It was the biggest water polo event ever on the Sunshine Coast and promises to be even bigger next year.
More than 20 athletes from the Lower Mainland joined members of the Sunshine Coast Sockeye Water Polo Club for the Sunshine Coast Classic at Trout Lake on Aug. 11 and 12.
Elite athletes mixed with new players for a weekend of competitive yet fun water polo providing spectators with a rare opportunity to watch some excellent water polo in a lake.
“It was an experiment to see how many players we could attract and then how the logistics of playing refereed games in a lake worked out but it was a smashing success,” said organizer Darren Molder.
Following afternoon games and a late night barbecue on Saturday, participants woke early on Sunday to watch the Olympic water polo gold medal match between Croatia and Italy before heading back to Trout Lake for a final game.
The Sunshine Coast Sockeye Water Polo Club practise at Trout Lake every Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. through the summer. Their regular season begins in late September at the Sechelt Aquatic Centre, also on Tuesday nights starting at 8 p.m.
“We’d love to get more people out so if they can swim, they’re in,” adds Molder.
— Submitted
