CN Centre plays host to the Prince George Cougars and Ice Racing this weekend. 250 News photo

Prince George, B.C. – The ice surface at CN Centre has undergone somewhat of a transformation this week in preparation for Sunday’s Xtreme Ice Racing event.

CN Centre Manager Glen Mikkelsen says work began overnight Wednesday night to raise the height of the ice surface. “We’re doing hose floods, we just need to build up the ice to a higher level than it usually is for the Cougars’ games. Usually we’re around an inch and a quarter, inch and a half. We’ll be up to two and three quarter inches, three inches for Sunday’s event. And once the day’s racing is finished we get our Zamboni machines out there and we scrape it back down to a more normal level that we would have for Cougars games.”

Mikkelsen says the extra thickness in ice is required because of possible damage that might be done to the surface. “The motorcycles have studded tires, so they go around and they chew up the ice. So just to make sure that they don’t get down to our logos and the different markings that we have on there, we just need to build it up.”

Mikkelsen says the city has some experience in hosting such an event. “We had a similar event about nine years ago, and they were a little trepidatious in doing it. Other arenas do it all the time but it was our first time and it went really well. So they just move the start lines because that’s probably where the ice gets chewed up the most, the quickest, is at the start. Because the vehicles are digging in for traction on their acceleration. So they just adjust those throughout the event so not one spot gets dug up more than others.”

The board around the ice surface remain in place for the Ice Racing, with involves speedway bikes and quads. Mikkelsen says “we set up hay bales around the boards in case somebody loses control that he just lands in something soft.” It also prevents damage to the boards.

Now the Cougars have two games this weekend, last night and tonight, and we asked Mikkelsen whether increasing the height of the ice would have any effect on hockey. “It might make the ice a little slower just because the ice is thicker. So it gets a little warmer because it’s harder to keep that much ice cold. But that’s the only real issue.”

Mikkelsen says there will be some local riders taking part in the Xtreme Ice Racing card, which runs from 2pm to 4pm Sunday.