CAPE ELIZABETH — Nearly all eyes were on Jack Lombard as he sat perched on the hulking, yellow Zamboni, preparing to drive it onto the ice at the Cape Elizabeth Community Arena Thursday afternoon.

A young boy walked behind the machine, staring with wide eyes while other children watched from next to the rink, hot chocolate in hand, some pointing and giggling.

“Is it fun to drive that?” the boy asked Lombard.

“Wicked,” Lombard, 43, replied.

Jack Lombard drives the Zamboni on the ice at the Cape Community Arena, an outdoor ice rink in Cape Elizabeth run by volunteers like Lombard, on Thursday. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Lombard pulled one of a handful of levers. Suddenly, the beast’s soft, idling purr gave way to a whirring engine, the whooshing of brushes and spinning blades. The Zamboni rolled onto the scuffed-up ice, leaving a slick trail in its wake.

“Our goal is to make this the best ice in the country,” the Cape Elizabeth native said. “We’ll see if we can achieve that.”

Now in its third year, the arena near the public works complex off the southern end of Spurwink Avenue hosts skating lessons, recreational hockey leagues and free open skating sessions. Open daily, it almost always draws a crowd.

Lombard is on the team of volunteers who keep the Cape Elizabeth Community Arena running — and is one of the few entrusted to operate the all-important Zamboni.

“It definitely takes a lot of practice to get used to,” Lombard said as he readied the machine. “Not only are you driving, but you’re kind of worried about multiple things at one time.”

That includes making sure the rear blade sits at the right height, that an appropriate amount of water is flowing and that the auger responsible for pulling shavings off the ice doesn’t get jammed, he said.

The Zamboni was donated by L.P. Murray & Sons, Inc., a local excavation contractor, Lombard said. Though he was not sure exactly how much it cost, Lombard estimated that it was worth at least $100,000.

Beneath the ice, miles of PVC piping carrying glycol at 15 degrees keep things cool even when the outside temperatures stray above freezing. Keeping the outdoor ice in good condition can be a challenge, especially compared to indoor arenas, Lombard said.

“You’re dealing with much more volatile conditions,” he said. “If it’s rainy, you have water on the ice. When it snows, you have to get a whole crew to get the snow off the ice before you put the Zamboni on.”

As Lombard smoothed out the ice before the afternoon’s open skating session, fellow volunteers and Cape residents Kenny Moon and Pat Dionne fiddled with the chain-link fencing that surrounds one half of the rink. They tied down loose edges and trimmed off sharp points.

Jack Lombard at the Cape Community Arena, an outdoor ice rink in Cape Elizabeth run by volunteers, on Thursday. Lombard is one of several volunteers who drives the Zamboni on the ice. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Dionne said they usually begin preparing for the season around Thanksgiving, but there is no set schedule. He and other volunteers pick up tasks as needed and dedicate what time they can.

“It’s really organic,” Dionne said. “We’re hockey players. We wanted to play, wanted to help get it going.”

Dionne said he works in tech, so volunteering at the rink offers a welcome chance to work with his hands.

Dozens of skaters filled the ice as the sun set Thursday.

“Everyone’s using it,” Dionne said. “It’s so much fun to see,”

As Lombard returned the Zamboni to its garage — and after his two sons helped shovel off any lingering ice shavings — more than a dozen families began to fill the ice.

Among them were Brenda Stilley, 29, and her four children, aged 4 to 10. Stilley said they had already been to the rink a handful of times this year.

“It’s nearby, it’s free, and the kids love it,” she said.

Stilley said she and her family moved from Texas to Scarborough this year and had never tried skating before. Thursday marked Stilley’s second or third time on the ice, she said.

“I’m learning. … I’m still not very good at it,” Stilley said, before looking at her children take the ice. “They’re braver than me.”