The snow, the cold. You can love it, you can hate it. Many Minnesotans actually love it – we embrace it and enjoy all the wonderful things winter has to offer. What do Twin Citians do during those chilly winter months to embrace old man Winter? Here’s a couple off the top of my head: downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, sledding and tubing, real “sledding” – the motorized kind Sarah Palin and her husband partake in, ice skating, snow shoeing, hockey – indoors and outdoors (I especially love “boot hockey”), kite flying (on Lake Harriet or Lake Como), polar bear plunges (really? why anyone would really want to do this, I don’t know), running and cycling (yes, many hearty folks don’t let the cold temps and snow stop them) and more. Oh, I almost forgot ice fishing and ice racing.
My favorites? Here you go.
1. Broomball.
While the history of broomball is rather vague, a few main facts have been widely reported. Broomball as we know it was first played in Canada in the early 1900′s by street car workers using a small soccer ball and corn brooms. The sport evolved and was brought down to the United States. The first games were reportedly played in Minnesota, the birthplace of USA Broomball, beginning in the 1930′s. Leagues, however did not blossom until the 1960′s, when teams like Duffy’s flourished. Duffy’s, a team from Minneapolis, was the championship team of Minnesota’s first state tournament, held in 1966. From Minnesota, the sport was exposed to other states, such as New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska. Thanks to the determination of the Minnesota Sports Federation and due to cold winters and its interest in hockey, Minnesota, the “State of Hockey,” bears the largest known concentration of broomball teams in the nation. Some of the sport’s best teams hail from Minnesota, including Minnesota Red, the 2002 World Cup Champions, and former team USA Blue, a very competitive team that has won countless tournaments throughout North America.
from www.usabroomball.com
2. Pond Hockey and the US Pond Hockey Championship Tournament.
To understand the significance of a “pond hockey” tournament, you’ve got to appreciate the deep meaning of pond hockey to men and women who grew up in cold-climate states such as Minnesota.
Pond hockey enthusiasts grew up playing hockey on frozen ponds in their back yards, on a neighborhood creek or in a local park. They cleared the ice with shovels, not zambonis. Instead of $149 pads, they protected their shins with old magazines held with duct tape. Wooden boards with small holes served as goals, eliminating the need for a goalie. No frustrated parents on the sidelines berated the coaches or the kids.
It was hockey the way nature intended –– outside in the elements during the absolute coldest time of year.
Only a few people have kept the game alive into adulthood. One of them is 
Fred Haberman, co-founder of Haberman, a brand public relations firm.
Crashing headfirst into mid-life crisis in 2005, Fred had a vision: create a national pond hockey tournament. Fred perfected the idea as he painstakingly shoveled and smoothed his own backyard pond on a peaceful creek.
“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.”
In 2006, the first-ever U.S. Pond Hockey Championships drew nearly 120 teams of pond hockey players from across the nation to Minneapolis to play on 25 rinks. Tens of thousands of spectators cheered them on. And, the tournament proudly donated a portion of its profits to youth hockey charities, The Herb Brooks Foundation and DinoMights.
Today, the tournament has grown in size and national notoriety. ESPN.com has listed it as one of the “101 things sports fans must experience before they die.” Sports Illustrated called the event “perfect in every detail.” It was the subject of a Jeopardy! question. And now, the tournament will live in infamy in its very own board game: Pond Hockey-opoly.
When the pucks hit the ice for the fifth-annual U.S. Pond Hockey Championships, Haberman will join his team, the Screeching Pterydactyls, in their quest for the Golden Shovel. Despite competing against more than 200 talented teams from more than 30 states, Fred likes his chances. After all, he will have had a hand in grooming each of the 25 rinks himself.
. . . now that’s pond hockey.
from www.uspondhockey.com
3. The Saint Paul Winter Carnival.
In 1886, Saint Paul was America’s fastest growing city. Growing from 39,000 residents in 1880 to 120,000 residents in 1886, Saint Paul had also become America’s third largest rail center. To celebrate their city’s success, Saint Paul business leaders produced the inaugural Saint Paul Winter Carnival, which was held during the first two weeks of February in 1886.
In addition to showcasing Saint Paul, the business leaders wanted to disprove a New York newspaper reporter who had described their beloved city as “another Siberia, unfit for human habitation in the winter.” Patterned after Montreal’s Winter Carnival, the first Saint Paul Winter Carnival included parades, skiing, snow shoeing, a blanket tossing contest, and push ball, a game played with giant balls. The most successful attractions were its ice castle and six large toboggan slides.
Throughout its 122-year history, the Saint Paul Winter Carnival has been an integral part of the social fabric of Saint Paul. Carnival reaches out to the people of the Greater Saint Paul area to weave a tapestry of cultures with educational and cultural programming.
4. Winterskate.
Capital City Partnership, the City of Saint Paul, and Wells Fargo invite you to experience Wells Fargo WinterSkate, downtown Saint Paul’s free, outdoor, artificially-chilled ice skating rink. The 2009/2010 rink season is November 28, 2009 through January 31, 2010.
Skaters are invited to experience the unique urban setting of downtown Saint Paul. Located in the heart of the city, Wells Fargo WinterSkate creates a fun, winter experience for visitors of all ages. The historic Landmark Center creates a beautiful backdrop for the outdoor rink, showcasing Saint Paul’s charming European architecture and old-world ambiance.
We invite you and your whole family to dust off your skates and head to downtown Saint Paul. The outdoor rink will be filled with noontime skaters, after school groups, youth hockey scrimmages and practices, broomball teams, corporate events, and family open skating.
from www.capitalcitypartnership.com/promote/winterSkate.html
5. The Holidazzle Parade.
A free family event now in its 18th year. Once again it’s time to bundle up the kids, pick up the grandparents and head to the Target Holidazzle Parade. Every year since 1992, when the first parade marched down Nicollet Mall, over 300,000 spectators converge on downtown Minneapolis to join the sparkling fun.
from www.holidazzle.com
A challenge to my Best Buy partners…what winter activities are your favorites? Post your favorite winter pastimes, activities, sports, etc. Or post any thoughts you have about winter in the Twin Cities (haiku is preferred).
