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For the Love of the Boot
Creative entertainment — it’s one of the all-time great Miramichi
pastimes, coming up with interesting new ways to have fun with your friends and family. That’s how it all began.
Mark Dunnett wanted to come up with a fun activity for all of his friends.
Years later, his little backyard activity has grown into a much-anticipated annual tournament complete with sponsors, spectators
and lots of inquiries from new people wanting to get into the game. "We have a great time," Mark says.
Miramichi Boot Bowl, the annual boot hockey tournament played on Dunnett’s
backyard rink, originated three years ago as a fun event to coincide with Superbowl Sunday. Mark spends most of the winter preparing the ice in his backyard for this
one-day tournament which usually lasts between four and five hours. Every year he changes the ice around and surprises everyone
with a new design.
"I spend an awful lot of time working on the ice for just that one day,"
he says. "But I enjoy it." Budweiser, Mighty Miramichi, Pizza Delight, Sign Warehouse and Tim Hortons
sponsored Miramichi Boot Bowl III.
Five teams faced off in Mark’s backyard several weeks ago for the
honour of being named Boot Bowl champions and winning the coveted prize — the Boot Bowl, a special trophy Mark made
from a small child’s winter boot. Every year, the three players from the winning team have their names engraved
on the Boot Bowl trophy.
Mark’s first win since the tournament began came this year. His brother,
Michael, has done much better, playing on the winning team every year so far. "He’s good," Mark laughs. "It’s pretty much understood that
if you play on his team, you’ll win."
Competition can be pretty fierce. Mark takes a picture of the winning team,
which is then autographed by Glen Murray of the Boston Bruins and added to the display of all the winners on the wall in Mark’s
garage. The garage is more like a "boy’s day out" sanctuary than a place
to park the car, with fridge, stove, TV and stadium seating for Boot Bowl fans including the player’s wives and neighbours
who turn out to watch and cheer.
"We enjoy our time. The boys always look forward to it," Mark says. The friends take full advantage of their time together and make an exciting
day of it with plenty of great food and friendly bets on the Superbowl game. Mark has already started planning for next year. He contacted the World
Pond Hockey Championship organiser in Plaster Rock and added the Boot Bowl team to the waiting list.
The Boot Bowl tournament is always played a couple of weeks before the
World Pond Hockey Championship. The plan is to send the winning team to represent the Boot Bowl every year at the World Pond
Hockey Championships.
If they don’t get into the Plaster Rock championships next year Mark
says he has other plans to expand upon the Boot Bowl, including raising funds for good causes. Whatever happens, one thing is for certain — Boot Bowl IV. "We look forward to it every year," Mark says.
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