'I Wanna Drive a Zamboni'
5-year-old Graham Shows Passion for Ice-cleaning Machines
By Ryan Schlehuber

Five-year-old Austin Graham stands next to an Olympia ice-grooming machine and its driver, Kevin Campbell of Little Bear East Arena, after a hockey game Thursday, January 31. The boy has had a passion for the machines since he was four, said his father, Clayton Graham of St. Ignace.

Five-year-old Austin Graham looks forward to the hockey rinks, but not as much to cheer for his older brother as to watch the large ice resurfacing machines used to clean and smooth the rink's ice. Two major manufacturers of the machines are Olympia and Zamboni, and Austin can tell them apart.

"Every rink we've been to he has managed to get on the Zamboni," said his father, Clayton Graham of St. Ignace, the judge for 6th Probate Court.

No one knows Austin's passion for the machines more than Kevin Campbell, rink attendant at Little Bear East Arena in St. Ignace, where Austin's brother, Ellis, 12, plays his home games with a pee wee team.

"He's with me everywhere I go when I get ready to clear the ice," said Mr. Campbell, pointing out that Austin helps him with everything except when he's driving on the ice.

"He'll have to wait until he's 18 to do that," he said.

His father said Austin has made friends with Zamboni drivers in Tawas City, Mackinaw City, Cheboygan, and at Lake Superior State University.

"Once we were in Cheboygan for an all-weekend tournament and Austin wanted to go see the Zamboni badly, but there was a gate up, so we couldn't get in," said Mr. Graham. "Well, we were waiting in the warming room and I noticed he had made his way into the office and was chatting with the attendants there. It wasn't long after that he was on the Zamboni."

After his brother's team finished district tournaments Thursday evening, January 31, Austin, with his father in tow, walked down to the storage area on the other end of the rink and watched as Mr. Campbell backed the city's Olympia resurfacer onto the ice and made his rounds.

"I like it when they dump the ice," said Austin, explaining that after the vehicle glides across the ice, smoothing it and collecting shavings across the surface, the ice is dumped into a draining tub in the storage room. "My favorite one is this one, but I love them all."

After Mr. Campbell cleaned the ice, Austin helped him drain the water used to smooth the ice from the Olympia, and then was lifted into the seat to press the button that dumps the ice and snow into the draining tub.

"I'm grooming him to take over for me some day," Mr. Campbell said. "He helps me every time. He loves it."

Mr. Campbell has given Austin a Zamboni hat and a pewter Zamboni zipper ring for his jacket. At home, he scrolls through his Zamboni picture book or searches for Web sites about Zambonis. He knows that Frank Zamboni invented the machine and can sing the lyrics to the song, "I Wanna Drive a Zamboni," sung by the Zambonies.

"What impresses me the most about Austin is he's so knowledgeable about Zambonis," said Mr. Campbell. "He'll come to me and tell me what he's learned all the time. He's very smart."

Mr. Graham said he has yet to bring his son to a Detroit Red Wings hockey game, but is eager to see his son's reaction to the resurfacers there when they do go.

"I'm sure he'll be looking forward to that," he said.