We don`t need no stinking skates!
2007-02-26
Tokyo Street Hockey Association
Hockey buffs and aspirants alike in the Land of the Rising Sun may pine for the fun and fitness that mainstay of Canadian culture has to offer. But every Sunday fun-loving diehards in Tokyo channel their childhoods from the Great White North so anyone can take to the streets in sneakers to play the "world's fastest game."
Tokyo Street Hockey Association (TSHA) embraces the best the sport has to offer: the fun, camaraderie and action - even the official National Hockey League (NHL) rulebook. But they've dispensed with aspects less practical here: ice, cutthroat competition and lots of gear. Needless to say, they don't need no stinking skates.
"I used to play in Vancouver (BC)," says Colin Kozik, a 31-year-old school owner and teacher who joined TSHL five years ago. "Now I actually play more here than I did in Canada. Most of the guys are really nice, it's not too rough - there're no slap shots. It's also a great way to keep in shape."
Street hockey, or road hockey, originated as popular Canadian kids sport long before rollerblades were in style, much less the staple of inline hockey. One common advantage that playing in sneakers has with ice skates is the ability to quickly start and stop on a dime. Since rollerblades make this imposable, street hockey buffs say, their sport allows for more of a workout and fast-paced action.
"A lot of people are into skates but the great thing about street hockey is you don't have to learn to skate and it's one of the few things you can do in Tokyo for free," says Dave Gutteridge, 35. The Vancouver BC-born comedian aspiring to translate his trade into Japanese says he thinks his official title is league manager but jokes that he prefers CEO or el presidente. "It's quite a good workout; you can play to your own level or there's plenty of opportunity to really run down the ball. There's definitely a good cardio burn going on."
Gutteridge, who has been with the association since its first game, says TSHA was the brainchild of Paul Robertson: "After he moved to Tokyo he felt like playing a little street hockey. He put the word out and when he got enough people interested he said, 'lets get together and see what comes of it.'" It soon took on a life of its own.
TSHA has been meeting regularly for bouts of street hockey since 1996. In February, it began playing at a new location: Kabukicho's Okubo Park, a 100-meter slab of asphalt in Shinjuku that members affectionately call "Misery Park" on account of its attraction to some of the area's less-than-esteemed gaikokujin, many who are much like a group of kids looking for a place to play a frowned-upon sport.
"In Canada, I played street hockey a lot as kid," says Gutteridge, adding that it hasn't always been easy convincing various park authorities of the harmlessness of the game. "For a lot of players, that's part of the nostalgia. About 80 to 90 percent of us are ex-pats, probably because hockey is not a big deal in Tokyo and street hockey is virtually unheard of here. But we accept everyone; we're very welcoming and open."
Ted Hunter, 33, an international trade manager from Colorado who on one Sunday Canadian members teased as the group's token gaijin, agrees. "I use to play roller hockey in the states and this is a lot of fun. It's good to get out and run around for a few hours on the weekend." In fact, the group is downright informal. Every week, Gutteridge e-mails about 100 members on the TSHA list to confirm the Sunday meet and those that want to play show up with stick in hand. There's no fee but he adds there's also no rule against small contributions to help cover a few minimal costs.
"We just play pick-up games," Gutteridge says. "We throw our sticks in the middle and divide them up to make teams. It's very casual. We don't play the body and no ones out there trying to lumber you. We do it for the fun." As far as skill levels, he says, "We're all over the map. We're just a bunch of geezers but we do have some guys who move pretty fast. We did have one guy who played in the NHL and we've had Japanese women who have never seen a hockey stick. The main thing about us is just keeping your since of humor."
Humor is a talent members appreciate both on and off the field. They usually gather for drinks or sushi after a game, Gutteridge says, and he jokes that they're looking forward to finding a new watering hole in Shinjuku's famed red-light district: "Now that we're in Kabukicho, maybe we can grab a lap dance after games" he adds laughingly.
"It's fun and the guys make me laugh," says Chad Goble, 27, a content manager from Canada who learned about TSHA while surfing the Web for ice hockey three years ago. "It's a good way to work off the frustrations of a six-day work week. I encourage people to come down and play."
The only requirement to join the fun-filled fray is to bring your own hockey stick (gloves are also advised). The year-round sport occasionally succumbs to the weather, so the interested are advised to get on the weekly e-mail list for updates. To do that, contact Dave Gutteridge at: info@tokyohockey.com or get the full details about Tokyo Street Hockey Association by visiting: tokyohockey.com.
