The “Crash for Cash” Demolition Derby is returning for a second year in Slave Lake, and one driver from Grande Prairie says he is hopeful Swan City residents will support the event this year.
Mike Boucher grew up in Slave Lake before making the move to GP. He explains demolition derby has been a staple in Slave Lake for decades and after a more than 20-year hiatus, the sport is finally back.
“I’m here in Grande Prairie now, I plan on staying here, but I do like to support my home community,” he says. “Last year they started it back up, and I wanted to participate, but I didn’t get my car in time, but I will, indeed, have a car finished and ready to run this year.”
The event has garnered international attention, with drivers from around the globe planning to attend the event. Boucher explains the reason demolition derby is so attractive is not only the obvious draw the prize money carries but the simplicity of the sport as well.
“Basically, you find an old junk car, something that’s basically ready for the scrapyard, you’re gonna bring it to life one more time, strip ‘er down, put a basic cage in it, and go an smash the heck out of the other guys that want to do the same thing and win some prize money,” he says. “Having these international drivers from England, Australia, New Zealand, they’re just fantastic people, just meeting new people, having that comradery, it just makes for a good time.”
“The prize money, I think it’s one of the biggest in Canada, and I might even be mistaken, it could be in the world,” he laughs.
In addition to an exciting afternoon of car crashes, the event supports several local organizations as well.
“It promotes the town of Slave Lake, it’s a big touristy kind of thing, there’s local campgrounds that benefit from this, local restaurants, they donate locally to different organizations from the profits,” Boucher says.
The driver says he hopes to see a healthy “home team crowd” in attendance to support him and all the other drivers vying for the number one spot.
“I’m hoping to see more people from Grande Prairie making it out there, the more people we can get there the better,” he says.
The event is scheduled for July 11th to the 13th and tickets are available online.
