Local hockey has long been part of the winter culture in the Sun Peaks community, thanks to the dedication of winter sports lovers in the community.
From tennis courts to a thriving community league, SPIN chatted with David Koleszar and Ryan Schmalz from the Sun Peaks Local Hockey League to learn the story of Sun Peaks Hockey and how it came to be.
The league consists of 28 full-time players with over 20 players on the spare list ready to jump in if needed. Anyone 19 and over is allowed to join with an annual membership fee of $200 for full-time players, and a smaller drop-in fee for players stepping in from the spare list.
In addition to regular league nights, the organizers of the team have introduced family nights which allow youth to skate and play alongside their fellow adults of the community.
These nights were created by Schmalz and inspired by his son who loves playing hockey with his dad.
“I have a 10-year-old son, and he came out to play with us, and it makes his whole year,” he said.
It all started in 2000 when residents transformed one side of the tennis courts, which were located where Sun Peaks Alpine Fitness is now, to an outdoor rink.
Steadily, more players joined in and they were able to create a mixed three-on-three hockey league with five teams of seven to 10 players. The original teams in this league were formed by local businesses including Mountain High Pizza, Oronge Board Shop, Sun Peaks Rentals, ReMax Real Estate and Bottoms Bar and Grill.
What began as a friendly competition with no goalies has since grown into the league it is today.
In the early days of outdoor hockey in Sun Peaks, the battle was as much against the opposing team as it was against the weather, Shmalz recalled.
“Sometimes it was snowing so hard we couldn’t keep up… So then we would just play hockey in a snowstorm and you couldn’t even see the puck,” he said.
The league ran for two seasons until 2001 and quickly became a staple in the Sun Peaks community.
“It was very special to a lot of people up there,” Koleszar said. “A lot of old locals that played in it think very fondly of it.”
By the second year, the league implemented goalies intensifying the gameplay. The final championship game that year was between Mountain High Pizza and Oronge Board Shop. Schmalz reflected back on this game, recalling 200 to 300 spectators coming from all over the district.
“People drove up from town, people booked their night off work to come watch,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve matched that night since.”
A large community celebration followed the championship game causing complaints from nearby accommodations, eventually leading to the league being shut down briefly.
Back in action, in addition to regular nights in the winter and family events, the founders of the Sun Peaks Local Hockey League are hoping to launch a ski industry hockey tournament in Sun Peaks.
Their vision is to invite teams from small ski communities including Apex, Big White, SilverStar, Fernie and Rossland to participate in a friendly competition and fundraiser for local organizations including the Sun Peaks Skate Society and other local groups in need of some support.
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