Showmanship & Rollovers - Themes at this Year's Toronto Monster Jam Show!

   

The 2016 Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour has once again started out with a vroom in Toronto! 

I attended this event this past weekend, and, as expected, it was full of rip roarin' action! Whether it's the side by side racing or the freestyle competition, there was something for everyone at this 2 1/2 hour extravaganza. 

This year, there seemed to be a lot more roll over crashes. This is important to note, so that first timers attending the show don't get alarmed, wondering if the drivers are injured. Drivers sit in the middle of their vehicles and are restrained by a 5 point harness safety system, similar to a car seat. The harness keeps them hanging on, literally and figuratively, while heavy equipment pulls them right side up.

Scooby Doo and Mutt Rottweiler were some of the ones that took a spill, including Northern Nightmare, who took the final wipeout during his freestyle competition. But boy! Did he ever put on one heck of a display! Whether it's the jumps, ticks, stunts, or a back flip, (yes, a back flip!), it's sure to amaze all. Word to the wise - unless you're doing it with a dinky car, or toy monster truck, - do not try this at home! LOL 

Our first experience with Monster Jam was at last year's show.  At that time, there were a lot of distractions for us personally as we naively brought our youngest son who wasn't quite ready to be at this type of event. We weren't able to fully appreciate the show and all that it had to offer that year. This time around, we got to see everything, including each and every roll over.  Whether or not they were planned & occur every year, I appreciated the showmanship at this year's event after one spill in particular. Although part of it might be scripted, the fact that one driver handed their trophy over to another driver who put on one hell of a show and lost only because of a wipeout, was a great thing to see. It's a reminder to children and adults alike, that it's much better and feels better, to do the right thing. Winning isn't everything, and I think it's a great lesson for kids to see play out in this format. 

Going back to my naiveté last time in bringing our toddler with us, I was reminded again this year as to how important ear protection is for kids while at the show. Monster Jam is spectacular, but is also extremely loud. It can be sensory overload for kids, especially young ones, when you're not dulling out some of the cacophony. I had foam ear protectors on for myself, but kids would fare much better with certified noise suppression. You can purchase them cheaper elsewhere, however if you are stuck, they do have 2 options at the venue ranging from $20-$25. Pay particular attention when purchasing the head gear, ensuring that you are purchasing ones that are actually approved noise suppression sets and not just more decorative ones.   

For more information on our first visit to Monster Jam last year, including even more parental perspective, please visit this link. 

Tickets to the show are affordable if you choose the cheaper ones. For the Toronto show, tickets ranged in price from $15 all the way up to $135. And there are many price points in between. As always, I recommend searching online to find any promotions or promo codes so that you get the best bang for your buck. 

There are 7 cities left for the 2016 Maple Leaf Monster Jam Canadian tour. Most locations have 2 shows, typically 1 evening and 1 afternoon show. 

Check out these other Canadian stops to see if you can head out & enjoy it as much as we did: 

Winnipeg - MTS Centre, January 30th-31st, 2016

Edmonton - Rexall Place, February 6th-7th, 2016

Vancouver - BC Place, February 27th, 2016

London - Budweiser Gardens, February 27th-28th, 2016

Hamilton - First Ontario Centre, April 23rd-24th, 2016

Halifax - Scotia Speedworld, May 28th-29th, 2016

Calgary - Stampede Grandstand, September 17th-18th, 2016

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post. *****