By Meghan Marx

It’s January in the Twin Cities — and for the past seven years — that means it is time for the country’s largest outdoor pond hockey event, the 2012 U.S. Pond Hockey Championships. Every year hockey lovers will put on their skates and take to the ice to play hockey “the way nature intended.”Why Pond Hockey?

Seven years ago Fred Haberman had a vision. He wanted to do something about the lack of Pond Hockey Tournaments in the United States. After some digging, planning, and organizing, it didn’t take much for Fred to convince players to come from near and far to take part in his dream -– a tournament for players who loved the sport in its most basic form.

“Pond hockey is my religion,” said Fred. “There’s nothing better than being a kid again, skating with wild abandon, free from the pressures that dog hockey players and parents these days. But the ultimate rush is playing with others who love the game.”

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