Q+A NICK COTSILIS, THE ZAMBONI DRIVER

Rob Miech, Las Vegas Sun

Wednesday, March 1, 2006 | 7:17 a.m.

Nick Cotsilis received his first major hockey call-up when he was 16. But it didn't involve his abilities or skill with the puck on the ice.

The owner of the Addison Ice Arena in Chicago invited Cotsilis to give the Zamboni ice machine a spin around the rink.

"I said, 'Absolutely,' " Cotsilis said. "It went from there."

In his second season as the lone Zamboni driver for the Las Vegas Wranglers at the Orleans Arena, Costilis said maneuvering the big rig is most definitely an art.

"The art is knowing how to control your fishtail," he said, "and controlling how much water you're laying down and how fast it freezes, and pretty much knowing the thickness of the ice ... conditions have to be perfect."

During the first intermission of a recent game, after dumping a huge load of snow into a drainage contraption, Cotsilis, 26, elaborated about his unique profession.

How much snow did you just dump?

It's usually between 200 and 300 pounds. That's about an eighth of an inch of ice.

What's your on-ice deadline?

Under 10 minutes. (If not), then you have the coaches and game waiting. That 10 minutes is yours, but you better make it worthwhile. You want to get it frozen before the players get out there, cause if it's wet, that puck will just stick in the water spots.

Who helps with that?

The engineers here who work the compressors. I have a very good relationship with them. They know exactly what we're looking for.

Does the average fan have any idea of your responsibilities?

Absolutely not. When I have riders come on, they ask a thousand questions. How thick is the ice? How many gallons does it take? What's the temperature? Everyone is always amazed about what actually takes place.

Is the Zamboni a stick or automatic?

Automatic. It's just a little Volkswagen Jetta four-cylinder engine.

What was your best qualification for the job?

Well, I drove a pickup truck in Chicago, so that helped. Everyone hits the boards when they first start driving, and everyone spins the tires. You go through the kinks. It took me probably two months of driving every day, for eight to 10 hours, to get comfortable.

Do you prepare much before the game?

Absolutely. On a normal game day, I start at about 4 p.m. I do an edging, a dry cut - shaving up all the skate marks to try to get it almost perfectly smooth - then I lay two water floods.

What are the Zamboni's vital components?

The board brush gathers all the snow close to the boards. The hot-water tank holds about 200 gallons of hot water. We keep it at about 140 degrees. Hot water has less oxygen, so it freezes faster. It also melts a little layer of ice, to get it even smoother. We have 100 gallons of cold water, which is also known as the wash water. That makes the ice look shiny and pretty.

The blade is probably sharper than any razor you've ever put on your face. It's at 23.5 degrees. Then we have the augur system. It takes the shavings and pushes them toward this pipe here, which brings up all the shavings to the middle, pushing them up the elevator shaft. This spindle dumps it all in the dumpster.

Do you sharpen the blade?

I don't. We have an outside company that does that. I let it go every three games, with a couple of practices in there. You can tell as soon as it starts getting dull. You can tell in the snow shavings. With a sharp blade, they're as fine as powder.

How many miles to the gallon does she get?

We go by hours. One hour equals 33 miles. This is a baby, with only 430 hours on her. It's brand new, compared to anything else I've ever driven. I've driven machines that have had 2,000 or 3,000 hours on them. They last about eight years, but I've seen Zambonis that are 20 or 30 years old.

Do you know about their history, when the late Frank Zamboni started producing them in Southern California in the late 1940s?

The first one was built on a Jeep because Jeep was the only four-wheel drive vehicle then. They've grown from being on a little Jeep thing to now they're battery powered. They cost about $70,000. Right now, you're probably on a waiting list. They can only make so many a year.

This one is decked out like a race car, courtesy of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Do you like that?

I really do. It's one of the coolest Zambonis I've ever seen. The side is all one sticker, and we change the number every year. (It's currently No. 06.) We added strobe lights in the back and a light board underneath this year. It's a great thing, I just wish they would give me tickets to the race.

And the racing suit you wear?

It's from Brendan Gaughan, the Orleans (truck) racer. It's pretty cool, much better than the one I had before.

Who gets to ride shotgun next to you during the two intermissions?

That's done through the Speedway, through their Web site, and the Orleans and the Wranglers.

You actually sucked a puck up the elevator shaft last season?

That's a sound no Zam driver ever wants to hear. The game was delayed, and we had to unbolt the whole thing. Everything. So they played the first period on crappy ice.

The next night, we hid (green furry mascot) Duke inside the dump tank. I went out, did one of these things (raises his hands in the air), like it was still broken. I banged on it. Duke banged back. Then I dumped him out. He was in a mechanic's suit, and he gave me a thumbs-up. (The fans) loved it.

The worst mistake you've seen?

Someone drove way too fast on the straightaway at Addison and hit the brakes. The key with the Zamboni is, you don't hit the brakes. If you're hitting the brakes, you're done for. He slid into the boards, and the metal (sideboard) brace bent in. The whole glass came down. It was unbelievable. We called it a ZUI - Zamming Under the Influence.

Do you need a special license?

There are three different courses to take, in edging, painting and compressors. Take those three classes, you become a certified ice technician. That's recognized by the NHL. They won't even accept (you) if you don't have (all three). I got them in 2004.

What do you want people to know about you?

That it's easier than I make it out to be. It really is. Once you get the hang of it, it's a fun, fun thing to be on. Everybody loves it.

Do you like the song "I Wanna Drive the Zamboni" by the Zambonis, the band that has been singing hockey songs for 15 years?

Actually, no.

Rob Miech can be reached at 259-4087 or at miech@lasvegassun.com.

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