Girl Power Reigned Supreme as El Toro Loco Won Last Night's Monster Jam in Toronto!

   

Monster Jam is always an action packed, edge of your seat family production. But last night's competition was particularly so with many a roll over and near misses. From flips, jumps, wheelies and more, I was left with many a moment where my jaw was open in fascination. 

Particularly so when Becky McDonough & El Toro Loco did their Freestyle showdown. That girl can drive, and her skill and win was great to see in an otherwise male dominated sport. The crowd must have thought so too as they were cheering just as loudly when she pulled her 10,000 pound machine to an impressive stop to round off her mad skills! While Ms. McDonough isn't the only driver that drives El Toro Loco, she is the only female driver, as well as, the only female driver in last night's competition. She, without a doubt, deserved that win! Girl power y'all! 

It would be unfair to only talk about El Toro Loco. As to be expected, legend Dennis Anderson in Grave Digger also wowed the crowd with his 360 flip into the air. That takes finesse and guts! Just like Son Uva Digger, driven by Ryan Anderson. He is Dennis Anderson's son who has, I'm 100% sure, monster trucks in his genetics. Son Uva Digger/Ryan Anderson is my son's personal favorite and he gets so excited to cheer him on. 

If you have the chance to check out Monster Jam, you will not be disappointed. It's high energy, fun, nerve wracking and L-O-U-D! Be sure to bring proper ear protection for your kidlets as LOUD doesn't begin to describe it. The vendors did sell some ear protectors for kids for $20, but it doesn't appear that they are rated for legitimate sound suppression. They used to sell actual rated noise suppression headphones at Monster Jam, however they did not have them at this particular show.  It's unknown if they will be available for sale at other venues. If your child or children are sensitive to sound, it would be wise to invest in or borrow proper ear protection ahead of time. And for cheaper, I'm sure. They did have foam ear plugs for sale for $2 a pop, but in my opinion, those would be best suited for adults and adolescents. 

For more information on Monster Jam from my perspective as a parent, check out my 2015 review, as well as, my 2016 Monster Jam review.

As mentioned in my previous post, tickets start as low as $15. Bear in mind that this price does not include taxes, facility charges or service fees. To give you an idea of what you'd be in for with those fees and tax included, you're looking at about $22 per person for base tickets in Toronto. 

If you live outside of the GTA, you can catch any of the following upcoming Monster Jam tours in Canada: 

Winnipeg, MB - January 28th - 29th, 2017 @ the MTS Centre

Edmonton, AB - February 4th - 5th, 2017 @ Northlands Coliseum

London, ON - February 11th - 12th, 2017 @ Budweiser Gardens

Hamilton, ON - April 22nd - 23rd, 2017 @ FirstOntario Centre

Bring on the action!

***** 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. *****

Monster Jam is Back in Toronto to Break Your Winter Blues!

   

Break your winter blues this January with Monster Jam in Toronto at the Rogers Centre! This family-friendly live monster truck racing extravaganza is back in town and is sure to get you excited and invigorated - despite the temperatures! These 12' tall monster machines are impressive in their stunts and skill, wowing everyone - young and old. With over 4,000,000 fans attending these shows each year, you know it's going to be good. 

Tickets are on sale now! With tickets starting as low as $15, the event is quite affordable for most.  Bear in mind that this price does not include taxes, facility charges or service fees. In Toronto, with those fees and tax included, you're looking at about $22. This is still a decent price if you're looking for base tickets. Prices & additional fees may vary from venue to venue, and as with many events, a wide variety of ticket pricing is available to meet your needs. You can also purchase a Party in the Pits Pass for $10 per person. This allows you take pictures & get autographs with the drivers, and see their monster trucks up close. Be aware that service fees may also apply to these particular tickets as well. 

In Toronto, there are 2 showtimes. On Saturday, January 28th, it's at 7pm. On Sunday, January 29th, it's at 2pm. This one would be ideal for those with younger kids who are on stricter nap and bedtime schedules. 

If you don't live in the GTA, Monster Jam is hitting up 4 other Canadian cities in 2017:

• Winnipeg, MB - January 28th & 29th, 2017 @ the MTS Centre
• Edmonton, AB - February 4th & 5th, 2017 @ Northlands Coliseum
• London, ON - February 11th & 12th, 2017 @ Budweiser Gardens
• Hamilton, ON - April 22nd & 23rd, 2017 @ FirstOntario Centre

For more information on Monster Jam from my perspective as a parent, check out my 2015 review, as well as, my 2016 Monster Jam review.
See you there!

***** 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. *****

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. *****