The local Sockeye Water Polo Club made the brave jump into the clear, warm, turquoise waters of Ruby Lake, hosting the third annual Summer Classic water polo tournament. Dozens of athletes from the Lower Mainland joined local players for two days of water polo games on Aug. 16 and 17.
Building on the past success of tournaments at Trout Lake, event organizer Darren Molder initially hesitated to change the location.
“Knowing what Ruby Lake offers, it was a no-brainer to try out this year’s event in this lake,” Molder said. “It’s known to be a ‘top five’ lake in Canada for swimming.”
And Ruby Lake delivered spectacular surroundings and warm, crystal-clear water in spades. A beautiful sunny August weekend provided the perfect setting to showcase the first-ever water polo game in Ruby Lake.
“Visiting players kept telling me how astonished they were that lake water could be that clear, turquoise and warm, and how lucky we are to have such an amazing lake at our doorstep. I couldn’t agree more,” said local player and event volunteer Stefan Benko.
Experienced players mixed with intermediate players for competitive, fun water polo, providing spectators with a unique opportunity to watch a water polo match played in the stunning backdrop of Ruby Lake. Normally, in Canada, water polo is played in heated swimming pools, so playing in a lake is a rare experience, with a referee attempting to keep the game fair while balancing on a surfboard.
Saturday afternoon’s games were capped off with a crab and steak feast at Spirit of the Rainforest and Ruby Lake Resort, which stepped up to provide accommodations and hosting amenities. Sunday morning featured another two-hour session of games at Dan Bosch park.
The Summer Classic event is a fundraiser and promotional vehicle for the club’s youth water polo program, which continues this fall and winter, in association with Chinook Swim Club. All proceeds of the event are directed towards the purchase of pool time for youth water polo in the upcoming seasons. Adult water polo also continues this fall with the regular Tuesday night sessions at Sechelt Aquatic Centre at 8 p.m. New players are welcomed.
For more information, please contact [email protected].
