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Nearly a year ago, Okanagan native Kyle Volk traveled to India with plans to set a new world record.
As part of the Hockey Foundation organization, Volk found himself high in the Himalayas of northern India participating in a hockey game that set a new Guinness World Record for the highest altitude game ever played.
A staggering 4000 metres above sea level, a squad made up of Canadians, Americans, Germans, Russians and more played against members of India's national ice hockey team.
“If it happened every year I would do it over and over again. Such a unique, once in a lifetime experience,” said Volk.
“The thing that sticks out is just how crazy they are about hockey there, which you may never expect because they are far out in northern India.”
Despite the remote location, a traditional hockey game in every sense had to be played to set the record.
That required building an Olympic sized rink, with boards and glass while playing three standard stop time periods featuring a referee and two linesman.
“We were just participants and the record is technically through the Hockey Foundation, but it took a year just to get it approved,” explained Volk.
“If you have a Guinness representative join you and verify everything you can get the record verified within a month, but it's like $10,000 to get him out there. If not it takes this long to verify, so we found out we broke the record six months ago and we just got the certificate.”
The team also brought over 30 hockey sticks and a couple full sets of equipment for local kids with the goal of leaving a legacy behind in Northern India.
Raised in Lake Country, Volk played his minor hockey in Winfield, where he also spent time volunteering as an assistant coach.
Although he has worked in Alberta for years and recently bought a house in Calgary, the Okanagan native continues to pursue hockey.
When asked what he plans to do with the certificate, Volk said he plans to frame the certificate alongside the jersey he wore for the game and hang it in the new house.
If you would like to learn more about the Hockey Foundation and it's global hockey opportunities, click here.
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