The stunt
January, an outdoor rink, and the ice-resurfacing machine parked at center ice. The wheel gets a studded tire. Then it goes over the machine.
The work
Fitting studs. Learning to ride ice at all. Finding out how much grip is really there before asking it for a run-up.
The night
A winter night at the rink, skaters along the boards, hot chocolate, and one cleared lane down the middle of the ice.
Solve the Jump
How high does the jump have to go, and can a tire grip ice hard enough to get there?
Two problems. Height: the top of the arc depends on speed and ramp angle. Grip: ice gives a rubber tire almost nothing to push on, which is why the studs matter. Students measure the machine first.
Worked example: on the season's 20° ramp kit, 26 mph peaks about 2.6 feet above the lip. How tall is the machine, how high do the lips need to be, and how much clearance is enough?
The physicsPeak height above the lip = (speed × sin(ramp angle))² ÷ (2 × g)
What gets measured
- Speed and wheel slip on the run-up
- Peak height over the machine
- Landing force on ice
What has to be true first
- A rink operator says yes
- The studded tire is tested for grip before any ramp goes down
- Ramps sit on mats so the ice survives