Books with author Eric Dregni

Enjoy a (slow) spin around the old rink in the only history of the world-famous Zamboni ice resurfacer…now available in an updated edition to celebrate the 70th birthday of these iconic machines! Until 1949, resurfacing an ice rink required an ungainly tractor-pulled shaver followed by three or four workers scooping away the shavings and then spraying and squeegeeing water. The process—including the refreezing—took more than an hour, as skaters or hockey players waited patiently. That all changed when a tireless inventor by the name of Frank J. Zamboni—who also happened to own a skating rink in Southern California—put his mind to creating a quality sheet of ice in a shorter time. The story of the machines the Zamboni Company has produced—now as beloved among sports enthusiasts as ice skates and hockey pucks—is fully told in this fun-filled history of machine-age ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit that forever changed the nature of ice sports. Inside this official illustrated story, created with the cooperation of the Zamboni Company, you'll be greeted by a wealth of visual material from their archives. Explore:The early development of Zamboni ice-resurfacing machinesHow they work and have evolved over the yearsThe story behind figure-skating legend Sonja Henie's personal Zamboni ice resurfacersAnecdotes from driversStories behind paint schemesColorful tales about Zamboni ice resurfacer driversAnd much moreWitness the design and workings of the latest models, such as the world's first OEM lithium-ion-powered ice resurfacer, and read fun new Zamboni tales and milestones, like the 12,000th machine delivered and the 2018 formation of Zamboni Europe in Sweden. Entertaining sidebars explore the appeal of Zamboni machines, take you inside Zamboni facilities, examine the company’s other less-well-known machines, and highlight Zamboni machines' television and film "roles." The only book on the subject not geared for young kids, Zamboni: The Coolest Machines on Ice offers sports enthusiasts a fun-filled and informative look at one of the most beloved machines on four wheels!

Anglers are simply superior because of their contemplative pastime, according to Izaak Walton. And few who fish would disagree. In fact, the habit of amplifying the sport is documented at least as long ago as 75 A.D., when Plutarch wrote that Mark Antony faked a catch to impress Cleopatra. From Bible verse to Grandpa’s latest whopper, fishing has figured in our spiritual and cultural lore, to say nothing of our cuisine, as far back as we remember, and nowhere is this truer, perhaps, than in the great north woods.A celebration of the sport in the land of 10,000 lakes and beyond, where the fish fry is a near-holy Friday ritual, the running of smelt heralds spring, and a village of ice-fishing huts springs up on every frozen lake, this irresistible book tells the full story from trivia to sacred tradition. Eric Dregni, who has entertained countless readers with enlightening tales of Midwest marvels, here shows his considerable skills as a raconteur and cultural historian of the fun and the facts of fishing in the Great Lakes region.Fishing contests and taxidermy, lures and earthworms, fishing scenes on beer cans, and the peculiar genre of fishing photographs: no detail is too small, reflection too deep, or bridge too far to escape his eye and ready wit, from gear madness to true grit, angling heroics to solitary pleasures, small-town festivals to sport-fishing meccas. And he has the images to prove it. Lavishly illustrated with postcards, advertisements, historical prints, and tourist snapshots, this book is an always fascinating, occasionally hilarious, and often oddly informative compendium of fishing lore destined to reel in the uninitiated and to occupy the aficionado in those long, empty hours between seasons.

Until 1949, resurfacing an ice rink required a tractor-pulled shaver followed by three or four workers scooping away the shavings and then spraying and squeegeeing water. The process-including the refreezing-took more than an hour. That all changed when a tireless inventor by the name of Frank J. Zamboni, who also happened to own a 20,000-square-foot rink in Southern California, put his mind to creating a quality sheet of ice in a shorter time. The story of the machines he produced-now as beloved as ice skates and hockey pucks among winter sports enthusiasts-is fully told for the first time in this book, a fun-filled history of machine-age ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit that forever changed the nature of sports on ice. Beginning with a prehistory of the machines, this fully illustrated book goes on to explore the early genesis of Zamboni ice-resurfacing machines, how a Zamboni works, tips from drivers, various models that have evolved through the years, colorful anecdotes from and about Zamboni drivers, and more. Entertaining sidebars examine such topics as Zamboni wipeouts, non-ice-resurfacing machines from the company, the Zamboni factories, Zamboni toys, and television ""roles."" Officially licensed, the book features a wealth of material from the Zamboni archives.

Until 1949, resurfacing an ice rink required a tractor-pulled shaver followed by three or four workers scooping away the shavings and then spraying and squeegeeing water. The process-including the refreezing-took more than an hour. That all changed when a tireless inventor by the name of Frank J. Zamboni, who also happened to own a 20,000-square-foot rink in Southern California, put his mind to creating a quality sheet of ice in a shorter time. The story of the machines he produced—now as beloved as ice skates and hockey pucks among winter sports enthusiasts—is fully told for the first time in this book, a fun-filled history of machine-age ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit that forever changed the nature of sports on ice. Beginning with a prehistory of the machines, this fully illustrated book goes on to explore the early genesis of Zamboni ice-resurfacing machines, how a Zamboni works, tips from drivers, various models that have evolved through the years, colorful anecdotes from and about Zamboni drivers, and more. Entertaining sidebars examine such topics as Zamboni wipeouts, non-ice-resurfacing machines from the company, the Zamboni factories, Zamboni toys, and television ""roles."" Officially licensed, the book features a wealth of material from the Zamboni archives.