Okoboji Games feature cool fun

The temperatures and windchill may be sub-zero, but that’s not stopping the fun and games at Lake Okoboji this weekend. Carroll Caviness of the Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce says the cold temperatures are actually good news for the Okoboji Winter Games as they don’t have to worry about a lack of ice for the activities on the frozen lake. Caviness says this is the 23rd year for the games. She says they started out with a broomball tournament, and this year have 35 events. Caviness says participants know how to dress for Iowa in January and cold weather doesn’t hamper the outdoor action.The have the original broomball, a sort of hockey played on the ice with brooms and balls, as well as ice fishing, mini bowling, golf. If you don’t want to stay outside, there are plenty of indoor events too. They started a cribbage tournament this year, a talent contest and lots of other indoor activities. Caviness says this has become a big event for the area that’s generally know as a summer resort area. She says it gives people a chance to enjoy the Iowa great lakes year round. Caviness says the crowds for the Winter Games are as big as those for the area’s Fourth of July celebration, one of the big events of the summer. The events, indoors and out, continue throughout this weekend.