As Canadians, the Zamboni is something we are very accustomed to. Today, marks the 102nd birthday of inventor Frank Zamboni Jr. and to commemorate his birthday, Google Doodle has put up an interactive Zamboni game to play!
Featuring a little ice rink, the Doodle invites audiences to use a Zamboni to clean up after skaters! The game is simple, but addictive and insanely adorable!
Frank Zamboni Jr. invented the famous ice resurfacer when his family bought a small indoor ice rink in California. Having experience in mechanics, Zamboni created a machine that was able to resurface the ice of his rink in about ten minutes.
The machine took off for its ease since before that resurfacing a rink would take more than an hour and require the work of three people!
DID YOU KNOW?
- “Zamboni” is actually a registered trademark. The official name of the machine is “ice resurfacer.”
- Zamboni’s first ice resurfacer is called “Model A” and is a touring museum piece, but is still in working order.
- The 10,000th Zamboni was delivered to the Montreal Canadiens to be used at the Bell Centre.
- In 2006, 18 years after his death, Zamboni was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. In 2009 he was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
- Zamboni died of lunch cancer in July of 1987.