CREEDE—It was a chilling 18 degrees by 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13 as hundreds of people gathered around the Silver Ice Park to watch the 11th Annual Golden Pick Hockey Tournament.

Though Creede, like many towns in the Valley was lacking snow this season, the ice on the rinks above town were a slick, clear sheen against the light from the rising sun. Creede’s infamous Zamboni machine could be seen out on the rink getting the ice ready for 19 teams to play for the trophy throughout the weekend. 

The ponds were bustling with people from all over the southern U.S. who came to enjoy a weekend of friendly hockey competition. License plates ranged from New Mexico to California and even one from as far away as Oregon. The news of this small-town hockey event has traveled far and wide thanks to a happy circumstance that brought a production company to the area to film a commercial in 2015. It was during this same year, that the city adopted the ponds as a city park and gave them the proper name, Silver Ice Park.

The lights surrounding the ponds as players swished here and there on sharp hockey skates, added to the atmosphere as people cheered from the bleachers set up on the side of the ponds. Children were bundled to the brim, eyes barely showing as they played around the area while their parents participated in the tournament. A huge roaring fire was set up between the ponds that threw off heat from 20 feet away, keeping those in attendance warm as temperatures stayed in the 20s.

The ponds are located at 8,900 feet elevation which adds an additional challenge to the tournament and its players. The views surrounding the rinks add an incentive to those who travel to take part in the hockey tournament. Players from all walks of life travel to Creede just to enjoy the laid-back fun tournament that caters to all levels of experience.

The tournament consists of two levels of competition and is set up in a way that ensures each participating team gets to play at least one playoff game by the end. The schedule is known to hockey enthusiast as a round robin format with a three-on-three team play. Kip Nagy, owner of Kip’s Grill, and Tommyknocker Tavern owner Brian Brittain help organize the teams and keep the games moving from one to the next in order to ensure everyone plays.

Winners for the weekend included level one Dull Blade which consisted of players from Littleton, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Minnesota and Michigan. The level two round winners were the Wapiti Warriors in their 10th year playing the tournament with players from Monte Vista and Castle Rock, Colo.

The weekend was a huge success and plans for next year are already underway. In the evenings, guests enjoyed live entertainment and a showing of Boomtown at the Creede Repertory Theatre.