Octopush is basically hockey under water, but is a non-contact sport, bummer. I think this game was started when some kids were playing hockey out on the local lake when the ice cracked. I picture the scene from It’s a Wonderful Life when George saves Harry, except these kids were too stubborn to stop trying to play, didn’t get an ear infection and created a sport. Yeah, I figure that’s what happened.
But really, it is a sport played around the world in swimming pools. Two teams with ten players each compete with foot-long sticks and masks and snorkels to shoot a puck into goals. Only six players on each team play at a time as the other four stand outside of the playing area awaiting substitution. With six players on a team, each team typically plays three offensive and three defensive players, though the formations can change depending on a team’s strategy.
The players also wear protective gloves on their playing hand as to avoid abrasions from the bottom or sides of the pool and other possible injuries. Teams wear either black or white swimming caps and use the same colored sticks to differentiate from their competitor.
The puck is often made of lead or a similar material and encased in a material with similar texture to the pool’s bottom to allow the puck to move nicely along the bottom without too much friction.
A problem spectators run into is it’s difficult to watch twelve people hit a puck around while under water. One has to put on a mask and snorkel and watch from under the surface to get an up close look at what’s really going on.
Some competitions are covered by underwater cameras which give spectators a great view from nearby TV’s.
The sport was actually started in 1954 by Alan Blake when he and his ol’ club friends decided this would be a good time. It would be, if you were in superhuman physical shape and were able to hold your breath for ten minutes straight, otherwise, I’m not sure what they were thinking. Oh yeah, and look good in a Speedo, I just leave it at that...
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