The Aloha Spirit – Getting To Know Your Hula Doll

Hello! My name is Dolly Kau’ionalani Reynolds, or many of you know me online as Hula Doll. I just wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I was born in Honolulu, Hawai’i, but raised in Tampa since I was a baby. A true Tampanian! I’ve always been involved in sports. Being raised in Tampa pre-nineties, it was all about The Buccaneers. Football, football, football. I’m still a die-hard Bucs fan. I played basketball as a point guard growing up, my idol was John Paxson of The Chicago Bulls. My number was always Five in his honor. (I still get the number five on my Lightning and Bucs jerseys!)

In 1992 a man named Phil Esposito changed my life forever. I remember hearing the announcement that he was going to bring The Tampa Bay Lightning here. At first I thought that he was absolutely crazy! Who in their right mind would bring an ice hockey team to Florida? Our ponds don’t freeze! If they did, the alligators would die!!! It doesn’t snow here. But Mr. Esposito didn’t care about any of that. He ignored the criticism and made hockey history. As time got closer to The Lightning being a reality, my curiosity grew. Curiosity turned into fascination of this new sport. I was there when the puck dropped for the first time at The Expo Hall at The Florida State Fair Grounds, The Thunderdome, and lastly at The Ice Palace. After that first game I was hooked! I still drive my friends and family crazy with my hockey obsession. My favorite all time NHLer and Lightning Alumni is Brian Bradley. I loved watching him on the ice! I love watching him more now as The Director of Youth Hockey, working with the kids. He has such a joy in him when he’s throwing tennis balls at the children. My favorite current non-Lightning players are Vinny Prospal and Sean O’Donnell. I despise Nathan Horton and The Boston Bruins. No, I’m not just bitter because of The Play-offs, I’ve always hated them. As far as my favorite current Lightning player, it’s so hard to narrow it down! It’s like picking which of my children is my favorite. On Ice I’d have to say Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos. Dwayne Roloson is my absolute favorite. Off ice I’d have to say Bruno Gervais, Steven Stamkos, Mattias Ohlund, Dwayne Roloson, and Dana Tyrell. Most of the team have great personalities off of the ice, and hearts of gold. Coach Boucher is the most generous, sweetest, sociable, intelligent, and amazing man. He is THE NICEST person that I have EVER met in my entire existence. I love my Bolts, but I love hockey in general. On most days you can find me at The Brandon Ice Sports Forum, the official practice facility of  The Lightning, watching local leagues. Everything from beginner and advanced beer leagues to children’s games. It’s hockey! I love it when the adult leagues win the championship, they win The Stanley Keg. It’s an actual keg with a silver bowl on the top. Love it!

As you get to know me, you’ll learn that I have a sense of humor and can be quite sarcastic. I founded The TB Lady Bolts. Originally we were called The Lightning Ladies, but later found out that is what the player’s wives are called. So not to offend anyone, we gladly changed our name to Lady Bolts. It’s an organization of women who love The Lightning. A place where they can come to learn the sport of hockey with out feeling embarrassed by having to ask men. We break down the rules, player biographies, hockey history facts, and so much more! We volunteer in the community as well. Our current campaign is collecting ball caps for children with cancer. Several of The Lightning players, coaches, and staff who wish to remain anonymous, have generously helped us with our goal.

My hobbies include hula dancing, writing novels, and playing the guitar. My passions are photography, journalism, and of course hockey. So why not combine my passions and write for the team that I love? The Bolts By The Bay staff have been very supportive from the start. I look forward to working with them and getting to know you, the readers! Feel free to connect with me personally as @HulaDolly on Twitter. My email is kauionalani07@gmail.com. If you’d like to contact The Lady Bolts, the email is LadyBolts@gmail.com. If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments for me, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can also find me on FaceBook as Hula Doll. I will do my best to keep you in the loop as to what is going on here in Tampa! #BeTheThunder #AllInForever #GoBolts!

Mahalo and Aloha,

Dolly ‘Hula Doll’ Reynolds