The End of the World As We Know It Dept.: Leaf Blower Hockey
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 11.11.07
How did it come to this? Take the most evil fuel burning device this side of a Hummer or a gas-powered daquiri maker and outfit two teams with them, fire up the leaf blowers and blow the ball towards the goal. The "first ever leaf blower hockey game in the history of the world" was played yesterday in Toronto, which now has yet another reason to hang its head in shame for having one of its citizens, an ad exec named Michael Paul, invent such a crime.
According to the Star: With an official band for inspiration (Air Supply) and an unbreachable code of conduct ("No aggressive blowing"), the inaugural game began yesterday morning at an outdoor rink. when the Windbreakers faced off against the Fallen Leafs. ("No harm intended to the other Leafs.") The game surface was slick with rainwater, not ice, but players from each team strapped on diesel-powered leaf blowers over their red and white jerseys, left their Tim Hortons coffee cups on the bench, and stepped up to do battle.
"There is a definite technique involved, it's not just glamour," said Paul's son, Teo, a chef, Fallen Leafs player and official event "catalyst." The Fallen Leafs, made up of Toronto chefs and Ontario Place landscapers, beat the Windbreakers, the admen, in two games; 5-2 and 2-1, amidst the reek of diesel fumes. One contestant said "We're looking for a bio-diesel sponsor for next year." ::The Star; perhaps decent pictures will be posted on the new ::Official Website
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As a fellow Canadian (heck, as a fellow human, for that matter) I am ashamed. Disgusted.
This is all wrong.
The tagline for this irresponsible, childish and [dare I say] STUPID sport should be:
"Leaf Blower Hockey: It REALLY blows! Oh ya, and it REALLY bites too."
Maybe they'll smarten up when they realize the health risks they are exposing themselves (and others) to:
"...medical researchers from the United Kingdom and Sweden have found serious adverse health risks attributed to diesel exhaust."
http://www.hybridcars.com/diesel/diesel-exhaust-heart-attacks.html
stupidity at its best!
i cant understand why the picture is blach and white
I used to live 5 minutes from where this picture is taken!
Anyway, people are damn lazy when they use leaf blowers. They're both inefficient and ineffective. And, they really ruin the ambiance. The sound and smell of raking leaves is peaceful.
Oh c'mon people.
yes, the use of a machine to blow leaves is for lazy and/or somewhat retarded homeowner. well, too far, I admit it. maybe for Californian way of life - that moved to Oregon home owner.
but this guys are having fun. I will do for s**ts and giggles, leaving it few hours later due my headache .
by the way, when the intelligent and civil comment button was inaugurated here at TH?
Downtown Portland Oregon allows these machines to run wild during peak commuter walking times. Probably not good for someone with asthma to be near these machines, For a small machine they also created alot of green-house gas.
Wow. I'm speechless. I usually stop breathing around those things if I'm walking by-- but these folks are inhaling the fumes with intensity! I think it won't be long before we see the sport show up on healthcare application forms right next to the question "Do you smoke?" Maybe they'll all win Darwin awards...
Hopefully, this is just a one time thing - just for giggles. Pretty shameless.
You guys have diesel ones up there?
This could easily be made green: Use rechargeable leaf blowers and charge them somewhere that's BullfrogPowered.
Easy.
yes cuit but stupid cant they make an electric leaf blower proble have to use a cord hay that would be funny they would have to try not to trip on the cords hahaha dumd
cant they make them at least more efficient
I've never heard of a diesel leaf blower. The are most likely 2-cycle engines. I can just see them trying to find the puck in the choking blue smoke. I guess this is Darwinism at it's finest?
They must have really like Wild & Crazy Kids back in the day.
Ah, who am I kidding, we all did. Omar got chicks.