Middle schooler Brekkyn Ayres was terrified at the top of the Black Diamond, the hardest level in Welch Village. It was her first time going down it and she said she remembers not being able to slow down. One thing she remembers vividly is a three year old going down the Black Diamond alone without a care in the world. Minnesota is known for its below freezing temperatures and icy winters so it’s natural that many sports that involve ice and snow are popular. Cannon Falls kids take part in many sports but especially winter sports. Minnesota is valuable because of its winters. Some of the CF middle schoolers favorite sports are skiing, sledding, ice skating, hockey, and snowball fighting.
One of the popular winter sports in Minnesota is Hockey. A similar version of the game was played around 4,000 years ago in Egypt, according to the International Hockey Federation. Hockey has three periods that are each 20 minutes long. Similar to basketball, hockey has a face off where two players fight over the puck. Seventh grader Addison Wetterlund who plays hockey for the Hastings Hockey Association has some rules she has to follow, for example, “Girls can’t check and cannot use a curve that exceeds half an inch.” Hockey is really competitive: “All the ones that don’t really put in 100% drop out, so at this age we are losing a lot of players,” says Wetterlund. She also said, “When I play I just love the feeling of scoring goals, spending time with my teammates, winning games, working hard and getting better, and sometimes even getting pushed around. Honestly, nothing can compare to my love for hockey.” Addison loves hockey, proving that even if Minnesotans have a warm winter, Cannon kids will always enjoy winter-related sports.
Another popular winter sport is skiing. Middle schooler Brekkyn Ayres had a lot to say about the sport. “It is really fun especially if you are looking for something fun to do in the winter,” said Ayres. She also said, “Skiing is something really fun to do with the people you love.” Brekkyn does not think skiing is a safety problem. “Skiing is not a safety hazard because you only fall a few times.” she says. Brekkyn also thinks skiing is good exercise. “Skiing is good exercise because it takes a lot of momentum to get yourself down a hill with all that snow gear on.” Ayres thinks skiing is, “Super fun to get out of your house and go do!”
When thinking of winter, ice comes to mind and when thinking of winter sports, ice skating pops up. Ice skating can be competitive, for example, figure skating. But ice skating can also be a leisure activity. Senior Bowen Maki says, “I just skate for fun, but I’ve always wanted to do it more and be in a club or association.” Maybe there is an ice rink nearby and avid ice skaters do some laps around the rink with friends. If someone wants to learn how to ice skate when it’s not winter, they can use roller blades. The wheels are in a straight line similar to the blade on an ice skate. There are many life lessons to learn from skating; Bowen Maki learned, “If you fall just get back up again.” If people are thinking of trying to learn how to ice skate, never getting bored and a fun experience is guaranteed. Ice skating is a popular winter sport for a reason.
Almost every Minnesotan has been in a snowball fight and since it is definitely exercise it can be a winter sport. Snowball fighting consists of two or more players and the game can be everyone versus everyone or there can be teams. Snowball fighting can hurt if people are not careful because sometimes the snowballs can have ice inside which can burn skin. Also, one wrong move and a snowball goes down someone’s back. Sixth grader Lillian Olund says, “Remember to be careful with what snow you’re using because it might be yellow or ice.” Snowball fighting really revolves around throwing and pelting the opponent with snowballs. The rules of snowball fighting are usually created by the players or the players just wing it. Snowball fighting is a winter sport that is a classic game for Minnesotan kids.
Sledding is a popular winter activity/sport in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Right next to the community pool, there is a massive hill that many Cannon kids sled down, and sometimes there are snow ramps that are easy to sled over. A Cannon middle schooler, Tucker Nobach, enjoys tubing in the winter. “Tubing is amazing, it is really fun to do with friends,” Nobach said. It is best to go tubing on the weekends, “When you have nothing else to do.” Sledding is great exercise and it is up to that person if they think it is a sport.
Winter sports are very traditional in Minnesota; generations have skied, been sledding, ice skated, played hockey, and had snowball fights. While kids today have phones, computers, TVs, and iPads, Minnesotan kids still find a way to participate in outdoor sports in the winter.
