Pond Hockey

BIG LAKE —Hockey returns to its original, and some might say its purest form, at the 2018 Last Frontier Pond Hockey Classic on Big Lake. 107 teams of four poured out onto the Big Lake ice for fun, friends, drinks and hockey.

Youth teams competed on Friday in U18, U14, and U10 divisions. Adult teams take the ice Saturday and Sunday outside of the Burkshore Marina. Five teams play in the ‘49er’ division of 49 years old and up men. Nine coed teams of two men and two women competed. Seven teams play in the elite division, 28 teams are playing in the open division and there are 11 women’s teams. No goalies take the ice, as ‘nets’ are made up of 2x4’s with a slot on each side.

The tournament started four years ago to help raise money for the Scotty Gomez Foundation, started by the Anchorage native who went on to enjoy a long and successful career in the NHL. The inaugural tournament attracted 50 teams to Goose Lake, but logistical problems kept the tournament from making money. Teams had to be shuttled in and there was not enough usable ice for the event.

“I rolled the dice and hit it big. Big Lake is a big area, you can’t run out of lake, and the idea for me was that people park on the lake and that adds to it. People are barbecuing on the lake with their family and their neighbors. That’s what it’s about, being one big happy family for a weekend,” said Carlos Gomez, tournament organizer and Scotty’s father.

Last year, the tournament, the largest of its kind in the state, made its way to the Valley. Nearly 500 hockey players flock to Burkshore Marina for this uniquely Alaskan event. Cars park on the lake, and a handful of motorhomes stay out to keep the party going all night. A large tent serves as a locker room, restaurant, bar and dance floor during the three days.

“Good beer too,” said player Jaden Sears.

The event injects life into a Big Lake community that may not see tourists until the snow melts. Players from Anchorage who make the trip out to Houston find a tight-knit community that welcomes the event.

“The only thing you can’t do is go ‘bar-downski’ because you’ve got to keep the puck on the ice the entire time,” said 2017 Houston High grad Isaac Smoldon.

“Huge shoutout to all the Big Lake Rec Center guys that really help put this on. I think it’s something we look forward to every year and it’s one of the highlights of hockey season for me.”

Smoldon and a handful of Houston High seniors put together a team for the open division.

“It’s nice to just come out and play and have fun, not have any worries you know. You don’t have a coach breathing down your neck and all that so it’s a lot of fun,” said Reed Humphreys, a senior at Houston High.

Proceeds from the event go to the Scotty Gomez Foundation. The entire community comes together to help put the event on. Burkshore Marina cleared snow for the 13 rinks. Community grows inside the handmade wooden barriers. The Lions Club zamboni the ice in the evening, and event staff shave the ice with metal shovels after each game. No one complains about rough ice, rather, hockey players are happy to play the game the way many grew up playing: on outdoor ice. “Kids growing up these days spend so much time in the structured indoor game that they don’t get to practice their creativity. By the third period after the zam has worn off, it’s a little rough,” said Vaughn Duggar.

Though elite division games may find themselves higher on the competitive spectrum, many play just for the fun and the atmosphere.

“It’s a way to give back to hockey, especially if you’ve played for 45 or 50 years, it's fun to put money back in and encourage the younger kids to play,” said John Fuglestad.

Duggar and Fugelstad play on the Quality Asphalt Paving 49er team. They lost 20-5 in the 11 a.m. game to Alaska Towing and Wrecking, but were in high spirits after the game. They claimed that they donated that game, and that they were really just in it to work up a thirst.

Gomez originally had the idea watching a pond hockey tournament in Minnesota. The 107 registered teams are up from 76 last year.

“Alaska’s got to have one,” said Gomez.

In 2017, the tournament saw 12 players from outside the state compete. Gomez’ ultimate goal is to make it onto the pond hockey circuit popular in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada. With viable ice late into March in Alaska, Gomez hopes to become the final stop on the circuit.

“Especially for Big Lake businesses that aren’t seeing a lot of business, you’ve got guys flooding into small businesses. That’s how they stay afloat with events like this. Just having the support from HHS, I think that Carlos does a great job with this whole thing,” said Sears.