Pond hockey tournaments statewide offer slick opportunities

By Gabe Toth

Skiing may hog Colorado’s winter spotlight, but many outdoor enthusiasts are learning the fun of strapping on skates and playing pond hockey during the coldest months.

There are opportunities to watch competitive action on lakes and ponds across the state, and in many cases, spectators can also drop in for a skate.

Local Colorado pond hockey teams stay busy every weekend in January and February, which is the most popular time for tournaments. Some of the largest tournaments that attract thousands of players are the Evergreen matchup on Jan. 6 and 7, the Golden Pick Tommyknocker tournament in Creede on Jan. 13 and 14, Keystone’s 9280 Pond Hockey Tournament from Jan. 19-21, and the Pabst Colorado Pond Hockey Tournament in Silverthorne from
Feb. 16-18.

The Keystone event is open to the whole family, which sets it apart from most of the others. “We don’t know of a single tournament that has youth,” organizer Mike Gempeler said. “All pond hockey tournaments are very beer-heavy. We wanted something a little different. We wanted something a little more family-friendly.”

He said that he and his partner decided early on to invest in quality equipment for the tournament, including real nets and 18-inch boards to help keep the puck in the rink and in play. Now in its fourth year, the tournament takes place on the only lake in North America serviced by a Zamboni machine — meaning it’s scraped and sprayed with hot water, which creates a smooth surface that players love.

The tournament attracts 1,100 participants, plus family and friends, during an otherwise slower time of the season. “It’s a great community event,” Gempeler said. “It’s a huge weekend for them. They get skier traffic all the time, but ski traffic stays on the mountains. This traffic is in the bars and restaurants.”

There’s a large rink in the middle of the pond that’s open for pick-up hockey, and don’t be surprised to find a Christmas tree. “It’s a great place for the kids to hang out, It’s a beautiful area and a great event,” he said.

Closer to Denver, Evergreen Lake is home to a dozen rinks, including four that are NHL-size, according to Brad Bednar, Lakehouse manager for the Evergreen Parks and Recreation District.

*Photo courtesy Keystone 9280 Pond Hockey Tournament*

“It’s close enough to Denver that people can get up there pretty quickly,” he said. “Indoor arenas are a dime a dozen, and they’re hard to get into. When we do open for the season, it’s seven days a week and it’s all free-skate.” The one exception, including the tournament weekend, is New Year’s Eve, when the lake is closed for the annual Skate the Lake festivities.

During winter, Evergreen Lake boasts about eight acres of ice, depending on snow plowing. The lake itself was created in the 1920s specifically as a recreational destination, and Bednar said hockey has been on the rise for the last couple of decades.

“In the 80s and 90s we only had one rink,” he said. “It’s grown in popularity. On the weekend, they’re packed. You can’t find an empty rink.”

Bednar said a huge influx of hockey players has comprised an increasing share of 2,000 to 3,000 visitors on some days.

The location, nestled in the mountains west of Red Rocks Amphitheatre, is also hard to beat. “It’s a beautiful setting, you don’t get that too often,” Bednar said. “We see tons and tons of people from around the state, around the country, and around the world.”

Being that close to the flatlands can lead to highly variable weather, though, and he recommends calling their hotline before driving up, especially in mid-day.

“We are weather dependent. If you’re able to wear shorts and a T-shirt, we might not be able to open,” he said. “If it does get warm, we might have to close by noon or one o’clock.”

This winter will be the eighth year of the Evergreen Pond Hockey Championships, which averages about 60 teams.

“I’m not trying to make it a huge tournament, where you get lost,” Bednar said. “It feels like you’re part of something. Most of these teams come back. Our first year, we had a team fly out from San Diego, and they won it. Kids from California, they loved it. The first day we had a snowstorm, the second day was T-shirt weather.”

A former newspaper journalist, Gabe Toth is the head brewer at Twisted Pine Brewing Co., as well as an avid snowboarder and outdoors enthusiast.