Battle for the Boot - 2010 Toronto Roller Derby Championship

The Hanger was filled with a sold out crowd as we cheer on the two finalists - the Gore-Gore Rollergirls and Chicks Ahoy (wearing green), in today's Battle for the Boot 2010 Toronto Roller Derby Championship game. Slam, Bam - ooooohhh, that's gotta hurt!

Stay tuned for my photos and coverage of the bout from a league that continues to build fans here in Derby loving Toronto. Even now the girls are probably making sure their wheel bearings are in top shape and their nylons a little askew, those naughty vixens.

The Gore-Gore Rollergirls crushed the Chicks Ahoy 107 to 31 in a very physical game that had the crowd screaming for their favourite team. The first thing that was different was that Rogers was on hand to cover the bout which is to be televised December 4th, the second that Crankypants wasn't announcing - it was Mr. Whistler and Hot Roller (Cranky was at the Gemini Awards Ceremony).

Chronic #60 and Hurlin' Wall #89

Nicki Nine Lives of the Zebra Mafia (refs). They are looking for refs if you want to be a volunteer. 

Jammer Bambi #33 hits against a Chicks pivot

See more pictures of the skater girls after the jump.

Conrad to Push

…Innovation in Canada. It’s about time I say. We have to be innovative about innovation if we want to stay in the game. Thank goodness for Conrad. I immediately thought it was Conrad Black because of the website name: www.WantedACountry.com and since his lovely wife Barbara Amiel was in Toronto recently for the Gillers. But it is not the Lord Black of Crossharbour that is championing innovation, it is some other dude who wants to nationalize innovation and is looking for a country willing to give it a try, to run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes. Nationalized government innovation – a sure recipe for success.

Foggy Sunrise

The sun rises over a light fog while the grass is frosted in the cold morning air – the horses eat the cold grass anyways.

Land of the Condo

Toronto loves it's Condos - they are sprouting up everywhere, especially along the Gardiner in the south end of the City. Service Canada says that in the sales of Condos are up "New home sales in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) increased 28.2% in the first eight months of 2010 compared with the same period last year. Year-to-date sales show condominium sales increased by 78.4%, while low-rise housing sales declined 2% compared with the same time last year." The news gets worse further into the year as sales are dropping. Hopefully this will turn around soon as the building cranes seem like a forest of steel and they need to keep working and people still need homes.

I would love to get one of the units in a building close to the downtown core that is attached to the PATH system. You could get plenty of exercise and never have to go out in the winter weather, check out all the attractions and entertainment that the city offers and shop until you drop.

You could also get out a telescope and check out the sky and other things you can see from your window high above the city streets.

A Day of Remembrance

Remembrance Day: I salute those that are, or have served their country in the armed forces - especially those that are veterans of wars and those who gave their lives in those wars to keep us free. This is me a long time ago when I was in the 709 Toronto Communications Regiment (Reserves) based out of Fort York.

And speaking of a long time ago here are some re-enactors in Wasaga dressed up as soldiers from a much earlier time.

Honda Indy Toronto 2011 Lineup

Update: Get your tickets! "November 25, 2010 (Toronto) – Tickets to the 2011 Honda Indy Toronto are now on sale to the general public, a full eight months before the flagship event is set to take place. Owners of the event, which marks the 25^th year of Indy car racing on the streets of Toronto, wanted to afford customers the chance to purchase tickets well in advance for special occasions, birthdays, milestones or as a holiday gift.

“We’re focused on making the Honda Indy Toronto accessible, entertaining and sustainable,” said Kevin Savoree, co-owner of the Honda Indy Toronto. “The Honda Indy Toronto is a must-attend event that provides memories for life. Offering tickets and race details in advance will help people make plans around the event.”

The event takes place from July 8-10, with prices ranging from $30 for Saturday general admission to $423 for gold seating in the Lake Shore Lounge for the entire weekend. For a full list of prices, or to purchase tickets, visit hondaindytoronto.com/tickets or call 1-877-503-6869."

While Toronto prepares for winter hibernation the Honda Indy Toronto is busy planning the July 8-10, 2011 race weekend. They have released their lineup which includes the main Indy race as well as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Firestone Indy Lights, Acura Sports Car Challenge and the Ferrari Challenge. 2010 Honda Indy Toronto winner Will Power makes his way to the media immediately after winning the race in the above photo. Hopefully we will be able to watch Paul Tracy run the course next year as well.

They didn't release the lineup of the beautiful girls yet but I bet that the Bud and Hooters girls make an appearance or two.

You can see more pictures and read the official press release after the jump.

Roller Derby Championship Game to be Televised

Update: Checkout my photos of the Championship game on my blog post here.

The final game of the 2010 Toronto Roller Derby season comes to town this Saturday November 13 and it is SOLD OUT! For the many fans that do want to see Chicks Ahoy take on the Gore-Gore Rollergirls you can watch it on Rogers Television on December 4th at 8pm - channel 10 in TO and 63 in Scarborough.

From their press release "The Gore-Gore Rollergirls are no strangers to the championships, having made it to this stage every year since ToRD’s inception.  They head confidently undefeated into the bout; however, a win for the Gores is definitely not guaranteed.  In 2008 the Gores also entered the final game undefeated, but it was the Chicks who skated home with the Boot—and they are determined to reclaim it.  Candy Crossbones, a jammer for the Chicks Ahoy!, comments that her team has been “getting better with every chance to hit the track,” and she feels that they will hit their peak performance this Saturday.

The Chicks Ahoy! will have to bring out their best strategies, as the Gores will not give up the Boot easily.  “We have been training really hard all year,” says Gore captain Dust Bunny.  With a much greater percentage of rookie skaters on the Gore roster, a lot will depend on how well those new skaters fare under the pressures of the final bout.  Dust Bunny is confident in her team, stating “we are prepared to play as a team, and win as a team.”

I will be there with Joe Fresh taking pictures of all the excitement that will happen during the battle for the boot.

Kill Nuisance - Clast SPVM

A cartoon character gets ready to spray poison to kill some nuisance, seen on a construction barrier on Yonge Street. He could be a giant because he is eating someone and their head is sticking out of his teeth.

Canned City Hall

I was walking by the Ernst & Young Tower of the TD Centre when my eyes did spy a replica of Toronto City Hall. An exact replica made from cans - not jugs, cans. So I went in to get an up close view of the highly recognizable architecture of the hall of superheroes, or the justice league.

There were more can creations in the lobby made for Canstruction - which helps promote the Toronto charity Daily Bread Food Bank. From their website "Now in its 11th year, Canstruction is a unique event where competing architect and design firms create structures made entirely out of canned goods. From November 8 to 13, you have the opportunity to see these amazing displays for free in the lobbies of a number of buildings in and around the TD Centre, including the Design Exchange. Afterwards, all the cans are donated to Daily Bread Food Bank."

Harbour Fun

It's funny when a tour of Toronto Harbour requires a winter coat, hats and mittens and even though the water will soon be full of chunks of ice the boats still remain on the lake. The Harbour Star, above, cruises by the Islands while the Capt Matthew Flinders, below, is tied up at the dock.

There are two birds in the city that make you hate birds - pigeons and seagulls. Not surprisingly you see a lot of the seagull variety near the water. Both kind are waiting to poop on you but the seagull is more aggresive so he is also looking at stealing any food you might be eating so be careful.

Going back into the photo vault I find pictures of the baby swans that paddled around the harbour earlier this year.

Cavalcade of Lights Prep

Update: You can see my coverage of the 2010 Toronto Cavalcade of Lights on my blog post here.

Toronto City Hall's Nathan Phillips Square remains in a state of undress as the reconstruction of the public space continues. While the layout for the upcoming Cavalcade of Lights has changed from previous years it doesn't seem to be slowing down the preparation work. The Christmas Tree (or holiday shrubbery for the politically correct) has been erected and topped with a large star and curtains of light bulbs are being placed around the columns.

The Cavalcade of Lights is scheduled for Saturday November 27, 2010 starting at 7pm (fireworks at 8pm) and is sponsored by Scotiabank.

Toronto Deals and Coupons

I was going to go up the CN Tower on the weekend when the lines made me turn away at the door. After waiting for about 20 minutes in line just to buy tickets we find out that the wait time for each of the different stages reached about one hour. The ticket price combined with the wait times said come back on a weekday when the crowds are down. The best value for going on the Tower was to combine the purchase with a multi attraction pass for other Toronto locations. So it is always a good idea to keep an eye open for good deals on Toronto events, attractions and meals.

I recently joined Groupon for Toronto deals. You sign up, get daily email deals for 50-90% off the regular price and if you like the deal you sign up for it - if they get enough buyers the deal is on. If not enough people show interest the deal is cancelled and you are not out any money. I have seen deals on helicopter flights and speed boat tours on Lake Ontario so there are a large variety of offerings.

Here are some other places you can use to find savings.

Red Flag Deals which also points out free items offered by many stores and restaurants.
Online printable coupons at FlyerLand.

Put away the bikes - Toronto Motorcycle Show is coming

Update: New motorcycle shows in December 2011 and January 2012 - check info here. 2012 Supershow photos here. Check out my photos of the 2011 North American International Motorcycle Supershow on my post here.

You see fewer motorcycles on the roads as we head into Canada's extreme winter weather. But it is not a time to be sad, it's a time to think of the upcoming Toronto Motorcycle Show which happens December 10-12, 2010 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

While I don't ride a motorcycle I have fond memories of past Motorcycle Shows - including 2010's Spring Motorcycle Show, which will be returning to Toronto on April 9-10, 2011 at the International Centre. You can also look forward to the girls (pictured on this post) at the Spring Performance World Custom Car and Truck Show.

You can see more lovely car and motorcycle show babes after the jump.

Murals on Dundas

Driving along Dundas Street West in the Village of Islington your eye catches the large murals on the side of several buildings on both sides of the busy road. The large paintings take over the building facade and show different scenes of life a from a time long time ago.

Some of the paintings show colours found in old black and white photographs and some of the paintings show bright, vibrant colours that really grab your attention. The outdoor gallery has been gathering quite the publicity and you can enjoy them as you travel on Dundas Street West from Kipling to Islington. Take a chance and stop to look at the detail in the paintings and the story that they tell.

The paintings also have plaques that tell a bit about the story behind the painting. You can also find more information on line if you want even more details - like story about the WWII bomber that buzzed a rugby game and ended up dropping leaflets onto a farm field.

You can see more of the amazing murals after the jump.

Da Bills

The National Football League, known to most Canadians as the NFL, have been coming up to the frozen lands of Toronto for the past several seasons as their crappiest team - the Buffalo Bills, fights and loses against other NFL teams at the Rogers Centre. So far they are 0 for 7 games - seven straight loses! Today they play Da Bears (You have to love SNL).

Many people complain that we cannot have the true famous NFL tailgate party - which I have heard a lot about, but they do put on a formal tailgate party beside the skydome - just minus the vehicles.

I dropped by yesterday and checked out the tickets - the only available tickets on sale go for over $100 a seat! Cripes, who do they think they are - the Leafs. Scalpers on site were trying to move the tickets at 3/4 to 1/2 the listed price. Toronto doesn't seem to be embracing the NFL or more likely the losing Bills team. Had cheaper tickets been available I would have liked to go to see the game and get a flavour of one of America's top rated sports game - and the cheerleaders. Instead of cheerleaders I will have to go on the memory of Toronto's Bud Girls and some of the ladies at the Honda Indy.

Day of the Dead Festival 2010

This happy fun time annual festival takes place at Harbourfront Centre down at Queens Quay. The Day of the Dead Festival just begs the question - what is this thing all about? Like our Remembrance Day, this Spanish festival seeks to honour and remember departed friends and family members.

There are no zombies in this celebration - just plenty of skulls and skeletons. A big part of the event is alters with gifts and offerings to the loved ones that have passed on. There was Mexican food, songs and dance available at the Centre and the event is free.

The Gardiner

The elevated highway running near the Lake Ontario shoreline through the south part of the City of Toronto is called the Gardiner Expressway. Construction started in 1955 and lately the weekends have been taken over by closures, road repairs and bridge work. You can see the lake (ha ha) just to the left of this solid wall of beautiful condos (shown in the tilt-shift photo above). At night the road becomes a river of light.

In spite of the talk of tolls and the hassle of maintenance repairs and until such time as the price of gas and shortage of fossil fuels make the entire installation unnecessary I am glad it brings me into Toronto.

Sometimes you can get a great view of the massive infrastructure that gives a feeling of awe for the amount of work that it took to build the magic carpet roadway.

Justin's Media Monster

Justin Timberlake shills for Sony VAIO - his bud thinks he kills the media monster, but it comes back slightly smaller and hangs out at the Toronto Eaton Centre. I think that might be a camera on it's foot - going for the upskirt so be careful out there people.

X marks the spot

Update: As some readers have told me the symbols are bowling related and in fact they are promoting a new bowling alley called the Ballroom. There entertainment will include not only bowling lanes but also ping pong tables.

X marks the spot and X marks the turkey. Sometimes strange things happen in Toronto, sometimes you figure out why, other times you scratch your head and go on with life. Large white posters featuring X's and slashes are appearing on poles and boxes along Bay Street and other streets.

Toronto might finally be getting it's rating; parental guidance may be required. Two other X's and everyone can walk around naked having sex in the streets.