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Sockeye smash attendance records

Water Polo
water polo
Water Polo Paradise: Ruby Lake was the scene of the Sunshine Coast Summer Classic Water Polo Festival on July 21 and 22. This year’s event smashed previous attendance records. See story on page 47.

An annual water polo event in Ruby Lake has taken on life of its own. 

Attendance records were smashed as the hot sunny weather welcomed back dozens of athletes from the Lower Mainland for a weekend of water polo, played in the middle of Ruby Lake. Warm, turquoise, and clear lake water was the star attraction again in what organizers are calling Canada’s Water Polo Paradise.

The seventh annual Sunshine Coast Summer Classic Water Polo Festival was held on July 21 and 22. Volunteers from the Sunshine Coast Sockeye Water Polo Club attracted a record attendance of 75 visitors as they built on the recipe for successful water polo events of past years.

Offering both advanced and intermediate levels of play is a good fit for the variety of visiting players. Event coordinator Darren Molder said: “Waiting for your team’s turn to play is a privilege as you are soaking up the near tropical conditions of one of the Sunshine Coast’s most beautiful lakes.” He added, “At this rate of growth, we are going to have to set up two courses next year.”

Club president Denise Woodley observed: “Visiting players, families, and friends seem to be coming for longer visits to the Sunshine Coast, so they can take time to explore the wide variety of other attractions the surrounding area offers.”

Ruby Lake Resort provided excellent accommodations and hosting amenities, and volunteers of Sockeye Water Polo served their visitors a highly popular feast of prawns and steak. A generous donation from Gibsons Tapworks contributed to the overall success of the event.

The Summer Classic is the signature event of the Sunshine Coast Sockeye Water Polo Club. It serves as a fundraiser and promotional vehicle for the club’s youth water polo program, which continues this fall. All proceeds of the weekend are directly channelled towards the purchase of pool time for youth water polo in the upcoming seasons.

For more, contact sockeyewaterpolo@gmail.com

– Submitted