Jon Wall, 22, recently took up the job of maintaining the ice at the Ottawa Curling Club on O’Connor Street. He says upkeep of the ice takes patience and precision.
The dream of turning your passion into your career is one that some people chase for a lifetime.
For 22-year-old Jon Wall, being able to make the ice for the Ottawa Curling Club makes that dream a reality.
Wall became the new ice technician at the century-old curling club earlier this year and says he was thrilled to get the job at such a young age.
“I was surprised. It’s a big task but it’s a task I love,” says Wall. “It keeps me on my toes and it keeps me making better ice.”
Dalal Abou-Eid, the curling club's manager, says she had no doubt Wall would be up for the challenge because of his dedication to both the club and to ice making.
“He is the best thing that ever happened to the club,” says Abou-Eid. “We are all very happy.”
Wall began working as an assistant ice maker at the club in 2006 as a way of making money while he studied architecture at Algonquin College.
He says he quickly realized how much he enjoyed the job, and changed his diploma to recreation facility management.
“If you love the game of curling, it draws you into ice making,” says Wall. “It’s great to wake up every morning and do something you love.”
The task of building, levelling and maintaining the ice for the game takes a certain precision, Wall says.
With up to four games a day at the club and eight on weekends, upkeep of the ice is an ongoing task.
The quality of ice conditions depends on the ice maker’s touch, says Wall, who does the majority of the ice work at the club himself.
He says working six days a week and keeping his own routine is what helps make high-quality ice.
Wall says he has the club’s previous technician, Dwayne Lowe, to thank for the experience he has gained.
“He gave me a lot of experience that no one at my age would have gotten,” says Wall. “He let me learn through trial and error.”
That experience has allowed him to gain his Level 1 Ice Technician Certificate from the Canadian Curling Association. He has also assisted with ice making at five Grand Slam curling events in the past two years.
The competitive Slam tournaments play host to the world’s top curling teams and players.
While he was still curling competitively, Wall says his ice-making experience gave him the advantage of being able to read the ice better than his opponents.
His main goal was to one day to compete in an event such as the Brier, the national men’s curling championship, he says.
Now, that goal has changed.
With the focus on his new job taking top priority, Wall says he hopes he will one day be able to make ice at a national level.
Canada’s top ice technicians often hold a certificate level of three or four, meaning Wall still has a way to go.
He says he is committed to putting in the work to moving up the ranks within the next ten years.
Wall says he sees making ice for the club as special, even when compared to making ice for big events, because the members can really appreciate good ice.
Club member Don Bowser says this year has been great because Wall keeps the ice consistent and checks in with the curlers to make sure they are happy with its condition.
"The better the ice conditions, the easier it is to make shots,” Bowser says.
“When you can have confidence in your shots it makes the game a lot of fun.”
Wall is dedicated to making sure the ice at the curling club is as good as it can be.
“There’s something about this club, that’s a reason I got hooked on (making ice),” says Wall. “It's the feeling you get when you walk in here that gets you.”
Wall says that although the city has many great curling clubs, he wants to work at this one.