NY Times article. Google videos.

In the raw context of the human condition, of life and survival on
this planet, all sports are unnecessary, silly even. Skip to next paragraph


But underwater hockey — a sport incorporating lead pucks, stout wooden sticks,
rubberized gloves, snorkels, face masks and bulbous ear guards — is in a realm
of its own.


Underwater hockey, indeed, is a sport that begs legitimization in even the most
innocent passing reference, said Bryna Nielsen, a member of the United States
national team. “No one’s ever heard of it,” she said, “and when you explain what
you do, people just say ‘What?’ ”


Ms. Nielsen, a 21-year-old student from Amery, Wis., has played since she was a
toddler. Her prowess rose during high school, where holding her breath while
pushing a three-pound puck across the pool bottom with a foot-long stick became
natural. In the last five years Ms. Nielsen has traveled extensively to play in
tournaments.


“I love the team aspects, the camaraderie,” she said of the sport, which is
played six to eight feet underwater in a bubbly, muffled silence.


While variations exist, a common match is 30 minutes long and includes six
swimmers per team kicking, diving, defending and sucking fast gulps of air
through snorkel tubes. The simple premise of the game — to push the puck into
the opposing team’s goal — is complicated by the medium. Underwater,
communication is tough. The puck travels just a few feet per swipe, quickly
slowed by the water’s resistance.