What's one of the signs that the ever-popular Downtown on Ice is set to wrap up another season at Pershing Square?
Nope, it isn't the thermometer creeping upwards (and that certainly hasn't been the case with SoCal's serious cold snap this past week); it's the brooms coming out.
They're not going to sweep away the seasonal ice rink but they will be used in a good-natured, safe-play manner by all manner of broomhockey teams (or broomball, if you prefer). If you know the sport, you know that no checking or elbowing or such is allowed. Helmets are worn and the teams keep the competition light.
Several teams are competing in the BroomHockey Bash at Downtown on Ice, including the Derby Dolls. The culmination of the competition is set for Jan. 15-17, and the event is free to spectate.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. each night, so catch this on the way home from work.
The Derby Dolls, by the by, took on the Los Angeles Fire Department in 2012; teams this year include The Gas Company and 100.3 The Sound.
So the face-offs are always, shall we say, fairly lively with smiles all around. Yeah, players aim to win, and raise money via auctions for AIDS Project Los Angeles, but it's congenial.
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The Gas Company's team name? It's called Puck It.
Downtown on Ice is open to skaters through Monday, Jan. 21.
