Watermelon helmets losing popularity among Rider fans

When asked about what they associate with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, people across Canada will typically come up with answers like green, Gainer, and watermelons.
 
But real watermelon helmets don’t seem to be showing up much anymore at games.
 
Walking through a sea of Rider fans near Mosaic Stadium on game day, a person would see a lot of green and white, but it would be rare to see a watermelon helmet.
 
There are plenty of the melons in stores, so what’s the deal?
 
“Well it’s pretty warm, and it gets pretty sticky,” said one woman.
 
Some thought it had just gone out of style.
 
“It was a bit of a fad, but now people just go back to the basic green,” said one man.
 
Even if that’s the case, wearing the watermelon helmet still seems to be a badge of honour for some fans. When asked if she’d ever worn a watermelon helmet, one woman said, “I have not, I’m ashamed to say that actually.”
 
According to The Rider Store at Mosaic Stadium, they sell a lot of the foam watermelon helmets, maybe because they’re a little less messy.
 
But what about the real thing?
 
Noel Peel was a watermelon helmet faithful, but even he has stopped wearing them.
 
“Maybe I was getting a little older, a little more responsible,” Peel laughed.
 
He said what really stopped him is that he was having a hard time finding the fruit.
 
“Watermelon season is sort of the summer, whereas football season goes until, if you’re lucky, all the way to the end of November. Well, sometimes getting watermelons, especially in October and November, isn’t exactly easy.”
 
Peel was a pro when he was making them though. He said if he were to make one for the game Friday, he’d have started Wednesday night.
 
He detailed his process, starting with hollowing it out, sitting it on the counter to drip-dry, and then putting in the fridge.
 
“And then, kind of just before heading out for my pre-game festivities, carve it out to how it’s going to fit on my head.”
 
Peel said he first started because the Riders were on a losing streak and he felt the hat he was wearing was cursed. So he tried the watermelon helmet and it seemed to work. The Green and White came out of their slump anyway.
 
Now, with the Riders on a losing streak again, Peel is thinking it could be time to bring it back.
 
“If we’re talking about an 0 and 4 team going into next weekend, it might just be time.”

LSchick@rawlco.com
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