US Pond Hockey Championships: Minneapolis' freshly-frozen Lake Nokomis hosting thousands of players for 9-day event
MINNEAPOLIS — Lake Nokomis froze over just in time for the 19th annual U.S. Pond Hockey Championships, which kicks off Friday in Minneapolis.
Twenty-four rinks were created in just 48 hours with the help of T-Rex Rinks to host the 300 teams — and 2,300 players — expected to face off for the next two weekends.
Temperatures will be hovering around zero this first weekend, but temps could be around the freezing mark next weekend.
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"It's just absolutely black, perfect ice, as you'd imagine with a really fast freeze and no snow," said tournament commissioner Jim Dahline.
After a historically warm December, the arctic blast that's enveloped Minnesota the past couple weeks was a godsend to organizers.
"This vortex came down and blessed us with a couple of weeks of below-zero weather, and we couldn't be happier," said tournament event manager Jesse Delorit.
Teams from all over the world will hit the ice, including players from the United Kingdom and New Zealand, as well as most U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
The grand prize? The team to win it all during the first weekend gets a photo op with the Silver Scoop, and the grand prize for next weekend's champs is a photo with the Golden Shovel. Champion teams can take home a photo with their names etched in it.
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Hundreds of spectators are also expected to be on hand, with tournament officials estimating nearly half coming from out of state.
There are also several new vendors this year including Red Bull, which has set up a mini-golf installation.
Want to get in on the action? Volunteers are still welcome to sign up, including refs, and no experience is necessary to officiate. They can be trained on-site. Click here for more information.
The nine-day tournament runs through Jan. 28, with no events scheduled between Jan. 22-23.
