GANGNEUNG, South Korea — The Winter Olympics are a global competition, with athletes representing 92 countries. But one event is dominated by Americans and Canadians like no other: Zamboni driving.
It is conspicuous, this army of 37 mostly imported Zamboni drivers, doing their quiet, mesmerizing work of resurfacing the ice, back and forth on their big machines, when the action pauses and the cameras turn away.
“I have really good American drivers,” said Remy Boehler, an ice expert from France in charge of the surfaces for the figure skating and short-track speedskating arena and practice rinks. “For me, it is a dream team.