KAILUA-KONA — The reaction is pretty much the same every time — hockey… in Hawaii?
Indeed, on the islands known for surf, sand and sun, hockey has found its niche in the Aloha State. But still, checking in a team worth of hockey sticks will always draw a confused look from Hawaiian Airlines ticket agents.
The bulk of Big Island players were on the move last week, island-hopping to Oahu for a pair of tournaments.
First up was the inline hockey KIHA Cup, which welcomed two full-fledged Kona squads — the 12-and-under Kona Old Aces, and the Kona PBR men’s team.
While the youth program has been running consistently at Old Airport, with ebbs and flows in participation numbers, it had been at least a decade since the last time a team made of primarily Big Island-based youth players made an appearance at a tournament.
The Kona Old Aces were made up of Cozette Wood, Cooper Wood, Jayden Hall, Ethan “A’a” Stender, Baya Bloss, Dylan Leinonen and Corbin Wilcox. Spike Carroll and Matt Panzarino coached the squad, which ended up second in their division, narrowly losing to Maui 3-2 in the final.
“The kids exceeded all expectations,” Carroll said. “They came into this tournament with only the experience of scrimmaging each other. It was a tough first couple of games as they adjusted to the more competitive side of this sport, but they improved a lot over the weekend.”
The adult Kona squad went 2-2 in the tourney, falling in the semifinals.
Maui and the Big Island share the award for the most scenic rinks in the state, both just a stone’s throw away from the ocean. However, migrating from the concrete courts of the Old Kona Airport Park to the speedy, plastic surface at the Kapolei Inline Hockey Arenas was a treat for skaters.
KIHA — a top-notch, two-story, two-rink facility on the westside of Oahu — opened in April of 2010 and has quickly established itself as one of the best in the nation. It even hosted 100-plus teams from around the world back in 2016 for the AAU Junior Olympics.
This time around, the tournament was on a smaller scale, but nonetheless, it was almost an overwhelming experience for the keiki skaters from Kona.
“The kids were amazed and super happy to be able to play in such a great facility,” Carroll said. “They really have done it up over there and it’s indoor, so they won’t ever get rained out. The kids especially loved the AC. Some of them were stuck standing under the vents where cold air was blowing down on the rink during our practice.”
Transitioning to the big kids and the ice, the Kona PBR squad — self-described as a, “rag tag combination of locals, expat Canucks, and way over the hill hasbeens” — has become a fixture at the annual Hawaii Classic tournament at the Ice Palace.
This year marked the 34th edition of the event, which draws teams from as far as Saskatchewan and Alaska, as well as California.
Playing in the top division, the Kona boys had a rough draw, going 0-3, but are expected to be back for redemption next year.
And that’s the beauty of it all. With things seemingly trending upward for hockey locally, the Big Island should continue to have a presence on the hockey scene going forward.
“The best part was just being there and watching the kids progress over the weekend,” Carroll said. “They had so much fun and they all want to return again next year. That — win or lose — is one of the greatest feelings as a coach.”
Carroll said West Hawaii Hockey is always looking for new youth players. During the season, the kids skate down at the Old Airport rink twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays and have gear available to try it out. The season starts in December and usually runs until April, but there are still casual skates on Wednesdays during the offseason. The adults skate year-round on Wednesdays and Sundays.
“We just need to spread the word that we have a league here,” Carroll said. “A lot of people that I talk to don’t even know there is a rink here in Kona, let alone a youth league. It’s just another way to help keep the kids active with a fun, physical sport.”
For more information, contact coach Carroll at 896-9110 or coach Tim Rude at 987-8631.