TAIT: Ultra-fan

Edmonton Oilers fans are the best in professional sport. No question. Some of them have rituals and superstitions, watching games in the same place, wearing the same clothes. Others study the game in serious fashion. Fans undertake such rituals to help cheer the Oilers on to victory.

Chances are, though, few fans take on physical and mental challenges like Gary Robbins and cheer the Oilers on in the most improbable location and situation.
It's probably the most unlikely scenario for anyone thinking up new line combinations for the Edmonton Oilers: Frozen Head State Park near Watburg, Tennesee, home of the Barkley Marathons, an ultramarathon trail race over 160 kilometres of rough terrain and mountains. Creating new line combos is, remarkably, what avid Oilers fan and elite ultrarunner Gary Robbins uses to distract himself from the physical pain, the mental strain, the hunger, the thirst and the absolute exhaustion it takes to keep pace for sixty hours.
Robbins loves the Oilers. His orange baseball cap and blue stylish sunglasses show just how larger-than-life of a fan he is. "I've learned, over the years, to think of different things when I'm going through the race. So I think of the Oilers roster. I think of possible line combinations, new ones, and wonder if they would work," he said.
He uses the technique in his quest to not be disqualified from the marathon, meaning he has to complete the grueling task within sixty hours. That's what his goal was for April 2 of 2017 when he made his second attempt to complete the annual edition of the Barkley.

"When running extra long distances it's all about how you manage your mind. Often I can run in a near state of meditation, simply being present in the moment and needing nothing more," Robbins said. "But doubts and lows inevitably take shape and when this happens I work on my mental distraction techniques.
"Messing with the Oilers roster allows me to remove my mind from the effort of the run and to better push forward until the doubt or low has subsided. As an example of how I utilize this, I'd take (Connor) McDavid and build out his wingers in different combos and play through how I think the line would perform. Then I'd put (Leon) Draisaitl as second line centre and do the same. Then Ryan Nugent-Hopkins."
As a Newfoundlander, Robbins was a Toronto Maple Leafs fan due to geographic convenience. That changed when his family moved west to Banff, the same time the high-flying Oilers were the talk of the hockey world in the 1980s. Robbins' love affair with the Oilers began and it continued to flourish. When the Oilers went on their magical playoff run in 2006 and took the Carolina Hurricanes to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, Robbins made the trip to Raleigh, North Carolina for Game 5. And he had one of the best seats in the house for one of the biggest goals in Oilers history.
"I was 20 rows up from where Fernando Pisani scored in overtime," he remembered, his voice rising with every word. In fact, Robbins has proved to be a good luck charm for the Oilers in extra time. He's been at a trio of post-season games that have required more than 60 minutes. The Oilers have won all three, including Game 5 when David Desharnais scored in overtime to give the Oilers a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2017.
From 60 minutes to 60 hours, only 15 runners have managed to finish what has been called one of the most challenging races in the world since the inaugural event in 1986.
Looking back now, his technique paid off. Robbins and Washington, D.C.'s John Kelly were the only two runners to continue past the third loop. While both crossed the finish line, Kelly was the only one to qualify as Robbins crossed just six seconds past the elusive sixty-hour mark and was disqualified.

"I was on a mountain, collecting 13 pages of a book - part of the marathon," Robbins said in his unmistakable but oh-so-friendly Newfoundland accent. "It was a little foggy and I made the wrong turn off the mountain."
Remarkably, Robbins takes something positive away from the experience. "If you're going to be successful at anything, you're going to fail," he said before pausing and thoughtfully stroking his bushy, red beard. "And it's OK to fail. I've learned the greatest distance in the Barkley is the space between your ears and hearing all those voices that keep saying 'no'."
Most people would take their weary bones and muscles, pack their bags, their lifelong memories, their earned pride and never share another fleeting thought of repeating. Most people, that is. Robbins not included. "I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't go back," he said, flashing his trademark smile. "Besides, a Canadian has never finished The Barkley.
This past weekend, Robbins did just that and headed back to the treacherous Tenessee terrain for his third attempt at the Barkley. Under less than ideal conditions, including rain, lightning, and frigid temperatures, the course ultimately won as no runner managed to finish. Robbins, however, was the only competitor to finish the "fun run", which requires a runner to complete three 32-kilometre loops in less than 40 hours.
And we can't help but wonder what line combinations the incredible Robbins came up with this time.