Give it a location
Record the date, time, sheet and draw. For a playing report, add the end, path or direction and stone number where known.
For the people who look after the ice
Ice Makers
Corner
A clearer daily record.
A smoother handover.
Practical observation prompts, printable worksheets and official training links for club ice teams. Start with your lead ice maker’s plan, then leave useful notes for the next person.
Use this alongside local training. These original HouseCall prompts are for observation and communication. Have your lead ice technician review and adapt them before use. Operating settings, task order and readiness checks belong in your facility’s approved standard operating procedures (SOPs).
01 · Build a useful record
Make observations easy to compare.
A reading or a player’s comment becomes more useful when the next person knows where, when and how it was recorded. Keep observations separate from guesses about the cause.
Keep the method clear
For readings you are authorized to take, include the instrument, measurement location and units. Use the club’s approved method. Mark unavailable information as not measured.
Add the context
Note visible frost, moisture, debris, wear or damage. Record relevant work or changes that actually occurred, without assuming they explain the result.
Record readings; leave control decisions to the lead. Surface readings and refrigeration-system readings are different. This guide gives no universal temperature, humidity, water quantity, freeze time or equipment setting.
Turn a vague report into a useful note
Instead of only writing “the ice changed,” ask:
- Which sheet, path, direction and end?
- What was observed, and when did it start?
- Was it one stone or repeated with others?
- If timing was used, what landmarks and method were used?
- What rotation, delivery and sweeping context is known?
- What earlier, comparable record can the lead review?
Different deliveries are not interchangeable tests. Write down what is unknown, too.
02 · Prepare and hand over consistently
Between draws, follow the local sequence.
A checklist helps people remember and communicate. Your facility’s approved procedure determines the actual preparation steps, the trained operator and the readiness checks.
Review before work
Read the previous handover, confirm the next draw and assigned tasks, and check who is responsible for any restriction. Follow local access, footwear and protective-equipment requirements.
Check what you can safely observe
Look for visible surface or access-route concerns and obvious equipment damage within your assigned role. Report anything unexpected before continuing affected work.
Record the assigned preparation
Only trained, authorized people carry out scraping, pebbling, nipping or other preparation. Record the task, local procedure reference, operator and time. Use the required readiness check before the next operation.
Get a clear release decision
Account for tools, pass on unresolved issues, and record who authorized the sheet for play and when. A planned draw time does not establish that the sheet is ready.
Working in a shared arena? Coordinate access, preparation and storage with the authorized arena operator. The time and facilities available may differ from a dedicated curling club.
03 · Look after the tools within your role
Make care and faults visible.
For routine care
- Identify the equipment and its correct manual or local procedure.
- Follow the cleaning, drying, handling and storage directions you have been trained to use.
- Record completed care, anything due and the person responsible.
- Leave tools in their designated place and make the next handover clear.
For a fault or uncertainty
- Record the equipment ID, visible external condition and what was reported.
- Keep suspect equipment from use under the facility’s procedure.
- Notify the lead and record the service or follow-up reference.
- Have the authorized person document the return-to-use decision.
Leave service work to qualified people. Do not remove guards, handle or service blades, dismantle equipment, alter safety controls or improvise chemical use. Refrigeration, pressure-system and electrical work require appropriately qualified service personnel.
04 · Help the lead review a change
Bring evidence to the next decision.
These prompts help describe a problem. They do not diagnose it or prescribe a repair.
Speed or curl seems different
Record the sheet, path, direction, time or end, stone identifiers and comparison method. Include the delivery and sweeping context that is known.
A pick or unexpected track
Note the exact place and time, visible debris and whether the observation repeated. Pass the information to the lead before assuming a cause.
Frost, a wet-looking patch or wear
Record location, extent and when it was first seen. Follow local hazard procedures if footing or surface safety is in doubt.
A repeated line or uneven area
Note the affected area and direction, the stones involved and any comparable earlier record. Leave assessment and correction to the trained lead.
Original HouseCall worksheets
Three pages for your next handover.
Have your lead review and adapt the pack before use. Print only the pages you need, and keep completed records in your club’s approved location.
- Daily ice observationsReadings, context, player reports and open issues.
- Between draw checklistAssigned checks, work record and release decision.
- Issue and handover recordWhat happened, who was told and who owns the next step.
3 pages · US Letter · Portrait
Ice Makers Corner worksheet pack
Download printable PDF Download editable Word filePrint the PDF at actual size on Letter paper. If you edit the Word file, check page breaks before printing. These are blank worksheets, with no completed records stored on this page.
05 · Learn with the official providers
Training pathways and resources
Choose training for your role and facility. The links below lead to public provider pages; course enrollment, certification and access requirements are set by each organization.
Public course directory · enrollment terms vary
World Curling courses
Find introductory ice-maintenance and Chief Ice Technician learning routes. Certification includes practical assessment alongside online learning.
Use the official directory to reach the Academy. Academy enrollment, current availability and charges were not independently verified.
Public overview · pathway updated in 2026
Curling Canada training pathway
The Assistant Ice Technician route is for helpers working under a certified technician. The Head Ice Technician route includes online preparation, in-person training and separate certification requirements.
Contact the relevant provincial or territorial Member Association for dates, fees, registration and current eligibility.
Public program page · membership and eligibility apply
USA Curling ice technician programs
The Club Ice Technician route combines World Curling Academy online study with a two-day practical assessment. The page also describes advanced learning and consulting support for member clubs.
Individual and club membership and other eligibility requirements apply. Check the Ice Technician and Ice Technician Consulting Services sections for current terms and arrangements.
2023 archive · public index · not a current session schedule
USA Curling Ice Tech Education Series
Archived resources cover “Making Ice in Arena Settings” (June 21, 2023) and “Ice Install for Dedicated Facilities” (August 16, 2023).
Use these as historical learning resources with your lead’s guidance. The index is public; linked video playback and all slide downloads were not verified. Session-specific examples are not universal operating settings.
Official public pages checked October 10, 2026. Course dates, fees, eligibility and access can change; confirm with the provider. Links to these providers do not imply their endorsement of HouseCall or these worksheets. These original worksheets are not federation forms or a technical operating manual.