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Gay Hockey In Colorado Reaches A Climax

By Cyd Zeigler Jr.

The genesis of Coors Light Colorado Climax was similar to that of many gay sports teams.  “We started with a couple players who were looking to play with other gay players,” says Gary Skogen, captain of the Climax.  That was two years ago.  Today, Climax hockey has two teams, over 30 players, and a three year sponsorship deal with Coors Light.

They even have a solid fan base.  “Community response to the team has been quite amazing,” Gary says.  They attract about 40 fans per game.  A booster club helps raise money and helps their fans support and follow the team more closely.

The Climax now plays in one of the advanced divisions of a straight league, and is one of the better teams.  While they have heard the occasional “faggot,” harassment from the other teams is rare.  They also travel to gay hockey tournaments and have been to events in Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto in the last two years, winning the recreational division twice.

Though the team now plays at a very high level, they do not want that to alienate any new players.  So, they created a second team, Climax Too, strictly for beginners.  In fact, eight of the 16 players on Climax Too had never played a hockey game before they started with the team.

For beginners, Gary says “first thing is to go out and see if you like skating.  It’s an expensive sport to play.  About $1,000 for all the equipment, then $450 for winter season and $250 for summer, plus practice fees.”  To encourage beginners, Climax hockey hosts regular “Meet and Skate” events, so anyone in the community can try skating for the first time, or just spend time with new friends. 

For more information on Climax hockey, visit their Web site.

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Outsports.com co-founder Cyd Zeigler is also the Sports Editor for Genre Magazine.  His "Jocks" stories appear there monthly.