Glen Godat sprays water out of a hose into the tank of an ice resurfacer, more commonly referred to as a Zamboni, Jan. 30 at the North Jeffco Apex Center Ice Arena, 13150 W. 72nd Ave. in Arvada.

The 62-year-old general maintenance man at the Apex Center has been performing the task for the past two years, which means he gets to drive the Zamboni around the center's two ice rinks 12 to 14 times a day. But that's not all he does in a day's work.

"I'm kind of a jack-of-all-trades," Godat said, while prepping the Zamboni for another run. "I do a little bit of everything."

"Everything" on any given day may include painting doors throughout the facility, checking the bleachers and locker rooms for damage or "things out of place" and fixing scoreboard lights and shower heads.

And he has to make sure the Zambonis - the facility owns two - are up and running. Every day, Godat will check the vehicle's tire pressure and hydraulics and make sure the blades are adjusted and the conditioner is full of water.

"I do a walk-around inspection every time I get on it," he said, noting that it's very important to make sure the batteries are fully charged. "Once you get out on the rink, you can't stop. If you sit in one area, you could burn through the ice."

Godat explains the science of ice resurfacing like it's no big deal. You just take the top layer of ice off - about 3/8 inch - and lay down a sheet of water.

"What you're doing is picking up the old ice and laying down the new ice in one motion," he says. "The water quick-freezes - you can skate on it within seconds after you lay it down."

Godat said he resurfaces each ice rink approximately every two hours, and it takes about 15 minutes per rink.

"It depends on how chewed up the ice is," he said. "Sometimes I have a few minutes to play."

Before going out on the ice for "makes," as Godat calls them, he goes into the compressor room to make sure the ice is just the right temperature. He said he does this at least four times a day, noting the ice should be between 17 and 20 degrees.

Godat, who lives in Arvada with his wife, Ella, said he worked 41 years in the maintenance field, operating heavy machinery outdoors. He said he found himself working here because he wanted an indoors maintenance job where he could stay busy.

"This is my retirement job," he said. "Just a good way to kick back and still get something done. And I enjoy it. This Zamboni is a toy to me."