On Saturday, May 23, more than 100 fans came out to the Sechelt Arena to watch the 2015 roller derby season’s opening game played by the Sunshine Coast’s very own Red Tide Warning versus Vancouver’s Doomsday Bunnies.
Intense training during the off season including early morning outdoor boot-camps — rain or shine — paid off big time for the roller girls with their spectacular win over the Vancouver team.
The Bunnies took an early lead with some strong jamming but Red Tide caught up very quickly with their strong wall of defence. A few points up or down for each team led to some tense moments and some big hits on the track for most of the first period.
A big power play for the Bunnies saw the score sit in their favour at 74 to 62 at half time. Red Tide Warning came out strong after the break, with a powerhouse wall of defence.
Despite the Bunnies hitting them back hard, Red Tide pulled ahead quickly into the second half with strong jamming by several skaters, especially #44 Skid Doll. They kept the lead for the rest of the game.
A late power play for the Bunnies brought the score back to an extremely close 149 to 143 for Red Tide with only 1:03 on the clock remaining.
The audience was standing on their feet cheering as #5 Sugah Bomb took lead jam and then brought home the win. The fans did not go home disappointed, as the game was a world-class knuckle biter right down to the last few seconds.
This is the world’s fastest growing sport at its best — live, right here on the Sunshine Coast.
Red Tide Warning play in Vancouver on June 12 and 13 at the Minoru Arena. Their next home game is 5 p.m. on July 11 at the Sechelt Arena. Tickets available at the door.
