Zambonis headed for extinction?
In a Thursday, May 8, 2014 photo, Winona, Minn., area resident, Paul Van Eijl shows off the first model of his new invention, the ice jet, which is supposed to be eight times more efficient than a Zamboni, in Winona, Minn. (AP Photo/Winona Daily News, Matthew Seckora)
In a Thursday, May 8, 2014 photo, Winona, Minn., area resident, Paul Van Eijl runs his new invention, the ice jet, which is supposed to be eight times more effecient than a zamboni and be 100% recyclable, in Winona, Minn. (AP Photo/Winona Daily News, Matthew Seckora)
What if Zambonis could drive themselves?
The beloved ice resurfacing machine that is used in rinks around the world may one day be self-sustaining if a Minnesota inventor has his way.
Paul Van Eijl said his invention, which he calls the “Ice Jet,” will do the ice resurfacing job of the classic machine much quicker — in about a minute or so — using GPS coordinates to control multiple machines at once. It won’t need a driver, will be electrically powered and will recycle the ice collected by melting it in the machine and using the water to resurface the hockey rink.
“It’s really doing the same thing (as a Zamboni),” Van Eijl told the Winona Daily News. “You’re just basically making it eight times as efficient.”
Maybe so. But it would put thousands of Zamboni drivers out of work. And that’s not right.
