MISTER FREEZE
Lawrence Kucheran knows his ice
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Growing up on a farm near Sheho, Lawrence Kucheran learned the value of hard work. He also learned a skill that eventually would become his career.
As a kid, Kucheran and his siblings were often too busy with chores to go into town to play hockey, so he started making his own skating rinks.
“I quickly learned that you can’t just put water on the ground and come back and it’s going to be ice. It was nothing but frost boils and it soaked through the ground. My dad said ‘No, you’ve got to let it freeze a little bit at a time,’ ” Kucheran said.
After he got married, he lived in Theodore. He was part of the recreation board and wasn’t happy with the way the ice was being done. Kucheran took over the skating rink just across the street from where he lived.
“I would spend the night in the Zamboni room and flood every hour and get the ice made. The following year I tackled curling ice,” he said.
Kucheran has been making curling ice for more than 30 years, most recently for the Nutana Curling Club.
Fellow staff say Kucheran’s ice is so good the club is able to attract world-class events.
Making curling ice isn’t rocket science, he said, but it does require a lot of skill and patience.
He installs the sheets in August after the club is done hosting the Irish pavilion for Folkfest. During the season he scrapes, pebbles and cleans the sheets for curlers of all skill levels.
Work days are long for the ice tech, who often is up at 4 a.m. to get the ice ready for league play. He doesn’t mind the hours.
“It’s enjoyable. It’s rewarding to watch the curlers enjoy your ice,” he said.
Often, he stays after to watch the games, observing how the ice behaves and noting any adjustments he needs to make. He curls too, but not often.
“I do like curling. It’s just hard to get out there at 8:40 p.m. when you’ve got to be here at 5 a.m. So I’ve curled one game so far this year.”
Curling ice is something of a family business for the Kucherans. Various family members have helped out over the years. He has his wife and son to thank for his job at the Nutana Curling Club.
“My wife happened to be reading the newspaper and seen the ad of the club looking for an ice tech.
“I says ‘Nah, I’ll never get it. It’s a pretty big club.’ And I never did apply for it, but my wife and my son actually put my application in,” he said.
“Small town guys said ‘You know Lawrence that’s a pretty big place to look after, but you’re always welcome back here’ so it all turned out good.”
It’s enjoyable. It’s rewarding to watch the curlers enjoy your ice.