US Pond Hockey Championships' final weekend canceled due to warm weather
MINNEAPOLIS — Organizers of the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships say the last weekend of the tournament is canceled due to warm weather.
The culmination of the tournament, called Golden Weekend, was set for Friday through Sunday on Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis, but temperatures have been on the rise since its opening weekend. On Thursday, organizers on social media announced the difficult decision to call it off.
"We're as gutted about this as all of you are," the social media post said. "This event sometimes teeters between a couple of degrees, and we've had good luck, and we've had bad luck. Last weekend was good luck, this weekend is bad luck."
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The grounds and main tent will be open from Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. for players and friends to visit.
Blake Wolanin and Jordan Shepherd flew on Thursday, ready to compete for the first time with their team of Frontier Airlines pilots.
"This is not what I was expecting for Minneapolis in January," Wolanin said.
"The ice looks really sloppy out there," Shepherd added.
But when it comes to outdoor activities, there's one variable you can't control.
"Mother nature, she can turn on you in a heartbeat or she can be kind to you," Event Manager Jesse Delorit said.
Delorit says this winter season has been one for the books, keeping them on their toes, and holding their breath.
With a cold spell last week, opening weekend was a hockey player's dream with black ice. Just a week later, it's anything but.
In Golden Valley, warm weather turned its rink into a pond, forcing the city to close outdoor rinks for the season.
Leaving a lot of skaters hoping for one thing.
"Let's get some cold," Delorit laughed.
Despite the lack of ice outdoors, indoor rinks are more predictable and some teams that were supposed to compete this weekend say they'll still hit the ice for fun Friday.
Golden Weekend teams will have a guaranteed spot for next year's championships, which will be the 20th year of the event.