Organizers of the BC Provincial Pond Hockey series are looking to the East Kootenay as the site of the Eastern Regional Pond Hockey Championships starting in February 2012.  The annual event, which is expected to draw upwards of 60 teams from B.C., the U.S.A. and Alberta, will be the third location in the provincial series which already features annual tournaments in Rossland and Prince George.

One of the people behind the series is event organizer John Reed, who feels the East Kootenay region is perfectly set up for the event. “The area is great because there are large lakes, and winter temperatures sustain ice making.  There’s a passion for hockey,  outdoor pursuits and the culture and people within the local communities are awesome. Geographically, both the Invermere, Radium and Kimberley areas are firmly established as travel destinations within the B.C., Alberta and U.S.A. markets. There are many things to do on a year-round basis, great resorts, accommodation and activities to choose from that complement this type of event,” Reed said.

The design behind the series is to establish three distinct locations within B.C. in which to host annual Pond Hockey events, and then to launch a Provincial Championship which will take place every two years once the third location is in place. With the launch of the Eastern Regional Pond Hockey Championships in 2012, the Provincial Championship will start in 2013. Players  who want to experience this one-of-a-kind event that takes you back to skating on backyard rinks and frozen ponds, are encouraged to stay tuned to www.bcpondhockey.com.

“Pond Hockey is quite simply fun. It takes you back to the day when, as a kid, you learned to skate and play hockey outside on ponds and backyard rinks. It’s all about getting together with friends, fresh air, being outside and getting back to your roots. Learning to play hockey outside is really in our DNA as Canadians,” said Reed.

If the local area is announced as the new home for the tournament, Reed is confident there will also be an economic benefit that comes along with the fun tournament. “Teams will spend money on accommodation, fuel, shopping, entertainment and more; but most importantly they will talk about the event, come back to play, tell their friends and look at coming back in the summer. This is an annual event, so as it builds, partnerships strengthen and it becomes more of a distinct draw. When this happens the economic footprint increases substantially.There is also considerable value generated across all media platforms through hosting writers, contests and the editorial that is achieved as a result,” said Reed.

Event inquiries can be directed to John Reed at john@adventurearchitects.ca or call (250)362- 7599.