Ice ice baby.
To create the first ever indoor speedskating track, Milano Cortina enlisted the help of Canadian ice maker Mark Messer. He’s worked on six previous Olympic speedskating tracks so he knows his ice and he spoke with AP about his work and challenges in making history in Italy:
The first layers of water are applied slowly, with a spray nozzle; after the ice reaches a few centimeters it is painted white — a full day’s work — and the stripes are added to make lanes.
“The first one takes about 45 minutes. And then as soon as it freezes, we go back and do it again, and again and again. So we do it hundreds of times,’’ Messer said.
As the ice gets thicker, and is more stable, workers apply subsequent layers of water with hoses. Messer attaches his hose to hockey sticks for easier spreading.
What must absolutely be avoided is dirt, dust or frost — all of which can cause friction for the skaters, slowing them down. The goal is that when the skaters push “they can go as far as possible with the least amount of effort,’’ Messer said.
There’s a ton of scientific precision that goes into making the tracks perfect so athletes have the best chances to win medals and break records.