Guys and gals,
http://www.sierize.com/file/kolla2001.wmv
Its a cool vid. The second guy is pretty awesome for an amateur. I dont do any of this stuff but I think its cool.
Lewis
ACK its gone
All,
ACK! Its gone. Well, I put a copy on my site.
http://www.lwb.org/public/kolla2001.wmv
Lewis
Wow that is great. Hmmmm… how to do that on a uni…
Damn that guy has skill.
Yeah, no lie! I’d love to have done cool stuff like that when I was his age. I was into Dungeons and Dragons. 
Lewis
Hmmmm Let’s see… I was into pond hockey, bicycling, and working in the field at the local farm nursery.
Is that a euphemism? If not, what’s pond hockey?
Lewis
Pond hockey is hockey played outdoors on the ponds, which freeze in the winter. An annual rite for me in high school was to refuse to wear a coat until the pond froze, which of course never lasted until the glorious day. Over the years my buddy and I perfected the technique of walking the plank over the unfrozen edge (because of the sun on the ground) to the ice’s edge, and peering intently into the depths of captured moss, debris, and bubbles to determine the thickness. After sliding gingerly out onto the surface on our stomachs, analyzing the entire way, we would eventually conclude that the ice was thick enough to stand on. Then we’d scan the entire playing surface, then finally do the acid test - jumping into the air and coming down on the ice with stiff legs. If the ice passed that test, it was ready for pond hockey and bodies falling at odd angles. We got serious enough to buy most of the pads. Our Christmas present to each other was a puck, which we kept in the freezer so it would slide better.
Snow was a big disappointer, because it is a LOT of work to clear a pond with only two boys and two shovels. Then when you do clear an area the ice is often ruined because the snow came down wet and fused with the ice. So as soon as it snowed we were hoping for rain that would smooth it all out again.
When the pond froze, though, with no snow and no wind, it was literally as clear as glass. You were skating on air, and could look down to see water flowing (by watching small particles sweep by) or turtles swimming.
One of the most humorous memories was one day when the area near the small dam was questionable - to me at least. Of course, that’s where the puck wanted to be! I was creeping out on my stomach, to spread the weight, and reaching out with my hockey stick, when I hear “Chicken!” and my buddy sweeps past me contemptuously, and promptly goes through. The pond was shallow and I thought he was standing on the bottom. He was expecting me to help, because he was treading water! Eventually we got him out and up to the house to dry off.
I saved the money I earned at the farm nursery and went to hockey camp one summer with my friend. For some reason, though, after that the hockey became sporadic, I sold my pads, and soon I was off in another state going to school.
Now there are several rinks in the area, and organized leagues, and skate passes. And I do still skate occasionally. The magic of pond hockey, though, will always be a source of rich memories.
U-Turn,
Sounds like a wonderous dream. Living in Mississippi, I must say I barely know what snow is. Your excellent post helped me understand an experience that I’d otherwise never know existed. Thanks!
Lewis