Rome may not have been built in a day, but local ice technician Wayne Cubbon and a crew came close, as they were able to finish eight houses in five days while in Austria.
Cubbon was one of three members of the curling ice-making crew for the first ever Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria Jan. 13 to 22.
Cubbon has made the ice in the Battlefords for 11 seasons, as he began at the Granite Curling Club, moved to the Battleford Curling Club and will continue at the new Northland Power Curling Centre next season.
How does an icemaker in the Battlefords get an opportunity at an international event of this status?
It was a combination of who you know and what you know for Cubbon.
Cubbon helped with ice in Swift Current for the 2010 Ford World Women's Curling Championships and developed a friendship with Mark Shurek. It was Shurek who put in the bid to do the ice for the Youth Olympics. After Cubbon was in contact with Shurek about concerns he had with the heaters at the Northland Power Curling Centre, Shurek mentioned he was applying to go to Austria and asked Cubbon to go with him. Nearly a month later, while hauling grain, Cubbon received a phone call to go. Thinking back, he is glad he jumped at the opportunity.
Cubbon, Shurek and Joe Fritz of Germany along with a handful of volunteers ranging from the southern United States to Slovenia started from scratch and put on 9,000 to 10,000 gallons of water, the paint for the rings, lines, logos and all the extras with a couple days to spare.
Cubbon started Jan. 5 and the games began eight days later for the athletes ranging from age 14 to 18.
The ice was some of the best Cubbon has ever been involved with, but it didn't come without some challenges including a new pipe cooling system, the ice cracking in the early stages and an issue with the plant following the opening ceremonies.
"The plant shut down and there was water on the surface before we got it back and fired up again," says Cubbon. "It was pretty close, couple more hours and we'd have lost the ice."
It was an amazing experience added to a personal list for Cubbon that includes provincial men's championships, world ladies' championships and the Brier the last time it was in Saskatoon.
"The experience," explains Cubbon, was the best part. "There are only the three of us who have experience on this (the new ice making system) now. They are going to use this system more and now maybe a guy has a chance to go and do it."
Cubbon is unsure if he will be involved with the ice at the Brier this year in Saskatoon because the local curling club may be busy, but he has hopes that some day, maybe six years down the road, he will have a chance to work at the big show - the Winter Olympics.
"Anytime you can do any Olympic event it is a pretty good feather in your hat," said Cubbon adding, "The idea was so that I could meet the right people so I could eventually go out and do (international events)."
Along with work on the ice Cubbon was also in charge of the volunteers at the curling complex in Austria and put in long days, starting at 6:30 a.m. and not leaving the curling rink until around 11 p.m. throughout the competition.
Cubbon was also excited about the opportunity to explain the game of curling to some of the volunteers and younger curlers, as they explained how their countries are trying to develop the sport, more or less from scratch for some.
"The opportunity to go look around, meet a bunch of people from other countries was great," said Cubbon.
Having the world-class experience is something everyone at the local club appreciates and curlers are excited to have Cubbon work his magic with the ice at the Battleford Curling Club for one final season and, ultimately, do what he did in Austria in the CUPlex next season when the new rink is open.
