Page 56 - Flathead Beacon // 2.18.15

56 | FEBRUARY 18, 2015
OUTDOORS
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
The Montana Pond Hockey Classic returns to the valley Feb. 20-22. BEACON FILE PHOTO
The fastest game on earth has humble origins, its earliest it- erations played al fresco, atop a frozen pond or lake and with- out the frills of indoor coliseum rinks and Zamboni-treated ice.
For generations, ice hockey aficio- nados honed their chops on natural out- door rinks, skating across its variable surface and navigating its undulating textures, a thermos of something warm to quell the chill between periods.
And while the National Hockey League and its scores of teams have ob- scured the sport’s unalloyed roots, a re- vival of so-called pond hockey has taken place across North America, and the Flathead Valley is no exception.
Continuing its streak of hosting pop- ular events like the Spartan Race and Dragon Boat Festival, the Kalispell Con- vention and Visitor Bureau is hosting its second-annual Montana Pond Hockey Classic.
Sixty-one teams have registered for the four-on-four tournament, which is slated for Feb. 20-22 atop frozen Foys Lake west of Kalispell. A large tract of private property near the county’s lakeshore park will host the event’s fes- tivities, including vendors and family games.
Organizers believe the Montana Pond Hockey Classic will attract a large number of out-of-market visitors, par- ticularly from up north where hockey is the national pastime, during a time of year that is typically quiet.
Teams from all over North America are expected to arrive in the Flathead Valley and participate, according to the Convention and Visitor Bureau.
Last year’s event drew $632,000 to Kalispell and involved 3,200 people, and this year’s version is expected to be even larger.
But a spate of warm weather has cast doubt on the event’s location, and the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau has applied for a special permit naming the Woodland Park Ice Center as a contingency venue. The location will only change if ice conditions at Foys Lake are unstable.
“The event is scheduled to be held at Foys Lake, however, Woodland Park will be utilized if the ice conditions do not stabilize prior to the event,” according to the permit application.
The application includes a request for alcohol consumption at the Wood- land Park Ice Center and a shuttle ser- vice from a designated parking area at the nearby Conrad Complex. City staff
members have recommended that the council approve the permit at its Feb. 17 meeting.
Organizers had hoped that a cold snap predicted this week would stabilize the lake ice, but the National Weather Service now is calling for temperatures reaching into the high 30s and low 40s this week.
Although the warm weather has cast doubt on the Foys Lake location, Ka- lispell Convention and Visitor Bureau director Diane Medler said organizers are prepared for a venue change if nec- essary.
“We will hold the event one way or another,” Medler said. “We have 10 more teams this year and we expect a great turnout.”
The KCVB has partnered with an event management company based in New England that operates two other Pond Hockey Classic tournaments, in New Hampshire and Vermont. Called the “largest pond hockey tournament series in North America,” the events annually attract between 125 and 225 teams from across the U.S. and Canada.
Organizers said the Kalispell tour- nament features some 600 participants and will draw roughly 1,200 spectators for each of the three days.
The tournament consists of adult teams for men and women of all skill lev- els participating in separate divisions. Teams of six will compete with four players on the ice wearing basic gear.
A trophy will be awarded to the winners of the tourney, its history dat- ing back to the 1940s, when a group of friends began organizing hockey games on Flathead Lake. On one afternoon, in the middle of a game of “shinny,” the group watched in disbelief as a bear raided their stash of beer on the frozen shore, piercing the aluminum with its claws and lapping up the frosty bever- ages.
The following weekend, the friends kept their libations close to their game, but one player set a single can in the same location. About halfway through the game, the bear returned and con- sumed the beer.
“And so a ritual was born, every time the friends took the ice they would leave a beer for the bear they called ‘Monty,’” according to the event’s website.
To honor the legend and the bear, the Monty Cup will be awarded to tourna- ment winners.
For additional details, visit www. pondhockeyclassic.com.
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National Pond Hockey Event Honors Outdoor Origins
Three-day tournament in Kalispell features teams from across North America, but warm weather may force venue change
By TRISTAN SCOTT