Meet the Iceman
It’s a cold prairie night at the outdoor rink. No wind. Temperature well below zero. A bit of a bite in the air. That puts a smile on the face of Alex Traboulay. It’s a perfect night for making ice. Alex and his crew of rink rats will use the snowblowers to clear the recent snowfall, followed by the sweepers to gloss the ice to a fine shine, and finish up with the 100-foot hose to put a new layer of ice on top.
Alex gives up most of his winter to make sure our rinks are among the best in the city. You’ve probably walked right by him at the Hidden Hut, never knowing he was responsible for the ice you just skated on. He prefers it that way. He’s unassuming, but very approachable, with a great laugh. We thought you’d like to meet one of Hidden Valley’s fine volunteers.
How long have you been doing this?
Since before covid. About 8 plus years.
Why would a guy be out here, in this weather, building a rink?
I’ve been volunteering since I was 20 years old, whether it’s been coaching hockey or lacrosse. When me and my family moved here in ’95, we helped with building the rink and the playground, and of course when the winter came it just made sense to help out with the rink.
What’s the process of building a rink?
Starting in November, I’ll put the plugs in the drains. It’s all weather dependant. This year we were lucky and started flooding in November. Usually, we don’t get started until early December. It takes about three weeks of flooding, sometimes two to three floods per day to get the ice up to a certain level where it can sustain the skaters and the weather. So probably about 40 hours’ worth of flooding. Our plan is always to get it ready to go by the Christmas break. Then, after that, it’s just maintenance. We try to sweep the ice every day and flood every second day. That’s of course, dependant on usage and weather. So, probably five to ten hours per week.
What makes good ice?
You want no cracks, or pits. I always judge the ice by the edges. If you can take a shovel and go around the edges and not catch anything, that’s good ice.
Favourite time to work on the ice?
I could be here at 5 or 6 in the morning doing it. I get up, have my coffee, go outside, put my gear on, put my ear buds in and do it.
You also volunteer with other sports, don’t you?
Yes, I coach a senior women’s lacrosse team, from March until the middle of July. And I’m the commissioner of all female major lacrosse in Alberta,
What brings you joy about volunteering at the rink:
I put my ear buds in, throw my music on and just let the machine go. Nothing to worry about. Listen to my music. I use it to unwind after a stressful day at work. My smile comes out when the kids are out there on the ice playing and they say, “good ice.” My thanks is when the kids enjoy the ice.
So, if you see Alex out at the rink, say “hi”, and maybe a “thanks”. Or, better yet, join his rink rat crew next fall and share in his joy of watching the kids smile.
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