Only at the American Bank Center arena
The citizens of Corpus Christi are not accustomed to seeing ice in October, but if you visit the American Bank Center you will find enough ice to fill 12,000 gallons. Of course, you cannot have the Corpus Christi Rayz home opener against the Central Hockey League champion Laredo Bucks on Friday, November 5 without it.
Sean McElhinney, Director of Operations, will lead an American Bank Center crew Thursday in the arenas first ice-in. In addition, SMG is bringing in two knowledgeable crew members from other sites to help oversee the process.
The crew began preparing for the ice-in Saturday by cooling the floor to 16 degrees. McElhinney said the crew would form the ice in several different layers, using approximately 12,000 gallons of water.
McElhinney said the crew will begin the process by spraying water in fine mists until they reach a depth of somewhere between 1/8th to a quarter inch of ice. Once this depth has been achieved, the crew will apply white paint directly to the ice by mixing powdered white paint in with the water and again applying in fine mists. After two or three coats, water is then applied to help seal in the white paint. The crew will then paint the team and sponsor logos and hockey markings, which include the lines, circles, creases and face-off circles.
Once all the painting is complete, light mists again will be applied until enough ice is built up over the paint to allow the ice resurfacer (Zamboni), to be taken out on the ice, McElhinney said.
According to McElhinney the ice resurfacer will run once ½ an inch of ice is above the paint. Flooding will continue until at least one inch of ice is built.
McElhinney said, The entire painting and building process should take approximately 36 hours and when all is said and done, we will have laid 12,000 gallons of water.
