Get ready to usher in a new year of engaging aquatic events with the Cottonwood Kayak Club's annual canoe polo tournament Jan. 12.
Feisty wave warriors will go head to head from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. as spectators get a glimpse of what has come to be one of Innisfail's core sports.
“It'll be nice because it won't be cold even if it's cold outside,” said organizer Julie Ramrattan. “It's not like sitting in an arena.”
Events will kick off with head-to-head slalom races run by Calgary-based provincial coach Mike Holroyd, as registrants are organized into round robin four-on-four teams.
At 10 a.m. canoe polo games start. The sport, which combines the ferocity of water polo, the end-to-end action of basketball and the frequent passing of soccer, keeps things interesting with each player only allowed to carry the ball for five seconds. Participants aren't allowed to lean on an opponent's boat, but shoving is frequent as are barrel rolls.
“It's a pretty quick-paced game,” Ramrattan said. “There can be a fair amount of pushing.”
Canoe polo has come to be a staple activity locally. While Red Deer doesn't have a club, Innisfail's has been going strong for decades.
“It's something families can do together,” she said. “A lot of sports you can't.”
A key feature of the tournament is to have players from different places mixed together to play on the same teams, which are drawn up to balance skill levels.
“We don't come as a team,” she said. “We all have fun together even though we don't know each other.”
