Today I had my first official Freshmeat Roller Derby lesson. Decked out in any new glossy red helmet with my new wrist, elbow and knee pads on and some great hand-me-down skates (thanks Electro-Cute), I learned some new skills. It was fun!
We learned to sticky skate, to glide on one leg and to fall safely. We also learned to never, ever put our hands on the floor because they could get flattened by a passing skater or even your own skates – ouch.
Aside from falling on purpose, I had one stumble smack down on my butt. Although a naturally cushioned surface, I felt the impact vibrate all the way up into my jaw, fortunately, only for a few seconds. Looking on the bright side I was getting ready to to sit down so it wasn’t wasted. I was just faster and harder and lot less graceful than intended.
Trying new stuff is awesome! All the Cambridge Rollerbillies league members were really friendly and helpful and they all chimed in with their tips to help us as we practiced. I’m glad Electro-Cute talked me into trying it and I’m really looking forward to week two.
If you want to see some live roller Derby, come out and cheer our local Romsey Town Rollerbillies next Saturday in the British Tier 2 championships. They are going up against the Birmingham Blitz Dames. Tickets are £5.97 in advance and you can get them online; doors open at 2pm at Kelsey Kerridge. I’ll be there watching!
Want to know how roller derby works? Here’s a great little video that explains it all.