Unstable ice cancels pond hockey tourney

KALISPELL TOURNEY A FAVOURITE OF LETHBRIDGE TEAMS

Some southern Albertans who were planning to head south of the border this weekend may be altering their plans.

Unstable ice conditions across northwest Montana have forced organizers to cancel the Montana Pond Hockey Classic in Kalispell, which was to be held Friday to Sunday.

During the past several years, multiple teams from Lethbridge and region have taken part in the event.

“We are terribly disappointed to have to cancel this annual event, but our first priority is safety,” said Diane Medler, Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau director, in a press release Tuesday.

“The nature of an outdoor hockey tournament is that it can be impacted by weather, and Mother Nature has been unusually unpredictable this year.”

The CVB organizes the annual pond hockey tournament with producer Pond Hockey Classic, run by Scott Crowder.

A combination of variable temperatures and snow in recent weeks has left lake ice across the region in an unstable condition referred to as “soft snow ice.” This impacted Foys Lake, where the 2018 Montana Pond Hockey Classic was to take place.

After determining that the event could not take place at Foys Lake, the Kalispell CVB and Pond Hockey Classic sourced alternative locations and began ice preparation. However, recent warm temperatures and additional snow caused the ice at the other ponds to deteriorate as well, leaving no choice but to cancel the tournament.

“The fluctuating temperatures and snow caused the ice to form in a way we haven’t seen in our nine years of hosting these events,” said Crowder, commissioner of Pond Hockey Classic.

“The only way for the ice to have corrected itself would have been a deep freeze — something that we have not experienced and that is not forecasted for this region.”

Although the Pond Hockey Classic refund policy states no refunds will be given within the 10-day window of the event, the event producer has offered to refund all but the nonrefundable deposit of $100 to teams that had registered for the tournament.

Teams that still make the trek to Kalispell are invited to a gathering at Moose’s Saloon in downtown Kalispell on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Follow @NKuhlHerald on Twitter