Matt Gradisar never thought he would be spending family vacations in places such as Walsenburg and Mankato, Minn.

But ever since his son, Luc, began playing competitive hockey, the Gradisars have been frequenting colder climates on family vacations.

“My wife says she can’t wait for a tropical vacation,” Gradisar said. “We can’t really do all that much vacationing now because of hockey, but this is our way of life.”

Luc Gradisar’s team, the Bantam AA Jr. Tigers, travels to at least five tournaments annually, but will be glad to stay home this weekend for the Presidents Day Tournament, which got under way Thursday and runs through Monday.

With the state of the economy and the base cost of anywhere between $2,000 to $14,000 to play travel hockey, many Colorado Springs parents are thankful for a local tournament.

“We usually go to three in-state tournaments and two out-of-state per year,” said Grant Dion, Luc’s coach. “Each weekend ends up costing anywhere between $500-$1,000, and that’s on top of the yearly cost. It’s definitely a lifestyle decision.”

Many parents have found creative ways to cope with the financial burden, taking on a second job or making other sacrifices to help defray the cost of travel hockey.

“There aren’t too many places that we can play that are close to us,” said Scott Cyr, whose son, Hunter, plays for the Pee Wee AAA Idaho Jr. Steelheads out of Boise. “But families will now send one parent with two or three players to spread it around a little. We have fundraisers and that kind of thing, but often it comes down to parents not going out to eat or not going on vacations as much.”

This weekend’s tournament is the second largest in the country to be played this weekend.

It will play host to more than 80 teams and bring in a considerable amount of revenue for area hotels and restaurants.

“The tournament usually brings in between $5 and $6 million,” tournament director April Timby said. “We have around 700 players and about 2,000 parents and family members. It’s a huge thing for a lot of businesses around here.”

Budget cuts have eliminated the City of Colorado Springs’ Neighborhood Traffic Management Program. Among six projects canceled is 17th Street between W. Uintah Street and W. Bijou Street, including this stretch between Pearl Street and W. Platte Ave. KEVIN KRECK, THE GAZETTE Photo by KEVIN KRECK, THE GAZETTE

Kevin Kreck