Male strippers show bumped Laker Classic from Memorial Centre date
Minor lacrosse officials were disappointed to learn exotic male dancers bumped the 32nd Laker Classic Tournament from the Memorial Centre on May 27.
Memorial Centre officials informed the Peterborough Minor Lacrosse Association months ago they might lose their traditional Saturday date to a live ticketed event.
PMLA president Chris Page said they didn’t know what that event was until the PMC announced it’s hosting Thunder From Down Under.
The Australian male revue show, a permanent attraction in Las Vegas, is billed as the ultimate “Girls Night Outback” and promises in promotional material chiselled male physiques in seductive choreography.
“Your wildest fantasy takes the stage for an uninhibited night of reality,” states an advertisement. Tickets go on sale Friday. Page said he sent an email to PMC facility manager Jeremy Giles expressing his disappointment upon learning what had bumped their tournament for one day.
“I was disappointed to learn the nature of the event,” Page said. “I was disappointed to learn that’s what it was. In the middle of a family-oriented, kids recreational tournament, that we’ve got that type of event in there. At the same time it’s their decision, the city and the people running the PMC, but in terms of image I didn’t think it was a great event to have in there.”
Page said he understands the city’s mandate is to run the PMC like a business and find ways to generate income.
“They have to go about their business and we’ll continue to go about ours in putting on a great tournament. That’s what our goal is.”
Page said Giles did accommodate the PMLA by making a second pad at the Evinrude Centre available on the Saturday so none of the games had to be moved out of town. The PMC will also still be available on Friday night and Sunday where they hold all their championship games.
The PMLA usually promotes that each tournament participant will get to play at least one game on the PMC carpet, but that is not possible without use of the facility on the Saturday.
“(Giles) did meet his end of the bargain in terms of accommodating us to make sure we had another pad in the city to be able to run our tournament. That was my biggest concern. He did have a back-up plan for that,” Page said.
The tournament also uses two pads at the Kinsmen Civic Centre and one in Ennismore.
Giles did not immediately return a call seeking comment.