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I wanna drive the Zamboni

When Charmaine Manley landed a job as building operator at Ricoh Coliseum, home of the Toronto Marlies, she had to put some fears on ice. That's because the job description included driving a Zamboni, a job traditionally handled by the guys.

LINDA WHITE
[ 2008-03-05 ]

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Charmaine Manley keeps the ice nice as the Zamboni driver at Ricoh Coliseum.

'IT'S PRETTY COOL'


Today, the 24-year-old Whitby resident is the first female Zamboni driver in the American Hockey League (AHL) -- a crown she wears with pride. "There is a female Zamboni driver in the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) and another in the NHL (National Hockey League), but it's pretty cool to be the first one in the AHL," Manley says.

Featured last year on City TV's Breakfast Television, Manley has always been a hockey fan. She worked at a hockey rink while as a high school student, but never imagined she'd one day be responsible for smoothing the surface of an ice rink.

She landed a part-time job with the Marlies in 2005. Since then, her responsibilities have included cleaning goal creases and players' benches and moving the nets around for Zamboni drivers.

But her responsibilities grew when she landed a full-time job as building operator last year. "The first time I drove it was during a Broadway-type ice show during the (Canadian National Exhibition) in August," Manley says. "I only had to clean half the ice, but I was pretty nervous."

'I WAS NERVOUS'



Fast forward a couple of months and she was cleaning the ice surface for the Marlies. "I was pretty nervous the first time because I didn't have a chance to practise because the Royal Winter Fair was on," Manley says.

A graduate of Birchmount Park High School in Scarborough, she studied police foundations and then emergency response at Durham College in Oshawa. In addition to her full-time job at Ricoh Coliseum, she works part-time as a Toronto Sun ambassador, attending special events.

As building operator for Ricoh Coliseum, Manley sets up for game days, driving the Zamboni after the Marlies' morning practices, changing light bulbs and tackling minor repairs. "I'm getting used to it and have gotten to know some of the players," Manley says. "I like hockey and learning new things."

Her favourite team in the AHL: The Marlies, of course. Her favourite NHL team: the Leafs. "I would love to drive the Zamboni at Leafs games sometime," she says.



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