D is for deep freeze
This is Ruairi, who is a leisure attendant at Dumfries Ice Bowl. Ruairi makes sure the ice pad is in the best condition for recreational activity and competitive sport.
On an average day Ruari will resurface the ice using the Olympia machine between six and eight times - but has been seen to do this anything up to 19 times during world championships.
Ruairi is one of only 15 people in Britain who is certified in Refrigeration Best Practice and takes great pride in ensuring the ice is ready for the wide variety of groups (and individuals) that use the facility.
"I really enjoy the technical elements of the job and being a part of this team. The preparation involved in getting the ice pad ready for the world championships, that is a lot of work but knowing the impact it has on performance levels shows just how important it is."
Did you know that the ice needs to be a temperature of -6.5 degrees for figure skating but -7 for ice hockey? Even things like the auditorium being full of people or if the temperature outside changing dramatically can influence how cold the ice is? So Ruari needs to be on his toes.
Without you Ruairi, and the rest of team, there would be no elite-level ice hockey, figure skating, skating lessons, curling or even ice discos! What you do, and your passion for your job, make an enormous difference to the people of Dumfries and Galloway.
