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How does Carolina get ready for a game? Tailgating

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It’s a part of hockey in the deep south that doesn’t get nearly enough publicity. The fans are great and they’re dedicated and bless them all, they’ve brought one of the wonders of college football to the NHL world: Fantastic tailgating.

Showing you photos doesn’t do justice to what you can see in virtually every parking lot at RBC Center. It’s certainly more than taunting enough to show you some of the food that was being barbecued but looking at it all doesn’t do justice to just how good everything smelled.

If you’ve ever caught yourself doubting the greatness of the fans in the south when it comes to hockey, we’re hoping this heaping helping of chicken, ribs, and whole roasted pigs can buy your affection. A little bit of booze helps too.

As you can see here, tailgating is no joke. This is just one of the many tent setups around RBC Center where fans would set out their different salads, food stuffs, and adult beverages of choice. These guys even have their own band there to perform for everyone that stops by.

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As for what kind of goodies these guys were cooking up, prepare to be very jealous and hungry as they had deep fryers and a gigantic grill to roast a pig on to consume later on in the afternoon.

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I know, you’re asking, “But where’s the food?!” All right fine... Another group of fans were happy to oblige me showing off their incredible barbecued chicken and what appears to be a rack of ribs off of a T-Rex or the greatest piece of brisket in history.

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Elsewhere around the arena, there’s a group that does their pregaming in style from Cole’s Grassy Knoll, aptly named for Hurricanes forward Erik Cole. These guys were instantly the day’s favorites just for how they’re able to decorate the area.

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Poor Jeff Skinner, the Justin Beiber comparisons have been virtually non-stop here. Consider us to be bigger fans of Skinner. Perhaps in a few years when he’s of proper drinking age, the folks at the Grassy Knoll will oblige him with a fine cocktail. They’re more than prepared for a good time.

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Finally, it wouldn’t be an official tailgate anywhere without spotting an old Volkswagen van that’s rocked out and ready to party. I present to you, your moment of zen to prepare for tonight’s SuperSkills.

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Enjoy the SuperSkills everyone, we’ll have updates on your winners throughout the night.