Underwater Hockey

In case you didn’t think hockey was an exciting enough sport on ice, it turns out you can do it underwater, too. Octopush, as its known in the UK, is a popular sport throughout Europe that involves competitors using a hockey bat to push a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into the opposing team’s goal.

There are no skates or goalie masks seen, but there are scuba divers and men in swim shorts aplenty, making it possibly more amusing than regular hockey for spectators. It’s similar to ice hockey otherwise. Two teams of six are expected to dive underwater and maneuver the puck to the opposite end of the pool all the while holding their breath and trying not to take a puck or bat to the face. The risk of drowning makes it a bit more dangerous than its aboveground counterpart, though there seems to be less fighting involved.

It’s also not friendly toward spectators, as most arenas don’t have viewing ports through which to watch the action. If you’re lucky enough to find one it’s probably a great show. Some places reportedly even allow spectators to dive down into the water to watch.

International competitions exist all over the world with many events being held in Europe and Canada.