1970s-era ‘Spamboni’ ice resurfacer up for sale

ST. PAUL -- A slice of Minnesota hockey history is up for grabs.

The old Hormel-sponsored “Spamboni” ice resurfacer that once wheeled around the St. Paul Civic Center - all the while promoting the Austin, Minn.-based company’s canned meat - is being sold, as is.

The Xcel Energy Center and Visit St. Paul are hoping to get $2,000 for the 42-year-old relic, which for the past decade has been relegated to clearing the ice at the Wells Fargo Winter Skate outdoor rink at the Landmark Plaza.

Hockey fans might remember the yellow-and-blue Zamboni in between periods of Minnesota Fighting Saints games during the 1970s and at high school hockey state tournaments and Minnesota Moose games.

Travis Larson, the ice operations manager at Xcel Energy Center, has another name for the 1972 HDB Zamboni (Serial No. 1566), which was the Civic Center’s original machine.

“Jalopy,” Larson said, laughing.

In all seriousness, he said, the machine would be a good fit for someone with a regulation-sized backyard rink.

“It still makes a good sheet of ice,” Larson said.

Indoor city-owned rinks are not an option because it wouldn’t pass muster of today’s indoor-air quality rules, he said.

It does need some engine work - this past winter one of the engine’s four cylinders became stuck - as well as attention to general wear-and-tear items like bearings and bushings, he said.

“It runs on a retooled Volkswagen engine, so it’s not that complicated,” he said.

Part of the “Spamboni” vinyl wrap is also missing, he said.

It went up for sale Thursday. If it sells for $2,000, the money would be split in half between Visit St. Paul, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, and the Minnesota Wild Foundation, which would earmark its money to help the state’s community rinks that will need to convert their cooling systems from R22 Freon, said Jora Bart, public and media relations senior manager for Xcel Energy Center.

Plan B, Bart said, might be calling Hormel or a few community organizations to see if they want the machine.

The Pioneer Press is a media partner with Forum News Service.

1970s-era ‘Spamboni’ ice resurfacer up for sale

By Nick Ferraro

St. Paul Pioneer Press

ST. PAUL -- A slice of Minnesota hockey history is up for grabs.

The old Hormel-sponsored “Spamboni” ice resurfacer that once wheeled around the St. Paul Civic Center - all the while promoting the Austin, Minn.-based company’s canned meat - is being sold, as is.

The Xcel Energy Center and Visit St. Paul are hoping to get $2,000 for the 42-year-old relic, which for the past decade has been relegated to clearing the ice at the Wells Fargo Winter Skate outdoor rink at the Landmark Plaza.

Hockey fans might remember the yellow-and-blue Zamboni in between periods of Minnesota Fighting Saints games during the 1970s and at high school hockey state tournaments and Minnesota Moose games.

Travis Larson, the ice operations manager at Xcel Energy Center, has another name for the 1972 HDB Zamboni (Serial No. 1566), which was the Civic Center’s original machine.

“Jalopy,” Larson said, laughing.

In all seriousness, he said, the machine would be a good fit for someone with a regulation-sized backyard rink.

“It still makes a good sheet of ice,” Larson said.

Indoor city-owned rinks are not an option because it wouldn’t pass muster of today’s indoor-air quality rules, he said.

It does need some engine work - this past winter one of the engine’s four cylinders became stuck - as well as attention to general wear-and-tear items like bearings and bushings, he said.

“It runs on a retooled Volkswagen engine, so it’s not that complicated,” he said.

Part of the “Spamboni” vinyl wrap is also missing, he said.

It went up for sale Thursday. If it sells for $2,000, the money would be split in half between Visit St. Paul, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, and the Minnesota Wild Foundation, which would earmark its money to help the state’s community rinks that will need to convert their cooling systems from R22 Freon, said Jora Bart, public and media relations senior manager for Xcel Energy Center.

Plan B, Bart said, might be calling Hormel or a few community organizations to see if they want the machine.

The Pioneer Press is a media partner with Forum News Service.