Elizabeth Grossman reports on "Hockey on the Arctic Ocean"
December, 12 - 2007
Today was something of a holiday on board the Amundsen, with an Arctic Ocean pre-Christmas party hockey game – Coast Guard crew v. Science – scheduled for 2 p.m., followed by drinks in the bar and a special dinner for crew in the Officers’ Mess and for science, downstairs at tables set with tablecloths, holiday place cards, and bottles of wine.
(Science team coach Gary Stern (center) with most valuable rookie players, Tao Li (left) of Ocean University China and Gauthier Carnat of Belgium)
The hockey game generated much pre-game merriment, beginning with the sign-up sheet posted on the 5th level bulletin board, from which Science (a.k.a. “The Ridge”) learned that the team they would be facing on the Beaufort Sea rink included Mario “The Wall” Levesque and Stephane “Thunder” Julien, not to mention at least one crew member, logistics officer Benoit LeBlanc, who I think has played semi-professionally. Among the equipment being carried on this formidable icebreaking and floating research vessel, are plastic hockey sticks and enough small orange plastic balls to withstand breakage in the sub-freezing temperatures. Goalies wore carpentry shop safety masks, and Jesse, the science team goalie, made kneepads out of big blue sponges used for mopping fuel. Announcements and music were broadcast from the bridge, and cheerleading streamers were made of curly yellow rope. Looking forward to the chance to run around outside – and seeing no reason to let boys have all the fun – I signed up to play and took a few turns in until points needed to be scored. It was great fun though next time I’ll abandon the heavy Mustang suit.
Outcome of the game was a happy tie score: Coast Guard 3-Science 3.
The exuberance of being outside, playing hard and in such good spirits made for a wonderful atmosphere of camaraderie. I don’t know if it’s a Canadian custom but I was charmed by the fact that each member of both teams did something of a ceremonial handshake to congratulate each other on a game well played. And I continue to be astonished by the fact that we played a game on the Arctic Ocean.
(Chief Scientist Gary Stern, with the fully inflated weather balloon that somehow appeared in his locked office during the night)
Supper was an elaborate buffet and holiday celebration continued for hours after dinner (prompting an atmospheric science enabled practical joke - see photo above), so I was up and about to join group who went out on the heli deck at about 11.30 to see the Northern Lights. I’ve never seen them before. Great curving swirls, whorls, and streaks of yellow-greenish white that moved as we watched in a sky full of stars.
photo by Eric Collins
(My camera failed to capture the aurora borealis, so Eric has kindly shared this photo.)
Webmaster note.....
Elizabeth Grossman is a freelance writer from the United States who has spent the past several weeks at the top of the world. We have been proud to have her on board and I thank her very much for allowing us to transpose the above into a dispatch.
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