By now you may have heard of the Buffalo Powder Keg Festival's attempt to build the World's Largest Arctic Glacier Ice Maze, or tubing down a closed-to-traffic Skyway exit ramp... but there's a lot more going on and this post kicks off a series that will keep festival-goers up to date with myriad activities and events. 

Chris Catanzaro (photo) is happily heading up the All-Pro Competitions that will be scattered throughout the weekend of February 27th and 28th. This guy is doing a bang up job in wrangling participants who will be going head to head in all sorts of winter games, some of which you can enter and all of which you can cheer on. So sign up and suit up for some of the best snow action this side of the equator. Here's the line-up so far:

Street Broomball: Using corn or whiskbrooms, teams of six (three forwards, two defenders, one goaltender). Although traditionally played on ice, these games will be played on blacktop.

Kan-Jam: All season sport where teams of two throw Frisbees into cans. Provided by the makers of the Kan-Jam makers in WNY.

Snow Beach Tennis: This event is an event in the making. This competition includes a volleyball net with birdies. Teams of two needed.

Snow Shoveling Contest: Steel Crazy is building a weighted measuring scale contraption that will determine who can shovel the most snow in the quickest time. Individuals need apply.

Couples Rescue Sled Contest: (Swiss army sleds donated by Uncle Sam's Army Navy Outfitters) Guy pulls girl on sled one way, then girl pulls guy on the way back. This event is a timed competition.

Six Person Race: Six people are tied together and run a course. Try running a straight line tied to six of your buddies! This is a timed event.

Prizes are being awarded for all contest winners. All of these games are sponsored by All Pro Parking and Cricket Wireless. To enter into any of these competitions, please contact Chris Catanzaro. Days and times of the events will be posted as soon as the teams are assembled, and will be emailed and posted on the Buffalo Powder Keg Festival website. Be sure to join the PKF Facebook group for additional updates. All of these events are to take place on the All Pro Parking lot (corner of Seneca and Pearl). 

Then it's on to the pre-scheduled Police, Fire and University Games: These following games will be played on Saturday and are not open to the general public:

Snowball target and accuracy competitions, Tug-O-War, Six person race, sled relays and obstacle course featuring a tire run, army crawl, saw cut, and rescue sled pull.

We have designated members of Buffalo's bravest and finest committed to compete in the competitions. UB and ECC are also on board, but we are hoping for representation from Canisius, Buffalo State College, Medaille and D'Youville - bring your school spirit and your mascot if you can (no sock monkeys). If you can put together a crew from any of those four colleges, please contact Chris.

*Photo top: Chris Catanzaro holds up a couple of Harvey Garrett's antique wooden snow shovels - Don't worry Harvey, we won't use them during the competition...

Photo below is one of the Swedish Army Snow Sleds that will be used during the sled pull competitions...