The Paignton Dragons in action at the Torbay Leisure Centre Ron Grierson writes about the action packed sport of skater hockey. In those days the game was known as Street Hockey and as the name suggests was played on the streets. To play inline skater hockey you need the aggression of a rugby player, the electric speed of an athlete, the balance of an ice dancer, the awareness of a footballer the strength of a boxer and the fitness of a rower. Protective equipment is mandatory in this contact sport Today the equipment used is a lot more sophisticated than when skater hockey was played on the streets. An upturned walking stick has been replaced with many different types of high-tech hockey sticks usually made of graphite, aluminium, kevlar and of course good old wood.
Skater hockey is classed as an extreme sport, so protective equipment is mandatory.
The goalkeepers have to wear huge leg pads, masses of body armour, a Darth Vadar helmet and a large hockey stick to keep out the rocket like ball. The rules are loosely based on ice hockey and the game is a contact sport with a level of challenging and tackling allowed. South West teams play in the British Inline Skater Hockey League. Devon is represented by the Ivybridge Indians, Newton Abbot Knights and the Paignton Dragons. Newton Abbot Knights even have an over 35 s Wrinkly team - seeing is believing.