Times have changed, but the Yukon's love for broomball has remained the same through three decades of the sport.

The Yukon Broomball Association is celebrating 30 years this season, which kicks off this weekend with the annual Bob Park Opening Tournament. Festivities will include an alumni game Saturday night at Takhini Arena.

A slew of celebrations are planned this year, including a 30th anniversary banquet, a Rendezvous Street Broomball Tournament, and territorial team entries into both the national and world championships.

The wide-ranging draw of broomball has played a key role in the sport's success North of 60, said Milford Allain, the local association's board president for the past five years.

"Everyone can find something in broomball,” he said. "Athleticism, competitiveness, social atmosphere, team play. They are all very relevant in broomball.”

Allain and a group of longtime players met with the Star this week at post-game broomball headquarters, the Roadhouse, to discuss the sport's history in the territory.

The local broomball association was formed in March 1984, and is one of the longest-serving societies in Yukon history.

A league was formed after an impromptu broomball event held at Rendezvous sparked interest in the oft-forgotten Canadian winter pastime.

"It was an instant hit,” longtime player Scott Smith recalled.

It wasn't long until the game was being played on outdoor rinks across Whitehorse.

The term "grassroots” took on a different meaning in those early days, as long weeds poking up through the ice had to be shovelled off alongside the usual snow.

Soon after the association formed, the first rink went up in the Takhini North neighbourhood, and is remembered fondly for its square cornerboards and lack of roof coverage.

The rink would take more than 10 loads of water to flood under icemaker Mike Nikon, as the first few loads would inevitably seep under the boards and into the parking lot.

"Nobody liked playing the first game because you had to shovel,” Allain chuckled.

"It used to be the same people shovelling every time,” added Steve Thrower, another longtime player.

The first snow-clearing event after the Christmas holidays always proved to be a challenge. When a second rink was built parallel to the first, a massive berm of snow would quickly form between the two, big enough that people would periodically go "missing” when attempting to trek over it.

In those days, the cutoff temperature was -30 C, a number that has increased to -24 in the present day.

Smith said playing in that frigid atmosphere was always an adventure, often including breaks in play to warm up the ball over a vehicle defroster.

However, oftentimes they would be too late, and the ball would shatter.

Smith recalled one instance where the ball cracked in half on a shot towards goalie Norbert Wilk, who was wearing a helmet with only a half visor.

Half the ball struck him in the face and left him bleeding, while the other half entered the net, sparking off a debate about whether or not the goal should count.

No one around the table could remember the outcome of that discussion, but that was just fine by them.

The point is, the two teams playing that night enjoyed the game so much, that they still took to the ice in the extreme cold. It is a motto that has helped the association survive three decades.

Thirty years after that first game was played with corn brooms dipped in rubber and players wearing tuques, the local broomball community of 120 players will attempt to ensure their legacy is passed onto the next generation this season.

Following the playoffs next spring, the league will present a free month-long youth league to help introduce the game to the territory's future broomball stars.

The league will be held in the association's state-of-the-art rink in Takhini North, built in 2000.

"I think the future looks bright,” Allain said confidently. "We have a new, young board with fresh energy and hopefully that will play down towards the league.”