Teton
scapes outdoors
The Cutting Edge An introduction to valley ice skating BY ALLISON ARTHUR
1. The Jackson Hole Moose play indoors at Snow King. This adult men’s Senior A—think fast and full-check skating by former Division I collegiate players and ex-semipros—hockey team faces teams from Sun Valley, Park City, and New York many weekend nights. When the Moose aren’t playing, there are open ice sessions. 1. With his gold-grilled mouth guard and supernatural ability to perform gracefully under pressure, Joe “Cappy” Casey was the Moose’s captain, high scorer, and biggest star for more than a decade. A former University of Denver player, Casey could always be counted on to clinch a goal during a shootout. Last winter, two days after playing a winning Friday night game 22
JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE WINTER 2014
against the Chicago Chargers, he died at only thirty-seven, from pneumonia. His No. 15 Moose jersey has been retired and hangs behind the players’ bench. 1. Retired NHL All-Star Bobby Holik and current Ottawa Senator Bobby Ryan have homes in the area. The former now coaches the latter and has used Moose Hockey favorites Justin Thomas, Brian Upesleja, and Spencer Morton to keep Ryan in shape during the NHL’s off-season. 2. Imagine street hockey, but played on ice with running shoes instead of skates. Throw in helmets and knee and elbow pads. That’s broomball. Teton County/Jackson Parks and
NATE PADAVICK
Jackson Hole didn’t get its first manmade ice rink until the late 1970s. We’ve been making up for it since. More than six hundred fans regularly cheer on the semipro-ish Jackson Hole Moose Hockey Club on Friday and Saturday nights all winter. There are three women’s hockey teams, five coed, and ten men’s rec teams. It seems more local twentyand thirty-somethings injure themselves every winter playing broomball—think street hockey on ice—than skiing. One of The Grand Teton Skating Association’s coaches is a World Professional Champion Silver Medalist, a pioneering ice acrobatist, and was Will Ferrell’s stunt double in the movie Blades of Glory. Today, we have half a dozen rinks—indoor and outdoor, man-made, and courtesy of Mother Nature. Recreation organizes both competitive and recreational broomball leagues every winter. Catch a game Monday through Thursday nights. “The game is ridiculous, but you’ll be shocked by some amazingly athletic moments,” says league organizer Dan Norton. 3. JH Winter Wonderland, the rink in the Town Square, may be small, but when it’s free and has hot chocolate and periodic live entertainment, who cares? 4. The outdoor rink near Davey Jackson Elementary is the valley’s most family friendly. It’s well-maintained, and perfect for beginners and children since no sticks are allowed.
5. Every January, the rink at Owen Bircher Park hosts the Huidekoper Cup, a one-day outdoor hockey tournament organized to honor the spirit of one of its founders, Jim Huidekoper. If the rules confuse you, don’t worry: Most are made up and often penalize practiced skill. The rest of the winter, the rink is open to anyone. Bring your own beer and hot chocolate to enjoy in the heated warming hut or throw burgers on the communal outdoor grill. 6/7/8. Backcountry skaters have been spotted on Phelps and Taggart lakes in GTNP, on Slide Lake east of Kelly, and at Ski Lake, a short snowshoe up the Phillips Canyon Trail on Teton Pass. Of course, make sure the ice is solid before skating out. JH