Hockey From the Depths: How Upside-down Water Hockey Became the Coolest Water Sport
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The Sport Played In the Depths
Hockey – better known in Europe as “Ice Hockey” is an intense sport all on its own with players skating up and down the ice, the physical contact, blocking shots.
But what if there was a more extreme version out there? What would you think it would look like?
Ponder no further because the answer takes place underwater – not only that, but it is played upside down.
This extreme variant of hockey was invented in 2005 by Austrian apnea diver Christian Redl, who got the idea to turn the sport into one that his fellow divers would be interested in playing.
Not to be confused with actual underwater hockey, Redl’s variation of upside-down water hockey is played under a sheet of ice with two small breathing holes.
The water is frigid, which limits participants playing time. Too much exertion in a fast-paced game without going up for air can cause serious disorientation. Medical teams are on stand-by, in case of emergency.
Wetsuit Up!
Players are “suited up” with diving masks, fins, wetsuits, and of course, hockey sticks. The sticks used are regular wooden hockey sticks, but the puck is ten inches wide and made of Styrofoam.
This is to ensure that the puck floats underneath the ice surface as players are playing upside down. For safety, each game is comprised of four underwater divers equipped with oxygen tanks that are deployed underneath the ice.
The rink is relatively small, just six feet by eight feet and the breathing holes are cut through on either side of the midline.
The two opposing nets are bound upside down to the ice under the water.
The game is played head-to-head, each team with two players. Players average a break for air every thirty seconds and are granted ten-minute breaks to warm up.
The sport held its first World Championship in Weissensee, Austria in 2007. Teams played beneath twelve inches of water that measured two degrees Celsius. Finland won the inaugural tournament, Austria achieved second place followed by Slovakia who came in third.
Other participating countries included were Czechia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Slovenia.Prior to the 2007 tournament, two matches were played in 2005 (an 8-8 tie between Austria and Germany) and 2006 (a 9-8 Austrian victory over Slovakia).
Redl personally organized teams around Europe to participate in the sport’s first championship.
The second Underwater Ice Hockey Championship took place in February 2013 in Austria once again, with the home country winning it all this time around. Redl continues to further the sport and has been successful, despite the extreme nature of the risks that come with playing.
The air temperature alone has to dip into the negatives for the ice to freeze, and competitors have to be well experienced in holding their breath under cold water while doing intense physical activity.
So Who Wants To "Dive" In?
As of this article, there have been no serious injuries or fatalities due to underwater upside-down hockey but there are many serious health risks one needs to consider if they want to participate.
These risks include hypothermia, asphyxiation, and frostbite. Most of these risks are preventable with the help of the wetsuits which are typically pre-heated in warm water. Players are also warned to not exercise after resurfacing from the harsh and cold water.Ice hockey spectators are used to being seated in an arena, but the experience is different when the game is underneath the ice.
Instead, underwater ice hockey fans can see the game through an average-sized monitor that’s covered with tarp on top of the ice, protecting it from the elements.
A cameraperson follows the action underwater, making it possible to record the game. When a player resurfaces, they too can watch the game while catching their breath.
If you attend an underwater hockey match, dress warmly because you will be out in the cold with everyone else.
While there is a version of underwater hockey that is played right-side up and in a swimming pool, Redl’s version that takes place underneath frozen pools and ponds takes the experience up several notches.
As much as ice hockey players are depicted to be “tough as nails”, the dangers and risks in an inverted underwater sport are rigorous. It takes courage – or guts – to enter the deep.
The popularity of Redl’s sport is growing in Europe, but it hasn’t quite made it to North America, yet. If hockey really is the coolest sport on ice, then upside down underwater hockey is the coolest sport in the water – literally.
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