Monterey — A former competitive figure skater, Dani Galietti of North Adams has been skating since she was five. A couple years ago, excited by the idea of social interaction and a team atmosphere, she decided to try out hockey at the encouragement of some friends who played. “I love new challenges!” she said. “Figure skating is such an individual sport,” and she always loved watching hockey growing up. It took a while to adjust to the skates—shorter, completely different blades with more of a rocker on them and no toe pick—but not too long. “Actually, I almost love my hockey skates more than my figure skates at this point,” she said.
Saturday, February 14, was Galietti’s first time playing at the Berkshire Pond Hockey Classic, now in its fourth year. It was her first time at Benedict Pond, where the tournament has been held the last three years, and also her first game back after breaking three bones in her foot last October. “I don’t know of anything else quite like this. I absolutely adore this,” she gushed. “Having grown up in indoor rinks, to transition into the outdoors and fresh air and to have a beautiful view instead of an industrial rink complex is something that I really appreciate.”
Alex Regen, who founded the tournament and set it up as a nonprofit under Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires, has said that Beartown State Forest is the star of the show. “Look how beautiful it is here. The Appalachian Trail wraps around this lake, and with the elevation of this particular pond, we can really hope to get a reliable freeze.” The original date last weekend had temps near zero degrees. “It’s like threading a needle to make this happen,” he said. “That would have been unpleasant for a lot of people.”
The event drew more people than last year. Spectators lounged around bonfires on the ice. There was food from Briskette & Birdie and Los Lopez Taco Truck. As Regen pointed out, the event is multigenerational, with children skating out on the kids’ rinks. Regen, who usually plays in the tournament himself, was grateful to the DCR and the Monterey police and fire departments, as well as the 110 skaters on the ice. “It really is about each and every one of them just showing up and having a great time.”
“It’s amazing to see how many people are here,” said Galietti. “I just keep taking moments and looking around. There’s no better way to spend a Saturday.” There are two divisions, with eight mostly local co-ed teams in each. Each team plays seven games, then the top two in each division play each other. Galietti only met her other teammates on the spot when she showed up, except for one, and loves the chance to “form relationships and bonds through sport, through movement, through exercise outdoors and in nature. It’s a really nurturing, supportive environment, I just feel so grateful.”
Other teams have played in the Pond Hockey Classic together for years. Chris Morrissey, who lives on Lake Buel in New Marlborough, was playing with his brothers, his son, and his brother-in-law. The combination has morphed slightly over the years. Their team, the Lake Buel Crabs, was having a good day with three wins and one tie, and they agreed it was pretty perfect hockey weather—cold enough but not too cold.
The team all still play hockey apart from this tournament, in what they called “old man’s leagues” or pick-up hour; one skates with a nephew occasionally. Of the hockey culture in the Berkshires, Morrissey said, “It does surprise me actually. I wouldn’t have thought it’s as developed as it is. There’s a lot of local good players.” Someone else noted that hockey is a sport you can play your whole life; many keep playing into their 60s or 70s.
Regen agreed: “The Berkshires are a hockey-mad region. Hockey roots run deep here, from the Pittsfield Boys and Girls Club to Berkshire School.” To bring this rural sport to a wider audience, he also led efforts for a free rink in Pittsfield, now in its first year. “We already have groups scheduling time on the rink, and we’re going to reach out to schools, and next year there’s going to be a shed with equipment the Feigenbaum Foundation is providing.” People will be able to borrow skates for free. “So that is a huge part of the mission.”
Another team from Amherst—“We’re very creatively called Amherst,” they joked—all still play hockey in their 50s and 60s, at the University of Massachusetts practice rink and at a friend’s who makes a rink in his yard. Their sixth team member had to call out the night before because a doctor’s checkup revealed that his foot was broken (he had been hit by a puck two weeks ago but was skiing and playing on it the whole time).
Every year Amherst had brought something more to the tournament—a tent, a firepit. “It keeps getting bigger,” they said. “We’re happy there’s two divisions because we like the lower division. It’s still pseudo-skilled all the way around, but the spirit of just playing and having fun is there—sportsmanship. Not all tournaments can say that.”
“We want to thank Alex and Jim Thomas for their efforts helping arrange this,” Amherst emphasized. “It’s yeoman’s work putting this thing together, all the snow they shoveled off all by themselves, mostly Jim.”
There was indeed a lot more snow to clear this year, and Regen agreed about Thomas, who has roots in Monterey: “Jim Thomas is a legend, one of my personal heroes, actually. He put all these rinks together. He’s the reason this is a tournament.”
Galietti said she would always associate her first pond hockey experience with her first time at Benedict Pond. Though she plays on a women’s ice hockey team out of Albany, there is something unique about being out in nature and what that does for the physical and mental wellbeing. She says she is “not a gym person,” and since she stopped competitive figure skating, she prefers to bring other components to exercise. “There’s just something kind of magical and special to step out on a body of water that’s partially frozen,” she said, “it’s like Mother Nature’s holding us right now.”
