Davis User Stories

January 2008

WEATHER STATIONS IN ACTION:

Vantage Pro2 Helps Make Hockey History

This Vantage Pro2 helped in setting up the historic outside rink for the Sabres vs Penguins New Year's Day game. Photo: Ultimate Sports Roadtrip.

It was a like a dream come true for us! A New Year’s day spent reveling in two of our favorite things: the greatness of hockey and Vantage Pro2s!

Before the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins could make NHL history by playing outside, the Buffalo Bills stadium had to be transformed into an outdoor ice rink in a matter of hours. One of the first things they did was set up a Vantage Pro2 weather station on the 50-yard line. Building the rink required 100 tons of sand, along with layers of plywood (3,000 sheets of it), plastic and Styrofoam.

While temperature was certainly important in building the rink, wind gusts were of equal import – especially when dealing with Styrofoam, plastic sheets, and loose sand. The Vantage Pro2 was also able to offer a forecast of game day weather, which turned out to be perfect – if you like to skate through swirling snowflakes!

And the game was a great one. With over 70,000 fans braving the chill, it was tied1-1 after the third period and went all the way to a shoot out. When “Sid the Kid” Crosby, reliving his childhood days of outdoor hockey, slid the puck past the Sabre’s goalie Ryan Miller for the Penguin win, hockey fans the world over felt the thrill of victory. (There’s a great shot of the moment on USA Todays’ website.)

But around here, we really like to believe that Crosby, while important, was not the real game-winner. That honor has to go to our Vantage Pro2. Go VP2!!!

If you’d like to know more about how they achieved the feat of creating an ice rink in the middle of a football stadium, check out the Sabres website where you can listen to Dan Craig, NHL Facilities Operation Manager, and Don Renzulli, NHL Senior VP for Events and Entertainment discuss it. Also check out Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell's terrific Ultimate Sports Roadtrip (covering all Buffalo sports). Andrew and Peter have lots of photos of the excitement leading up to the very exciting game.

(Thanks also to John Thompson, of Buffalo, New York, who sent us a link to WIVB Channel 4 News in Buffalo. Their coverage included a nice shot of the Vantage Pro2.)