It’s no secret that the gals, gays and theys can’t stop talking about Canadian sports romance Heated Rivalry.
So much so, the fandom is bursting with an energy many of us haven’t experienced since our early teens. I’m talking peak Twilight saga, or maybe even the same feral obsession many of us felt for *NSYNC or the Spice Girls. If this feels like an exaggeration, might I recommend falling down the “Boy aquarium” rabbit hole on TikTok?
With Heated Rivalry raves popping up across the country, including many here in the Bay Area, hopeless romantics are coming out in droves to celebrate the show’s portrayal of yearning, intimacy and consent.
“I just love the intimacy outside of the sex. It’s in the micro expressions, it’s in the consensual tension. Oh, my goodness, yes!” said Ahlea Castro, 30, who attended Klip Klop Productions’ Heaved Rivalry Rave at The Stud in San Francisco on Feb. 6.
Amanda Pineda, left, claps as Heiress Throttle Cakes performs at The Stud on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Pineda enjoys the emotional intimacy of ‘Heated Rivalry.’ “Love should be vulnerable. I feel like with love now it’s like, you have to be stoic and kind of like you don’t care… but they’re showing, ‘I love you. I’m here for you,’” said Pineda. “The vulnerability, the passion, and it’s all that is brought into ‘Heated Rivalry.’ It’s a cult.” (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)
Castro eagerly bought tickets a month in advance and attended it with Amanda Pineda; they dressed as characters from Ember and Ice, an audio erotica story narrated by Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams.