For the love of the game: Annual event celebrates hockey

BIG LAKE — The iconic baseball flick “The Sandlot” reaches an initial rise of the game played on the Fourth of July.

“There was only one night game a year. The whole sky would brighten up with fireworks, giving us just enough light for a game. We played our best then,” narrates Scotty Smalls.

Fourth of July fireworks often underwhelm in the midnight sun, but under a spectacular fireworks show on Big Lake, young hockey players skated laps around the pond twisting wristers and celebrating under the bright lights of the big show. It served as the cherry on top of a weekend celebration of hockey in its purest form.

“This is going to be great. This is like one of the premier Alaskan events and it’s going to grow to several thousand people in the next few years,” Jason Motyka said.

Motyka owns 49th State Brewing Company, who provided food for the event, which had broken into an all out party after hockey filled days on Big Lake. Motyka rocked out to the 80’s hits of I Like Robots in a bright pink jacket with pink slacks, a mullet, American Flag sunglasses and to top it all off, a pink fanny pack that simply read ‘party.’ Motyka and 49th State provided the necessary backbone for the hockey tournament and its 500 skaters to continue playing and allow the end-of-season tournament to thrive. Sponsors and volunteers keep The Last Frontier Pond Hockey Classic thriving in Big Lake.

“We need to do more of this stuff. I’m glad we’re doing it in the Big Lake community and I’m glad Scotty brought it here a few years ago,” Walter Henry said. “It’s the best venue that we could have, I think, and the fact that we’ve got over 100 teams this year, right? It’s incredible and I grew up playing hockey. It’s the best hockey. I’ve ever seen in my life, everybody with a big smile on their faces playing for the love of the game and that’s what it’s all about.”

The party got started after two long days of hockey with cover tracks from I Like Robots. The tent packed full of hundreds of hockey players of all ages danced to tracks like “The Walk of Life,” “Every Rose has its Thorn,” “Walking on Sunshine” and “Don’t You (Forget About Me).”

While the band played in the tent at Burkshore Marina, the Lutz family took some time to enjoy the open ice. A flood light stood over the entrance to the ice, and Jeremy Lutz took the opportunity to skate circles around his son, 15-year-old Coltin.

“We’re playing hockey year round, but this setting here is something that’s completely different and this is what we all grow up wanting to do. This is great. It’s windier than hell out here, but we’re getting warm,” Jeremy Lutz said.

Coltin’s team enjoyed the atmosphere at the Pond Hockey Classic, finishing 2-2 on Saturday. However, only four of the six skaters had ever played hockey before.

“It was awesome. They had a blast. It was a good time,” Lutz said. “I’ve been wanting to make it to the Eagle River, Wisconsin pond hockey tournament for years and to see this happening here and growing, it’s going to be amazing here in a few years if more people get into it.”

Jeremy and Coltin Lutz played keep away with the puck under the single flood light while Tyler Lutz and Kadi Judd had a more relaxed night skating session nearby. While the Lutz’ skate year round, the Last Frontier Pond Hockey Classic offers something that competitive tournaments just can’t. For some, the Classic is a way to get into the game. Anchorage 23-year-old Cesar Santillan watched the Pond Hockey Classic last year and even picked up the game this year.

“I’m thinking I might try to play next year,” Santillan said.

The Lutz’ were joined by the rest of the Pond Hockey Classic party that remained on Saturday night when the masses flooded out onto the ice for the fireworks show. Despite the gusting winds, explosions of color lit up the night sky. Younger skaters took advantage of the opportunity for a night game and skated around the rinks.

“I think this event will be the event that everyone else is like you know what, we could do that in our community in other parts of Alaska,” Motyka said.

Contact Frontiersman reporter Tim Rockey at frontiersman.com.