LOCALadk Magazine

The Adirondack Ice Bowl By Teresa Ferrel with photos by John DiGiacomo For most, the mention of winter in the Adirondacks brings a few images to mind-- snow-capped pine forests, towering mountains, frozen lakes, and warm drinks enjoyed by toasty fireplaces, to name a few. But for some, winter inside the Adirondack Park means, primarily, one thing: it's time to play some pond hockey. In fact, the locals' love of getting out on the ice is not only the fabric of a time-honored Adirondack tradition, but has also sparked the creation of one of the region's most popular winter events: the Adirondack Ice Bowl. Held in January each year on the icy shores and frozen-solid surface of Fourth Lake, in Inlet, the Adirondack Ice Bowl is more than a hockey tour- nament. It's a seasonal staple, both for local hockey lovers and for the teams and travelers that come from around the state, the country, and the globe for the Ice Bowl each year, whether to spend some time on the ice themselves, take in the weekend-long marathon of fun and games that accompanies the tournament, or just enjoy some quality time in the great outdoors. Jim O'Brien, the Ice Bowl's executive director, says the event's draw is a combination of all of those things. "A lot of people have a desire to be in the Adirondacks, and also play hockey, so the two of things together give people a reason to come up," he explains. He would know; not only has he been at each of the previous eight Ice Bowls, but he was one of the original six hockey players that started it all, in an unexpected way: with a construction project. One October weekend nine years ago, O'Brien and some friends were repairing the roof of the family camp on First Lake in Old Forge when an idea struck them. "We said, we've gotta utilize this place more in the winter," recalls O'Brien. "So I said, why don't we do a little pond hockey event in January? We can get the guys from the men's league up and have a little tournament. So me and six other guy kind of came together to put the first one on right in front of our house." That first year's event was a hit, and it attracted the attention of plenty of fellow ice hockey enthusiasts. "The next thing we knew, we had reps from the town come over and approach us about formalizing it and mak- ing it better, and it led us to the second year, being in front of the North Woods Inn on Fourth Lake. We learned a lot form that year, and it grew in numbers, with people reaching out wanting to play in tournament," O'Brien says. It has grown each year since. Popularity-wise, the event has come a long way from its origins as a few friends enjoying a game of pond hockey. "It's becoming quite the winter activity," says Charlie Frey, owner of the Woods Inn, which is located right on the lake and now provides the back- drop for the weekend's festivities. "It's the nature of the Adirondacks, and pickup hockey. Three months of winter seems like six months long, and five months of spring, summer and fall feels like one. People look for things to do in the winter to come together and socialize. That's what attracts people—and they love to come and watch hockey." "Last year was gorgeous weather, 30 degrees," says Frey, who estimates that 2015's event drew about 2,500 spectators and about 300 athletes. "We had three airplanes landing on the lake, and 700 people with snow- mobiles, or watching the entertainment, on any given night." And the expectation is that this year will be no different. Spectators, players, friends, fans; there's something for everyone to enjoy during Ice Bowl weekend. "We get a lot of families, and a lot of husband wives who leave the kids at home and make an annual trip. But there are all differ- ent types of people that come for different reasons," says O'Brien. The

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