Rink

How did you get into the industry? In the summer of 2000 I started working for the Parks and Recreation Department at the City of Buffalo, Minn. When winter came, I transferred to the ice arena to work in the pro shop sharpening skates, selling hockey tape, etc. The next winter I was promoted to ice resurfacer operator. What do you like best about your job in the ice industry? I love working with the hockey association, sharpening skates, early mornings and late nights, youth hockey tournaments, resurfacing the ice, high school hockey games, watch- ing mini-mites skate for the first time. What can I say? I love just about every- thing I do in the industry! Any funny stories from your career? I once started a resurface when I noticed a puck up against the boards in a corner (most of you already know where this is going). Since I already started resurfacing I decided that it wouldn't be too difficult to maneuver around a puck in the corner. As I came close to the puck I started to move further away from the boards. This would have worked, however I didn't think about the board brush. Needless to say, the board brush threw the puck underneath the ice resurfacer, and the augers soon picked it up. The puck banged around in the augers for a few sec- onds until the sound stopped. A few sec- onds later there was a loud bang. The silence was from the puck being thrown across the snow tank, and the bang was from the puck hitting the front of the snow tank. At the time I was only 18 and I thought the noise was pretty funny. I've recently learned at a STAR class that a puck making it all the way through the augers is very rare; usually it will get stuck and cause major damage. Why do you feel industry educa- tion is important? I have learned a great deal of information that I would not have learned anywhere else. Onsite job training can only go so far. The class- es offered by STAR go into detail about equipment operation and troubleshoot- ing. I am a much more confident employee from taking the CIT classes. Why is it important to be involved with an association like STAR? Through STAR you can network with other industry professionals. It is impor- tant in our industry to share information, problems and solutions. STAR offers many networking opportunities as well as industry education. Final Thoughts: I am currently a part-time employee at the Buffalo Civic Center. I hope to continue my career in the ice arena industry for many years to come. I paid my own way though the CIT classes knowing it will help me in this field. The cost of the classes was a great value and I'm very glad I took them. ★ ■ 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 november/december 2009 STARrinks.com Ryan Grittman Buffalo Civic Center Ryan Grittman Buffalo, Minnesota STAR Operator level: 4 Star Operator, CIT STAR/ORFA Courses Taken: • BR, April 2009, Denver, Colo. • IMPT, July 2009, Eagan, Minn. • IMEO, Oct. 2009, Burnsville, Minn. X

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