Monster Jam Vancouver 2012

This weekend, the monster trucks roll into Vancouver for a night of family fun as part of the Maple Leaf Monster Jam 2012 tour. I had the chance to check out the trucks on the dirt-filled floor of BC Place.

Photo credit: John Biehler on Flickr

The show features more trucks than ever and three trucks that have never been to Vancouver before. The show will also feature a brand new Canadian themed truck, Northern Nightmare, driven by Kelowna-based driver Cam McQueen.

Photo credit: John Biehler on Flickr

Photo credit: John Biehler on Flickr

Approximately 12 feet tall and about 12 feet wide, monster trucks are custom-designed machines that sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, monster trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. Monster trucks can fly up to 130 feet (a distance greater than 14 cars side by side) and up to 35 feet in the air.

Photo credit: John Biehler on Flickr

A few of the cars awaiting their monster truck fate on Saturday night:

Photo credit: John Biehler on Flickr

Getting the ‘playground’ ready for the trucks is a big task and requires a lot of dirt and grooming by the organizers:

Photo credit: John Biehler on Flickr

Here’s a peek inside the cab of Northern Nightmare as Cam takes it for spin:

In addition to the main Monster Jam event on Saturday night, there is also a “Party in the Pits” pre-show experience Saturday afternoon from 2-5pm which gives fans the opportunity to get a view of the trucks up close and meet the drivers of these massive monster trucks.

Tickets to this one night only show, February 4, 2012, start at $15 for kids and $25 for adults and are available from the BC Place box office, ticketmaster.ca or charge by phone at 1-855-985-5000.

You can view the rest of my photos of Cam and Northern Nightmare on Flickr.