KEARNS ? When the magazine Popular Science comes asking about your ice, you know you have something special.
The Utah Olympic Oval's ice guru, Marc Norman, has given "hundreds" of interviews to everyone from USA Today to any number of Japanese media, ravenous for any news about speedskating. In some countries, Norman might be considered a quasi-celebrity.
It's a lot of attention over a thin sheet of ice. Norman, the building operations manager, even has his own press conferences during competition, which he says is a little "nuts."
"It's about the skaters," he said in a recent interview. "We're just the operations guys. We probably don't deserve as much attention as we get."
So why all the fuss?
It's because making ice in Kearns is a lot more than simply freezing water.
Consider this:
It takes two separate 5-foot-tall tanks to deionize the water used to make the ice.
Beads in the tanks take out positive and negative ions.
A chemical process is used to clean the beads about once a week.
Newly deionized water from a Zamboni is applied to the ice at 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heating the water takes out oxygen or air bubbles, resulting in a more dense ice sheet.
Optimal surface temperature of the ice is held between 12 degrees and 17 degrees Fahrenheit.
A warmer temperature is preferred for shorter races, where skaters need more grip on softer ice.
More glide can be found on colder, harder ice for long-distance races.
Optimal atmospheric conditions inside the oval during the Olympics will be about 25 percent humidity, an air temperature of between 63 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit and about 5 to 13 degrees Fahrenheit for the concrete slab beneath the ice.
The monolithic concrete slab is cooled by about 33 miles of refrigeration pipes.
The building's relatively low roof helps workers more easily maintain a constant air temperature, minimizing the chances that frost will form on the ice sheet.
The ice sheet will be shaved down for the Olympics from 1 1/4 inches thick to about 3/4 of an inch for quicker maintenance between races and to more easily adjust the temperature of the ice.
Is making ice a science?
It is in Kearns.
"We're going to put the best sheet out there we possibly can," Norman said. The rest, he added, depends on the skaters.
U.S. Speedskating's Joey Cheek isn't as picky as some skaters about the ice.
"Obviously, the skater is the most important factor," he said.
To wit: Canadian skater Catriona Le May Doan recently reclaimed the world record in the 500 meters for Canada on her home ice in Calgary ? less a case of the world's fastest ice and more a matter of the world's fastest skater in that event.
Cheek said during a recent practice that he looks for two things to determine if certain factors will affect the outcome of a race.
If the barometric pressure rises, times can easily get worse. If the air pressure is lower, there is less air or resistance to push through.
Second, the ice has to be hard enough for good glide, soft enough for good grip.
"There's a real careful balance," he said.
To maintain that balance, Norman relies on dehumidification and computer-controlled temperature systems that, under the right atmospheric conditions outside, could produce rain that drips off the ceiling on the inside. Before installing the dehumidification system, he could recall a time when that actually happened.
Norman has seen fog in the air inside and frost on the ice, which can significantly slow down a skater. Without the dehumidification system, it would take days to clear out humidity in the air after a storm passes.
Two equations to remember: fog + frost = slower times, and dust + ice = "junk," which also means slower times.
Yet another factor in the ice equation is the ability to keep the air clean. Filters that treat air pulled in from the outside help make that happen.
"If you can't keep the building clean, you can't keep the ice clean," Norman said.
Both dust and humidity are drawn to the ice like a magnet. Construction dust is now down to a minimum.
"We're winning now," he said.
The successes at the Utah Olympic Oval are apparently winning over officials with the International Skating Union and the folks getting ready for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
"We're not here to claim all the world records," Norman said, hopeful his efforts can help improve the sport of speedskating overall.
"We're not trying to hide anything from anybody. It's all out there."
Yeah, but wouldn't it be neat to claim all the world records?
Norman, himself a former serious speedskater, smiles and says, "It's a friendly competition."
E-MAIL: sspeckman@desnews.com