Rink

January / February 2009

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How did you get into the industry? When my daughter started skating, I became involved in local club activities and later chaired several Sectional and National Competitions. When U.S. Figure Skating wanted to increase the number of active ice techs, I volunteered. My first assignment was the 1992 Championships in Orlando, Florida. What is the best tip or trick you picked up from STAR? Pay attention to the details and keep your ice resurfacing equipment clean and in good working condition. It's the little things that will come up and disrupt a schedule at the most inconvenient time; especially during a competition when you are working with a fine timeline! What is the funniest story from your career that you can share? During an ice make, I was watching an ice resurfacer with an oil leak make ice. Instead of fixing the leak they hung a pan underneath the machine to catch the oil. It did the job but sure looked funny. Tell us about the most embarrassing moment in your career. Being caught out on the ice immediately following a Synchro Awards ceremony with about 500 skaters doing victory laps around me while I could not move off the ice until the music finally stopped. What's the biggest mistake you have seen? During a major competition, someone in the building decided to change the air flow in the arena. They went from current event mode to hockey mode. Since the glass had been removed from the boards for the event, the flow of warm air was now directed down onto the ice and as a result, both ends of the arena did not set up. Unfortunately the change took place mid- way through the final event and we did not have time to recover. Final thoughts: Perfect ice is something all ice techs strive for. There is a fine line between good ice and great ice, and some- times the quality can be out of your con- trol. The education and training received from the STAR program and personnel goes a long way to helping the individual operator recognize the problems and take necessary corrective action that will satisfy both the hockey player and figure skater. ★ ■ Training, and recognition of training, is the best way to let colleagues and potential employers know who you are and what you have accomplished. Almost every industry has a measuring stick to help employers gauge the level of competency of a future employee. industry spotlight 62 R INK MAGAZ INE january/february 2009 David Gagnon X U.S. Figure Skating • WarwicK, R.I. STARrinks.com David Gagnon U.S. Figure Skating Warwick, R.I. Years in Industry: 16 STAR Operator level: 4 STAR / ORFA Courses Taken: • IMEO – Pittsburgh, PA June, 2003 • BR – Kingston, RI Aug. 2003 • IMPT – Falmouth, ME Sept. 2003 During an ice make, I was watching an ice resurfacer with an oil leak make ice. Instead of fixing the leak they hung a pan underneath the machine to catch the oil. It did the job but sure looked funny. DAVID GAGNON

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