If Nanaimo’s street hockey players are going to set a world record, they’re going to do it right.
There were slapshots and sprinting and not a hint of slacking off during the first day of the Save-On-Foods Longest Street Hockey Game.
“I can’t speak for the 105-hour mark, whether it’s going to be good or not, but right now it’s a good game of hockey,” said Tali Campbell, event organizer.
The record attempt began at 3 a.m. Friday morning, and the 40 participants intend to play in rotating shifts for 105 hours, 17 minutes. If all goes according to plan, the record will fall on Tuesday (July 3) at 5:17 p.m.
“It’s going to be a challenge for everyone whether this can get done,” Campbell said.
Already in the first eight hours there were cramps, sore ankles, a high stick that drew blood and even a heart palpitation.
“Things that we’ll deal with,” Campbell said. “We’re learning the process.”
Players recognize they might need to scale back the intensity. On the first day there were a handful of guys intent on being the game’s top scorer.
“The first 15 minutes of [the] first shifts were intense craziness,” Campbell said. “Now they’re slowed down and I believe their pace is just perfect for Guinness World Records.”
Tellissa Bennett, the only female player, said she’s more confident now about being able to play for 105 hours than she was when she started.
“We know what we’re dealing with now,” she said. “[I’m] really tired but still exhilarated. Ready to have fun, ready to do it, break the record.”
Campbell hopes for continued cheers outside the Nanaimo Curling Centre as the hours add up.
“We just need the community to come out and support the teams,” he said. “They’re not going to break the record without the community.”
The game is a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island, the Crimson Coast Dance Society and the Nanaimo Ball Hockey League. For information about making a donation, please click here.
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