Hockey players from team Boston Beauties go for the puck during the final of the women's open division at the Pond Hockey Classic in Meredith, N.H., on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024.
But like many winter traditions on lakes across the U.S., the Pond Hockey Classic is under threat from climate change. This year, the tournament was moved from Lake Winnipesaukee, where the ice wasn’t thick enough, to the smaller Lake Waukewan. As temperatures soared, a sister tournament on Lake Champlain in Vermont was canceled.closed during the winter carnivalwhen the all-terrain vehicle he was on plunged through the ice after a fishing trip, the latest in a series of such accidents.
In all, 275 teams competed across 26 rinks surrounded by small, portable barriers and tended to by skaters carrying snow shovels. There were no referees, and players had to aim the puck at one of two tiny goals. Some hardy spectators watched all day, including one family that wore crampons for traction.One team arrived decked out in furry coats, another set up a barbecue and most started socializing the moment their games were over.
Pond Hockey Classic founder Scott Crowder said there's nothing better than playing outdoors in a beautiful setting.