Courtesy Brian Blumenfeld
Hockey teams from across Colorado — and even a few from Texas and Wyoming — will spend Saturday playing on the ice of Grand Lake for the third annual Pond Hockey Classic.
Started three years ago by Brian Blumenfeld, the tournament features six rinks and 50 three-person teams each guaranteed three games. Blumenfeld spent Wednesday morning adding water to the rinks and the afternoon hauling hockey goals to the lake preparing for the daylong event.
The tournament is put on with the help of the Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce and this year could have the most spectators yet.
“There are hundreds and hundreds of people that come out and just watch,” Blumenfeld said. “They bring their camping chairs or their lawn chairs, kick back and enjoy the day.”
Team registration filled up two weeks ago and late registers had to be put on a waiting list. Blumenfeld said because of some late cancellations he was able to call a few waitlisted teams to tell them that they made it in, which every team was excited about.
The first pond hockey tournament, which took place in 2018, had 27 teams and 150 participants. Seeing the tradition quickly grow and embed itself into Grand Lake’s winter traditions is exactly what he had hoped for, Blumenfeld said.
He advised spectators to bring a chair, wear their boots and enjoy what should be good weather Saturday.
“Come to have a good, outdoor winter time as all of us in Grand Lake and Grand County know how to do probably better than anyone in the world,” Blumenfeld said.
Check-in begins at 8:15 at Pancho & Lefty’s and games start at 9 a.m. on the lake.