Gary Custer: Lawson Arena’s ice man

By Kristen Vermetten
Western Herald

(Chyn Wey Lee/Western Herald) Ice technician Gary Custer resurfacing the ice during WMU vs Ferris State University on Friday.

For the past 15 years, Lawson Ice Arena has employed Gary Custer. His commitment to the rink, his love for hockey and his natural intuition on the ice make him one of the top Ice Technicians around.

The student section knows him for throwing up tootsie rolls in between periods while resurfacing the ice, the team knows him as the man who creates the slippery smooth top for them to play on, and his co‑workers know him for his humor and genuine spirit. Just don’t call him a “Zamboni driver;” he prefers to drive Olympia.

“Several years ago, on Halloween, I talked to my manager about it [throwing out candy to the students], and I said ‘You know it’s their rink, it’s their university,’ and he said ‘Let’s try it’. I’ve been doing it ever since,” Custer said.

Lawson’s manager, Paul Schneider, does not take credit for Custer’s success, but was the fire behind him to get a job at the rink. Custer followed through by attending classes and workshops to sharpen his skill on the ice. This experience has allowed him to become one of the best in his trade; a real gem to have at Lawson.

“I went to school in Canada for about three years, running about one week courses,” Custer said. “There was ice maintenance, resurfacer maintenance and basic filtration.”

If students are interested in working as a driver they can apply for the job at Lawson. Most of the student employees have hockey experience, although it is not required, and work their way up to the position. Schneider and Custer both show pride in their students and their work because Lawson likes to create a community feeling both on and off the ice.

“A lot of our kids come as referrals from other arena managers where they worked as teenagers or something and a lot of them have hockey backgrounds in one shape or form,” Lawson manager Paul Schneider said. “The best part for us has been those referrals. They have really worked well for us over the years.”
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Posted by heraldstaff on Dec 13 2009. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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