Kyle R. Murphy named World Zamboni Champion

CIHS Sophomore Kyle R Murphy is living the dream. His path might not be that of a traditional American teenager, but he’s definitely the envy of many Canadian youngsters. Kyle was recently crowned the (18 U) World Champion Zamboni driver in Zurich, Switzerland. Zamboni’s are the giant machines that apply the ice sheet surface to the rink.

“This was definitely a dream come true for me,” Murphy said. “I knew I wanted to drive a Zamboni when I first saw one while watching the Mighty Ducks movie.”
While most kids were cheering for the Ducks, Murphy was rooting for the Zamboni wheel man. He then begged his parents to bring him to the local arena where he saw Zamboni legend Huck Pintar who eventually agreed to mentor him to become an expert ice applier.
“For the first few weeks of my training regimen, I had to apply wax the Zamboni on in a circular motion, then I would wipe the wax off in the reverse motion,” Murphy explained. “Wax on, Wax off.”
This went on for several weeks before Kyle could begin his lessons. Incidentally, he won the Valley Karate Championship that year, too.
His behind-the-wheel training began with him driving in the rink during open skate.
“If you can dodge a four-year-old beginning skater, then you can dodge a bump in the ice,” he explained. Fortunately, Kyle hasn’t ever run over anyone, but there was a close call when a Moose ran onto the rink he was re-surfacing.
Not only is Kyle R. Murphy a member of the “no accident” club, but he also handles his big rig with Usain Bolt-like speed, clocking in at 9.7 mph. This is no simple feat considering the machine weighs around 9500 pounds and holds up to 275 gallons of water.
Kyle’s training lasted three months before he was set loose, just like the lion in Born Free. He was promptly hired to maintain the ice at the Cambridge outdoor rink, and his life as a certified Zamboni driver has continued ever since.
“At times, it’s hard being a legend. I can barely get through icing the arena without stopping and signing autographs. And the paparazzi are relentless…they won’t leave me alone,” Murphy complained. “I guess it’s the price you pay for excellence in your field.”
Recently there has been talk about a Netflix series about his meteoric rise in the Zamboni world. He has been featured in Modern Zamboni Magazine three times and has numerous endorsement deals with products like Icy Hot and Icebreaker Gum.
This Summer, Kyle will be a guest speaker at Zamboni Fantasy Camp in Ely, MN. He will be talking about how to ice the surface in the quickest way possible. His speech is titled “Not too Fast, Not too Furious.”