USM’s Brandon Bayer Makes Ice at Speed Skating World Cup

When Milwaukee’s Pettit National Ice Center hosted the International Skating Union’s (ISU) Speed Skating World Cup in January, it attracted elite athletes from all over the world to compete for their chance to earn a world title. It also attracted skilled ice technicians, like University School of Milwaukee’s Brandon Bayer, to ensure that the ice conditions allowed for peak performance. 

It had been 20 years since the Pettit Center last hosted the World Cup, and Paul Golomski, Pettit general manager, needed as much help as he could get. He reached out to Bayer, USM’s director of the Polly and Henry Uihlein Sr. Ice Arena—and a former colleague of Golomski—to see if he was interested. Bayer jumped at the chance to gain valuable experience that he could bring back to USM, and was given a temporary leave of absence to spend a week with Golomski and others at the Pettit. 

In addition to removing glass and stanchions to transform the venue, the team worked closely with the ISU to ensure that the ice met the highest standards in the industry. The Pettit Center uses a deionization system to remove impurities from the water, which results in a harder ice surface that allows athletes to skate faster. In addition, the Pettit Center uses Zamboni Model 700 resurfacers, which are larger and specially designed for speed skating rinks. 

Bayer assisted with prepping the machines in between resurfacing, which had to be completed in under 13 minutes due to the length of breaks during live broadcasts. For speed skating, Zambonis use water heated to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which results in smoother, denser ice that sets up faster. Hockey ice requires water between 121 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.     

The long days—some stretching from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.—were exhausting, but worth it. “Basically I was on loan to the Pettit for the week, and I got to experience a high-level ice event,” said Bayer. “It's cool to know that I had a small part in making a really good quality surface. There were skaters on the ice who have multiple Olympic medals, and others who are trying to make the 2026 Winter Olympics, so it's pretty cool to see an athlete of that level skating on a surface that you worked on.” 

Bayer brought back ideas to enhance the ice at USM’s rink, including more frequent changes to the wash water filter to collect more dirt and sediment, as well as making adjustments to water temperatures to improve surface density. Bayer’s ultimate dream is to someday work as an ice technician at the Winter Olympics, helping to build and enhance the surface where history is made.