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Affordable Winter Fun

Up and down the rink they skate. Two teams of women in one of the more friendly games of hockey you`ll find in Mandan.

"Yeah, and no husbands and no kids," said Kay Misslin with Mandan Hockey.

"If you enjoy it, you don`t feel the pain as much," said forward Lisa Helbling.

They`re not a league per se, just a group that meets once a week to learn the game and share a few laughs on the ice.

"I started at an age when most women are giving up sports. It takes a little tenacity to just stick with it, but it`s so much fun. It`s not hard to learn," Misslin said.

"At that point, I never skated in my life and I was hanging onto a wall for dear life," said Helbling.

Past experience is not necessary. The players split the cost of ice time. And they say they`re always looking for new blood, that is, figuratively.

"If I can do it, you can do it," said Misslin.

Or if you`re looking for something a little more relaxing, Huff Hills is preparing for another winter, which means they need plenty of workers and volunteers to help keep the place running.

"What I always tell people is the best benefit of it is you go home at the end of the day from skiing and you feel like you really contributed to something instead of just going for the day," said Huff Hills Mountain Operations Manager Andy Beck.

There are other benefits to volunteering on the ski patrol as well. For one thing, you`ll ski for free for the entire season. You can also get a discount at other places, such as Red Lodge, Montana.

"You`re going to get a ton of medical training, some lift evacuation training, so you`re going to get yourself into an area that you maybe didn`t have any experience in before," Beck said.

This year, Huff Hills is also hiring mountain hosts as well. Beck says it`s a good excuse to get out of the house on some of the colder days of the year and it might even save you a little change in your pocket.

The women play every Sunday from 5:30 to 6:30 at the All Seasons Arena in Mandan.

You can contact Kay Misslin with Mandan Hockey Club at 220-1699. Players are required to bring skates, a stick and helmet.

The number for Huff Hills Ski Area is 663-6421.