The U.S. Pond Hockey Championships this weekend on Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis heralds itself as having 260 teams from 33 states and several countries playing on 25 makeshift rinks.
The four-on-four event, which is in its sixth season, has added a youth invitational tournament and a boot hockey division.
Here are a few observations from tournament commissioner Justin Kaufenberg, whose company bought rights for the event from founder Fred Haberman: