members of their family, came to check on the decorated Zamboni, which they had not seen.  Maybe they thought the characters would be nice cleaning the ice in their Paramount Arena.

 

And, of course, to let us know that an electric Zamboni should be in our future.

Everyone was coming to look at the new ‘baby,’ and of course, the studio staff had to get into the picture. (We will not be allowed to do this on the ice!)

 

This ‘baby’ has only a driver’s seat, so the passenger/observer rides we used to offer are no more. ( I am sure this is due to safety issues, and I will miss the delighted looks on people’s faces as they ‘toured’ the rink. However, the yellow Zamboni will serve as a backup, so maybe someday …)

Now this ‘yellow’ Zamboni will serve as a backup.

 

We are very happy to have Sonoma Clean Power as an additional sponsor of the new Zamboni.

 

You’ll notice when you watch the Zamboni ‘smooth’ the ice that the wheel caps remain in place, forever reminding us that Sonoma Clean Power is helping us to be greener.

Geoff Syphers and the Sonoma Clean Power crew met the LA and Alberta Zamboni staff, who had specifically asked to be assigned to deliver to Snoopy’s Home Ice because “Snoopy’s is the only skating arena of its kind.”

Switching from propane gas to electric eliminates all indoor air quality issues.  And the super bonus is that when the skaters stepped on the ice, they immediately noticed that the ice felt better.

This is because the machine’s engine does not heat the water being laid over the ice, so the cooler water causes less melting and more immediate freezing, and it does a better job of cutting the ice near the circumference.

After you visit the Museum’s newest exhibition, “Single-Panel Peanuts,” go next door to Snoopy’s Home Ice and test the ice yourself!

—Jean Schulz