The USA Hockey Long Drink Pond Hockey National Championship happens this weekend on the ice of Dollar Lake near Eagle River.
The tournament is expected to draw over a thousand skaters to play hockey on rinks created on the surface of Dollar Lake.
Members of the Eagle River Area Fire Department have been helping out this week by flooding rinks to smooth out the surface.
USA Hockey says spectators are welcome at their own risk.
They caution it is a natural, frozen surface and weather can vary.
You also need to watch out for flying pucks.
There are no designated warming or viewing areas, so spectators will be in the same area as players and volunteers on the lake.
The Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce described the event on it’s website.
“Every February since 2006 over 300 teams from across the country and all walks of life travel to Dollar Lake to find common ground on natural ice. This throwback style of hockey has a low-tech charm to it, played under a canopy of the sky on a frozen lake rimmed by hardy pine trees. Everyone enjoys memories of a simpler time when the light of the day was the only clock that mattered, when teams were chosen from a pile of sticks and success was measured by how much fun you had with friends. This four-on-four shinny hockey tournament is all about camaraderie and played in two 15 minute halves on rinks carved out of snow”
For information go to the USA Hockey website.
