The Troutsmen are a non-profit organization in Whistler that has banded together a group of likeminded leisure oriented individuals. Other than kicking ass at all things leisure, they also throw some of the best fundraisers for local organizations such as the Food Bank and Whistler Adaptive Ski.
On the weekend, they put together their annual street hockey tournament at Spruce Grove in Whistler. I was in attendance for this fantastic day. 11 teams went head to head all afternoon in a round robin to try and land a spot in the finals. Sunshine, palm bays, cold beers, costumes, high fives and smiles made this fun competition a huge success.
What I didn’t realize when entering this competition was actually how hard it is to play 15 minutes of street hockey in each match up. By the end of 2 minutes on the court, your legs are on fire from all the start-stop sprinting you are doing. At hopes of making it into the finals, you put it all on the line. It’s exciting, and oh so tiring, but totally worth the burn. Everyone was out to have a good time, and it was all shared in good fun.
Mind you, the reigning champs from the Moe Joes team were out in full force, with an unstoppable team. Fast feet, hard snap shots, solid goaltending, and crisp passes slotted these guys in the finals once again. The team “Honey Badgers” put up a great fight in the finals against these guys, tying the game up right before the end of regulation time. Going into overtime, it was over quick. Moe Joe’s hottest scorer fired a rocket from close range and closed it down.
I’ll be bringing you more coverage from the Troutsmen events as they sporadically pop up over the summer.
– Mason Mashon