The lake of Weissensee in southern Austria hosted an unusual sporting event last week, with divers taking part in the first-ever ice-hockey world championship — underwater ice hockey, that is.

Eight international teams from Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, competed under 30 centimeters of ice in 2-degree Celsius* water and without oxygen* tanks.

The players, wearing wet suits*, masks and flippers*, chased* a styrofoam* hockey around a “rink*” six meters wide and eight meters long, having to resurface* every 30 seconds for air.

Each game was made up of three periods, according to ice hockey rules, but playing time was reduced to 10 minutes from the usual 20 and a 10-minute break was afforded between periods.

“The event was a huge success, 611 television stations from around the world will be broadcasting pictures,” co-organizer Hannes Thomasberger said, adding that it would be held again during the next three years at least.

In the final on Sunday, Finland defeated Austria to finish first, while Slovakia were placed third.