How the ‘Zammoth’ creators fulfilled a lifelong dream

Q: What is the Zammoth and who created it?

The Zammoth is a Mammoth-themed Zamboni created by David 'Heavy D' Sparks and David 'Diesel Dave' Kiley, known as the 'Diesel Brothers.'

Q: When did the Mammoth defeat the Edmonton Oilers?

The Mammoth defeated the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 in overtime on April 7, 2026.

Q: Where was the NHL game between the Mammoth and the Oilers held?

The NHL game took place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Q: What is the significance of the Zammoth for the Diesel Brothers?

The Zammoth represents the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for the Diesel Brothers, who have driven numerous vehicles but had not previously created a Zamboni.

Tusky waves a Mammoth flag atop the Zammoth, a Mammoth-themed Zamboni for fans, after the Mammoth defeated the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 in overtime of an NHL game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

There’s hardly a vehicle under the sun that David “Heavy D” Sparks and David “Diesel Dave” Kiley haven’t driven.

Thanks in large part to their TV show and their significant social media presence, the “Diesel Brothers” been able to experiment with monster trucks, boats, helicopters, semi trucks, heavy machinery, hover crafts and everything in between.

But until recently, one particular vehicle had evaded them.

“I think I speak for all men everywhere when (I say) it’s our dream to drive a Zamboni,” Kiley said at a media scrum during the first intermission of the Utah Mammoth’s game against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, where the “Zammoth” made its debut.

The Zammoth is essentially a Mammoth-shaped party bus that parades eight fans around the ice surface at the Delta Center at a time. The Mammoth commissioned the Utah-based Diesel Brothers to design and build it, and they got to take the first lap around the ice, firing the T-shirt cannon and cheering with the fans.

Sparks described the experience of delivering the Zamboni to the Delta Center on Monday as “almost surreal.”

“It was one of those moments in your life where you’re like, ‘I need to record this memory because this is not normal, and this is a really cool experience.’”

“I watched him check a box on his bucket list,” Kiley added. “Zamboni: check.”

The Diesel Brothers appreciated the freedom that the team allowed them to make the Zammoth their own way.

“The coolest part was they said, ‘Do what you guys think works,’” Sparks explained. “And they literally didn’t babysit us at all. They just said, ‘Do what you think is cool’ and gave us the thumbs-up and told us to keep on rolling with the idea.”

The result was larger than life — and some of its features have yet to be exhibited.

For example, they built the trunk with the capability of rising and descending. When it gets to the top, it can spray cryogenic fluid to simulate a mammoth blowing water out of its trunk. That part hasn’t been approved for use on NHL ice yet, but the guys built it with the hope that it will be allowed.

It also has built-in T-shirt cannons, a light system and speakers that play mammoth sounds. And the fact that it was built from the bones of a Zamboni used at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City makes it even more unique.

And to answer the question, no — it does not flood the ice anymore.

The concept of a rideable Zamboni isn’t unique to the Mammoth. The Florida Panthers and the Columbus Blue Jackets have similar machines, which was the foundation of this idea. But the Mammoth wanted to do it bigger and better.

“Sometimes, the best ideas are found from other people and then taking them and kind of putting them on steroids,” said Chris Barney, president of revenue and commercial strategy for Smith Entertainment Group. “You don’t always have to innovate your own idea. There’s great ideas out there that you can take and add your own flair to it, and I think this is one more example of that.”

Of course, a project like this involves countless speed bumps. There’s not exactly a blueprint to follow when turning a 3-ton vehicle into a prehistoric creature.

“Every time we welded a piece of metal, another piece of metal would bend or warp or kind of distort,” Sparks explained. “So, it was a lot of, like, handholding making sure that it came together the right way, because the Mammoth didn’t want to do this like, a cheap, easy way.

“We could have done fiberglass, (but) no. They said, ‘Do it the right way. Hand-craft it and build it so that it lasts forever,’ and that’s exactly what we did.”

The Zammoth will spend the next few games on the plaza at the Delta Center, where fans will be able to see it up close. After that, it will parade fans around the ice before each game and during every intermission.

The team has not released information on how fans can sign up to ride the Zammoth, but those details will come shortly.

Tusky and fans cheer atop the Zammoth, a Mammoth-themed Zamboni for fans, as it is unveiled between the first and second periods of an NHL game between the Utah Mammoth and the Edmonton Oilers held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

The Zammoth, a Mammoth-themed Zamboni for fans, makes its way onto the ice during the first period of an NHL game between the Utah Mammoth and the Edmonton Oilers held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

Fans cheer atop the Zammoth, a Mammoth-themed Zamboni for fans, as it is unveiled between the first and second periods of an NHL game between the Utah Mammoth and the Edmonton Oilers held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

John Ruskauff, of North Salt Lake, poses for a photo with the Zammoth, a Mammoth-themed Zamboni for fans, during the second period of an NHL game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News