Alright, so I wanted to share a bit about this trip I took, the Pond Hockey Classic up in Vermont. It’s something I’d been hearing about for a while, you know, guys at work, a few old buddies mentioning it. Sounded like a good laugh, a bit of old-school fun.
I finally decided this was the year. Got on the phone, rounded up a couple of guys who were brave enough, or maybe just foolish enough, to join me. We weren’t exactly spring chickens, and our serious hockey days were mostly behind us, but the idea of playing outdoors, on a real pond, it just had a pull to it. My skates were gathering dust in the garage, pretty sure I hadn’t sharpened them since the last time I thought playing beer league was a good idea. So, step one was digging all that gear out. Found my old stick, thankfully not too warped, and started packing layers. Vermont in the winter, you don’t mess around with the cold.
Getting There and The First Look
We drove up on a Friday. The scenery started changing, more snow, that crisp air hitting you when you stepped out of the car. Finally pulled into the town where the event was. The lake was massive, and you could already see the setup. Rinks cleared on the ice, people milling about. There was a real buzz in the air, even before things officially kicked off. You could just feel the excitement from everyone. It wasn’t like some sterile indoor arena; this felt… real.
Checked in, found our little cabin, and then headed down to the lake to see it all properly. They had rows of rinks marked out, just patches of cleared ice. Teams were already out there, warming up, just chucking the puck around. The sound of skates on natural ice, it’s different, a kind of scraping, crunching sound. Pretty cool.
Out on the Ice
Our first game was, well, an experience. We called ourselves something unoriginal, probably like “The Frosty Pucks” or whatever. Stepping onto that outdoor ice for a game, it’s a world away from a smooth, indoor rink. There are bumps, little cracks, the sun can be in your eyes. We were playing four-on-four, no goalies, just small nets. It’s fast, you’re working hard, and the cold air burns your lungs a bit, but in a good way, if that makes sense.
We definitely weren’t the stars of the show. Some of these teams, man, they were good. You could tell they did this regularly. We mostly focused on not falling over too much and trying to string a few passes together. There were plenty of laughs, a few spectacular wipeouts (mostly from our side), and a whole lot of huffing and puffing. The spirit of it was fantastic, though. Everyone was out there for the love of the game. You’d chat with guys from other teams between games, share a story or two. It wasn’t super competitive, more like a big, chilly get-together.
- Getting used to the ice surface was the first big hurdle.
- Figuring out how to play without a goalie took some adjusting.
- Keeping warm on the sidelines was an art form in itself!
One of the best parts was just being out there. You’re surrounded by this amazing Vermont winter landscape. Snow-covered trees, the vast expanse of the frozen lake. It beats staring at a computer screen, that’s for sure. We even managed to score a few goals, which felt like winning the Stanley Cup at the time, even if we lost most of our games. It wasn’t really about winning for us, more about just doing it.
The Wind-Down and Thoughts
By Sunday afternoon, I was beat. Every muscle ached. My face was wind-burned. I was pretty sure I’d pulled something I didn’t even know I had. But honestly, I felt great. Tired, but in that satisfied way you get after you’ve really done something. We packed up, said our goodbyes, and started the drive home, already talking about “next year.”
Looking back, it was such a good decision to go. It’s easy to get stuck in a routine, and this was a proper shake-up. The fresh air, the exercise, the camaraderie with the guys and even with strangers. It’s a simple thing, playing hockey on a pond, but it’s got a kind of magic to it. If you’re thinking about it, or something like it, I’d say just go for it. You don’t need to be a pro. Just need to be willing to lace ’em up and have a go. I’m already looking forward to finding my skates in the garage again next winter, maybe even giving them an early sharpening this time.
