Member story: Reudon from Barbardos
In its 10th season, Eurolanche introduces its members thru the regular weekly series "Member stories".The Eurolanche Fan Club unites fans from all over the world. Thanks to its international nature, the Colorado Avalanche hockey community now has its fans on (almost) every continent. Reudon Edwards, 33, is a great example. He lives in Barbardos, where he works as an engineer technician. He is probably one of the most seasoned Avalanche fans in this part of the world. “I was introduced to hockey via NHL 96 in the summer of ‘97 when I got my first PC. I liked the flow of the sport. Later that year, I managed to watch my first game on ESPN and I was hooked. It was the Avs versus the Sabres and the Avs won 3-2. It was an epic duel between Roy and Hasek. I became an Avs fan shortly afterwards. I liked their nontraditional jerseys and their logo and with similar colors to my favorite soccer team FC Barcelona,” said Reudon about his first experience with Avalanche hockey.
Reudon found Eurolanche on Twitter last year and became a member of the biggest Colorado Avalanche fan club. However, despite the fact that Barbados isn’t even close to being your typical hockey country, he doesn’t feel alone. “I watch the games and interact with people online. It’s true that I don’t know any other Avs fans from my country, as hockey will probably never be a popular sport here due to the weather. Moreover, I have no Avalanche souvenirs, but hopefully I’ll get something soon,” explained Reudon. According to him, there is a bar affiliated with the Ottawa Senators on the island named Berts Bar and Grill.
In Reudon’s story, the word “passion” gets a whole new meaning, especially because of the way he watches NHL games. “I used to watch games via cable on ESPN when I got the chance to visit my aunt, since I didn’t have cable at my place. My mother, who lives in the US, records games on VHS tapes and mails them to me. I just re-watch games over and over, mainly the All-Star weekends,” said Reudon, whose passion for the sport started during his childhood when he used to go rollerblading. He has never been to an ice rink and has never skated on ice.
Reudon is proud of NHL players, who have a connection to his country, the biggest being Kevin Weekes, whose parents were born in Barbados. The list also includes Anson Carter and Mike Grier. But Reudon only has one favorite all-time player. “Patrick Roy. I like the art of goaltending and he was great at it. He was very charismatic and always made the important save in big games,” concluded Reudon, remembering Roy’s last game – the playoff loss against the Wild in 2003.
Eurolanche.com, Worldwide, eurolanche@eurolanche.com
21/02/2017 - 16:00
