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18 R INK MAGAZ INE july/august 2010 STARrinks.com s the saying goes, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." So it goes with ice rinks. The names of cus- tomers change, but the day-to-day busi- ness remains the same. With the challenges facing local and national economies, we work hard to make sure that every day when we open the doors, people will come in. When the Space Coast Iceplex opened in Rockledge, Fla. in June 1997, no one could have predicted what the future might hold. From hurricanes to national championships to a full recession, we have stayed the course. We are still the "mom and pop" organization we were 10 years ago, but mom and pop have gotten a little older and, hopefully, a little wiser. Our industry is constantly striving to become more efficient through new tech- nology and ideas. In 2007 we installed a new evaporator and Evapco Pulse Pure chemical-free water treatment system. The two units saved thousands of dollars by reducing head pressures, which increased refrigeration efficiency. The added plus is that we no longer depend on expensive chemicals to maintain our system. With the extensive heat and harsh conditions in Florida, we looked to the sky (actually the roof) for help in keeping our facility cooler. In 2009 we decided to have the roof coated with an Elasto Matic coating. After a full year, it has proven to keep the roof cooler and, in turn, the entire building. Being a single, Olympic-sized sheet of ice, we have activities scheduled on the ice seven days a week from 5:30 a.m. until at least midnight. That can take a toll on the Zamboni and the blade. We are fortu- nate, however, to have a "guardian angel" in Randy Davis, who is our "blade guy." He not only does custom skate sharpen- ing but also has developed a sharpening machine for the Zamboni blade, which is sharpened at least three days a week and helps to keep our ice smooth. Being a guardian angel isn't always easy, however. When an over-zealous cus- tomer decides to flush the toilet with their foot and breaks the handle (during our annual sold-out Christmas show) and water spews forth, it's Randy to the rescue. When something goes wrong at the Iceplex, the first person to call is Rick Ninko. But the next to call is always Randy, who can fix anything. Since we have so many ice cuts on a single resurfacer, it's important that our drivers are well trained. We currently have two SIRO certified drivers and two more who have completed the SIRO course and are working on their ice cuts. We also have Jake Ninko, who has become a certified SIRO instructor to make sure all our drivers stay up to date and safe. Jake also has been attend- ing the NARCE conference with his dad for the last couple of years to take the necessary classes to become a CIT. Rick Ninko has been a CIT for several years and knows the importance of his son following those foot- steps. So, we've made all of these improvements and have this beau- tiful ice. It stands to reason that we should have some amazing athletic teams to train here. And boy, do we ever. In 2004, Katie Nyman joined our figure skating team from England. Her first team consisted of 12 skaters of varying ages. Since then, the numbers have grown to nearly 100 skaters in four dif- ferent divisions. They have won numerous national and international competitions, as has our Junior C hockey team, which cap- tured the Tier 2 national championship. So, as this mom and pop grow older (and wider), we are happy to share our experiences with anyone who has the desire for long hours and hard work. Knowing that our own children are keeping the tradition is a joy to us. Our son Jake was the Captain of that Junior C team that won the national title and is our assistant manager here at the Iceplex while attending college. Our daughter Kristin married an Aussie last October and now resides in Melbourne, Australia where she is the Skate School and Events Manager at the Icehouse, the brand-new, 70 million-dollar Olympic training facil- ity for all of Australia. We are one proud mom and pop! ★ featured rink Where are they now? A by RICK NINKO ■ Each issue we'll re-visit a facility that has been highlighted in a past issue as a Featured Rink. Originally featured in November/December 2005 Space Coast Iceplex

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