The ultimate pond hockey road trip
By Nick Villano
Pond hockey is a pastime that isn't unlike many other sports. There are players young and old hitting the rink every weekend with their equipment because it's more than a passion; it's a lifestyle. Spending Saturdays with the boys and girls is something between heavenly and meditative.
It's something between the fantastic views, the sound of skates on ice, and the competition of hockey, the world's most beautiful game. The NHL Winter Classic created more intrigue for outdoor hockey, and pond hockey is the most popular and most accessible of any style of outdoor hockey. The reason is simple: all you need is a frozen pond and players to get a game going.
Pond hockey is the "Rucker Park" of the hockey world. It's the backyard style of the game, but there are more than enough formal tournaments and rinks that you need to visit once in your lifetime. So, we created the Ultimate Pond Hockey Road Trip. It calls for 63 hours in a car, but these six rinks combine amazing views, fantastic ice, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Let's start in the most obvious place, Alberta, Canada.
Where should you go on the Ultimate Pond Hockey Road Trip?
First Stop: Lake Louise
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
We're starting the trip in literally one of the most beautiful places in the world. Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada is this perfect combination of mountain climbing, ice skating, and incredible sightseeing. Within its 2,564 square miles lies Lake Louise. Here, ice skating gives you a natural feel since the lake is naturally frozen over, but you also get this insane view of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
It's set at the foot of Victoria Glacier. It's at the foot of a glacier. A glacier! This is beyond a bucket list item. This will be the story you tell for the rest of your life. It's breathtaking just to be there. Playing an ice hockey game there is something even more incredible. If you go there during the right time of the season, workers at the nearby resort create ice castles out of giant blocks of ice you can skate in and out of.
This is the perfect start to this road trip. People fly from around the world to experience this location.