Things look nice and icy for February events

The New England Pond Hockey Classic was held on Lake Waukewan in Meredith in 2024. Lake Winnipesaukee did not freeze enough to support the event.

The New England Pond Hockey Classic was held on Lake Waukewan in Meredith in 2024. Lake Winnipesaukee did not freeze enough to support the event. Laconia Daily Sun file

By ADAM DRAPCHO

The Laconia Daily Sun

Published: 01-27-2025 2:20 PM

If you were in charge of an ice fishing derby, a sled dog race or a pond hockey tournament, few words would warm your heart as much as the phrase “arctic blast.” That’s exactly what the region has been experiencing since the start of January, and it has brought smiles to the faces of those who organize some of the Lakes Region’s iconic winter activities.

Those smiles are all the brighter because of the challenges of the past several winters, which have been disappointingly mild, robbing mushers, hockey players and ice anglers of their favorite cold-weather fun.

Organizers of the Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby, the New England Pond Hockey Classic and the Laconia World Championship Sled Dog are feeling optimism for this year.

Pond hockey in Meredith

The New England Pond Hockey Classic, now in its 16th year, has quickly cemented itself as a prime attraction for roots hockey fans. Scott Crowder, visionary behind the event, closes registration at 275 teams and 2,200 participants, many of whom travel from well out of state to spend a weekend playing hockey on natural ice in the open air.

“Everything is pointing in an amazing direction for us to get some hockey back on Lake Winnipesaukee,” Crowder said. This winter got off on the right skate, with a solid sheet of ice covering much of Meredith Bay during the first cold snap, and it’s continued to grow this week to the point where he and his crew were using small tractors to blow snow away from the area where they will construct 26 small rinks.

The past five years have been an ordeal for the event. The tournament held in 2020 went great, then a few weeks later the country was shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic. Crowder held a half-size tournament in 2021, and in 2022 had to cancel after rain ruined the skateability of the ice. For the last two years, the event has been held on Lake Waukewan, which freezes earlier and more consistently than Winnipesaukee.

Crowder said he’s grateful to have Waukewan as a backup plan, which is only 1 mile away from Meredith Bay. Yet, it doesn’t have the quaint Meredith Village surrounding it, nor what he called the “fishbowl” effect of having so much traffic — car, foot and snowmobile — naturally passing by.

“Come tournament weekend, there’s nothing cooler than pulling into the quaint New England village and seeing 26 hockey rinks and thousands of people enjoying themselves,” Crowder said. This year, there will be food, beer and merchandise vendors on the ice, as well as a music stage. There’s no cost for spectators to attend, and Crowder is looking forward to a festival-like tournament scene Friday through Sunday, Jan. 31-Feb. 2.

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“Everybody enjoys it when it’s on the bay, that’s where people want it to be, that’s where it needs to be.”

Ice fishing, anywhere

The Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby, set to take place Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 8-9, is now in its 46th year. The event is open to competitors fishing on lakes and ponds across New Hampshire, so the event has been insulated against the volatility of the Lakes Region’s recent winters — even when Lake Winnipesaukee’s surface stays open through the winter, smaller lakes and ponds have frozen in time for the derby.

Yet, according to Wendy Bagley, chair of the Meredith Rotary’s event committee, it doesn’t feel like a proper derby unless Meredith Bay is covered with bobhouses.

Meredith Bay is where derby headquarters is always located, and it’s where the biggest fish are displayed on the leaderboard. During a properly cold winter, it’s also where the most social ice anglers congregate, and where the most extravagant ice shanties are installed — at least, when there’s enough ice to hold them.

And there ought to be enough ice this year.

“We are very fortunate that right now we have some ice, and hope that it’s going to continue. It will be fun to have people out on the bay fishing this year,” said Bagley.

This year, she said there will be a new Activity Tent on the ice, set up to provide interactive experiences for young visitors, such as a fishing clinic put on by New Hampshire Fish and Game. She’s also hoping to have some vendors set up on the ice, and that the spectacle will attract the general public as well as derby contestants.

“The trailer is in, we will be selling tickets right up until noon on Saturday on the 8th, and if you don’t have a fishing license we can sell you one of those, too,” Bagley said, noting all ticket holders are entered into a cash drawing, so it’s possible to win even without baiting a hook or stepping onto the ice.

The ice fishing derby is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Meredith Rotary Club, which uses the money to pay for projects in the community, Bagley said. Even the fish caught are put to good use, as food for the pescatarian residents of the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center.

“We would love people to come down and say ‘hello,’ see what goes on at the Rotary Fishing Derby. You’re going to love it,” Bagley said. “Think ice, everybody. And buy a derby ticket.”

Sled dog world championships

The most storied of the region’s winter events is the World Championship Sled Dog Derby, which has been held in Laconia for nearly a century — or at least when there’s enough snow.

There’s not enough snow quite yet, but things are trending in the right direction, said Jim Lyman, one of the main organizers of the race, scheduled for the weekend of Friday through Sunday, Feb. 21-23.

While it was once started on Main Street in downtown Laconia, in modern history the race has been held on the northern side of the city, off North Main Street.

“We’re better than the last couple of years,” Lyman said. “We’ve still got a month window, the biggest advantage we’ve had is the frozen ground. We need quite a bit of snow, but we’ve some time to get it.”

There were several snowfalls last year, but not enough of a deep cold to freeze the ground. When the sled dog club attempted to compress the snow, it just churned into mud.

This year, the frigid start to January sent frost’s fingers digging deep into the turf. That, along with a recent 6-inch storm, are the start to a favorable recipe for sled dog racing, Lyman said.

“Right now, I need one more snow that’s as good or better than what we had before, and I can go out and do the first break of the trail, start the packing of a base and get it marked. Then get hopefully a couple more storms and we can start grooming,” Lyman said.

First, though, there’s the annual sled dog auction, taking place on Saturday, Jan. 25, at Laconia Country Club. Lyman said the auction is a critical part of the annual event in that it raises the prize money that attracts the biggest names. Lyman said there are plenty of interesting items to bid on, or those who just want to come for a good time can support the event by buying a raffle ticket or making a donation.

Lyman said many mushers come hungry for a race — the conditions that have bedeviled Laconia’s course have also ruined races across North America.

“It’s been hard for the mushers the last couple of years,” Lyman said. “Right now, Anchorage is one of the biggest races of the year, and they don’t have any snow on the ground. It’s not just Laconia. We haven’t had good luck, but we need to race this year.”

Keystone events

The sled dog championship, pond hockey and ice fishing derby are of prime importance to their respective participants. They have significance that goes beyond the list of competitors, though, said Amy Landers of the Lakes Region Tourism Association.

“We are really excited to have ice-in declared so early on Lake Winnipesaukee,” Landers said.

“New England Pond Hockey Classic will be back on Lake Winnipesaukee this year. We will see a large increase in the number of spectators that will have a positive economic impact on our businesses.”

The Great Meredith Rotary Fishing Derby also brings a surge of activity to the Lakes Region, she said, adding she hopes to see an influx of natural snow for the sled dog races.

The winter economy has been developing over recent years, and having robust attendance at winter events gives businesses bright spots to keep them going through what is sometimes a slow season.

“Knowing these events are happening have kept businesses excited and positive.”