'Tarps off' trend energizes Canes fans, team in Game 2
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Fans at the Lenovo Center say a viral "tarps off" trend helped spark a surge of energy during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights.
People had been talking about the moment throughout the day -- a fan-driven prompt that left men shirtless and sent the crowd into a frenzy. The trend appeared to shift momentum during the game, turning the atmosphere inside the arena electric.
"I was on this plaza last night, and the energy out here is hard to put into words," this reporter said. "But you could feel like ... and there was a shift. And it was all based on the fans who helped rally this team to a victory."
The idea echoes the song lyric urging fans to "take your shirt off, twist it 'round your hand, spin it like a helicopter," but this time it took on a life of its own in Raleigh. The "tarps off" phenomenon has been spreading across ballparks and sports arenas, and it erupted inside the Lenovo Center during the third period.
At the time, the Hurricanes were trailing 2-0 when a call for "tarps off" spread through the crowd. Men quickly removed their shirts as fans cheered and shouted in unison.
"I've heard of tarps off before, but I didn't know how infectious it would be as soon as it happened, as it was really something to experience," said Canes fan Jason Waterstradt.
Waterstradt and his son, Mason, were among thousands who joined in. Nine-year-old Mason didn't hesitate to take part.
"I just decided to join in," Mason said.
According to his father, the moment reinvigorated both the crowd and the team.
"The boys never lost faith in the team, you know, and then the magical tarp off happened, and then the energy was just injected right back into the team and everyone in the stadium, every single person in the stadium, was behind them," Jason Waterstradt said.
A day later, the father and son said they were still reliving the experience at home.
"Pretty insane and crazy," Mason said.
Jason Waterstradt said he had never seen anything like it in person.
"I've seen a random shirt here and there come off, but never like, like last night. I mean, there must have been a thousand plus people that they went tarps off," he said.
The moment also drew attention from the team, with Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis saying it helped fuel the comeback.
"It's an amazing atmosphere to play in, and to have people like that. It's not warm in there, so to take your tarps off and kind of get the crowd going and get the energy going, that's kind of what kick-started our whole, our whole little press there in the third, " Jarvis said in a postgame interview.
Fans and even the team's mascot, Stormy, continued to celebrate the atmosphere the following day. New merchandise has also emerged to commemorate the moment.
"The fan base is so strong, and you can really just feel how much everyone really wants that Cup and wants the team to succeed," Jason Waterstradt said. "So, I think that's the tarps off is just a clear demonstration of how much this team really how much the city and town and area really love the Hurricanes."
