PRO'S CORNER: POND HOCKEY SEASON
The origins of hockey are all outdoors on local lakes, ponds, rivers, and flooded & frozen fields. It’s back when sticks were actually made of wood, players taped magazines to their shins, and wore deer hide mittens. Their toques bobbed in the cold air and you wore a ski mask or scarf to prevent your lungs from freezing. If you’re lucky enough to be able to skate outdoors, there’s really nothing quite like pond hockey season!
True pond hockey is played, well, on a frozen pond in the depths of winter. You might put on some shin pads, gloves, and helmet (recommended), but equipment is not required. Goals can be real hockey nets, “pond hockey nets” which are small boxes just tall enough for the puck, but old-school pond players grab a few pairs of boots. Thankfully we now use pucks instead of blocks of wood or frozen cow patties.
The ice… The ice has not only a special outdoor smell, but it has a unique sound. If it’s cold enough, the ice crunches and shatters with each stride. If on a real pond or lake, you also have to be aware of fissures and frozen waves that will jump up and bite you when you least expect it. But there’s nothing better than the wide open, fast play, even if skating backwards is taking your life into your own hands.
Although playing pond hockey doesn’t require a lot of equipment, you do have to have the right equipment and take care of the equipment you use. The harder and often rougher surface of outdoor ice can wreak havoc on your skates and blades. If you’re playing both indoor and outdoor hockey, it’s recommended to have multiple sets of steel so you can swap out for a fresh pair for your indoor skate. Luckily, Binnie’s carries a wide selection of replacement skate steel for all the top brands. If you don’t want to invest in multiple pairs of steel, you will need to get your skates sharpened more often. As was discussed in a previous blog, hard ice will dull your skates faster. Be prepared to sharpen your skates after every outdoor session. To make things easier, Binnie’s sells pre-paid skate sharpening cards – contact-less drop off & pick up and you don’t have worry about cash or change!
Rough outdoor ice is not only hard on your steel, it hard on your tape job. Make sure you have plenty of tape on hand. A good stick wax like Rooster’s will help keep your tape from splitting as easily and provide you plenty of grip to go bar down no matter how close to zero the temps are.
Of course, if the temps are dropping, and maybe a little snow falling, you’re going to need to keep warm. Layering your apparel is key. Like mom says, it’s always easier to take things off if you’re wearing too much than put them on if you don’t have them. Our apparel layer choice is a t-shirt, long sleeve shirt and hoodie all layered. If it’s snowing, you may want to throw on a jacket too, to help keep moisture out and break any cross winds as you’re streaking down the ice. Designer face masks are not just for keeping you and other safe & healthy. They’re also perfect for keeping your face warm and making it easier to breathe the cold air. If you’re not wearing a helmet (or if you want to stretch it out over your helmet), you’re going to want a cozy beanie to keep the warmth in. The weight and style of the beanie or toque is up to preference, regardless, you want something that is comfortable, fits well, and maybe covers those ears to prevent frost bite.
Now that we’ve got you covered for you next outdoor hockey adventure; we’d love to hear your outdoor pond hockey stories! Tag us on social media @BinniesSkateSharpening on Facebook and @binnies_skate_sharpening with your outdoor or pond hockey experiences.