Minneapolis and the Global Rise of Underwater Hockey

When you think of Minneapolis, a major U.S. city known for cold winters and strong community sports culture. Also known as the Twin Cities, it’s not the first place you’d expect to find a thriving scene for underwater hockey, a fast-paced, full-contact sport played on the bottom of swimming pools with short sticks and a weighted puck. But over the years, Minneapolis became one of the few North American hubs where serious players trained, competed, and helped grow the game internationally—especially around major events like the UWH World Championships, the premier global tournament for underwater hockey, organized by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS).

Underwater hockey isn’t just about holding your breath. It’s strategy, endurance, and teamwork. Players wear masks, fins, and gloves, and the game moves like a mix of ice hockey and rugby—except you’re underwater. Minneapolis had the cold-water discipline, public pools with good lighting, and a tight-knit group of athletes who took the sport seriously. Some of those players came from South Africa, where the sport is deeply rooted, and others were locals drawn in by the challenge. The city’s role wasn’t just as a venue—it was a bridge. When teams from Cape Town or Johannesburg traveled to compete in Minneapolis, they weren’t just playing matches. They were sharing techniques, building friendships, and helping the sport spread. That exchange mattered. It helped South African teams prepare for world events, and it gave Minneapolis players a global perspective.

Even though the official UWH World Championships in 2016 were hosted in South Africa, the legacy of events held in Minneapolis still echoes. Many of the players who competed there went on to coach, organize local leagues, or push for better facilities. If you’re reading this from South Africa, you might recognize names from those Minneapolis games—players who showed up with grit, trained hard, and left with more than just a medal. The posts below cover those moments: the wins, the near-misses, the behind-the-scenes stories from players who traveled across oceans to play a sport few even knew existed. You’ll find interviews, match reports, and insights from teams that faced off in cold Minnesota pools—and how those games shaped the future of underwater hockey back home.