Portrait of a fan: Edmonton man paints hundreds of faces at every Oilers game
Jacob Golka's game day tradition started during the second round of the playoffs
More often than not, lifelong Edmonton Oilers fan Jacob Golka can be seen on game nights with his back to the screen and hands hard at work.
Wielding a paint palette and dipping and swapping brushes in a flash, Golka usually needs just a few seconds to decorate a fan's face.
His speed and accuracy are certainly a result of practice, but are also necessary if he wants to keep up with the steady line that forms around him at the Oilers' watch parties outside Rogers Place in downtown Edmonton.
Blue, orange, black
"I probably hit 250 or 300 people today," Golka said Monday after Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final. The Oilers lost the game in a 6-1 blowout to the Florida Panthers.
Golka, at his own expense and no charge, offers a few different options or designs for fans to pick from.
Fans commonly get eye black — though, naturally, they must choose Oilers blue, orange or both.
Feel the fuzz
For Monday's game, Golka started plastering the number of fans' favourite players on their cheeks, which he said was an instant success and something he plans to do for the remaining games.
But Golka's favourite thing to do is paint facial hair.
"Any of the 14-, 15-year-old guys that have no facial hair, it's great to give them a bright blue moustache or just a little peach fuzz," he said with a laugh.
Golka, who sports a blue, orange and white beard and orange moustache, said his game-day tradition of painting the faces of fellow fans started during the Oilers' second-round playoff matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.
An early series game wasn't going well, and to turn the tide, a friend made the executive decision to paint Golka's face blue, and Golka said he never looked back.
"Every game has been an evolve up," said Golka, an oil rigger by trade who also sports a hard hat complete with Oilers stickers, an orange pompom wig and as much other team gear as he can work into the ensemble.
Golka said he might miss plenty of game action but inspiring young Oilers fans and making sure their love for the team stays strong during both good and bad times makes it all worth it.
"[The] kids are first and foremost," he said.
"This could be their first memory of being an Oilers fan, and if I can create a positive experience for them to grow up to be future great Oilers fans, that's what I want to do."
With the Panthers now leading 2-1 in the series, the Oilers are looking for a win to tie the best-of-seven championship series during Thursday's Game 4 in Florida.
