Home at Last!

Ahh, it is good to be home in the valley! We’ve been back for exactly one week, and already squeezed in four practices with PVRD. Y’know… ’cause we missed skating!

Last we left you, the generous futon offering of a dear friend in Portland was our home.

PMRD's Crew

Portland Men’s Roller Derby welcomed us to a men’s practice at “The Hangar,” their shared space with Rose City Rollers. I haven’t seen this many dudes on the track since 2011 championships! Skating with Dallas Deception was pretty close though.

The FlagVegAngeleSantaKiah High-Sin-Doll-Resurrection-Mayhem-Belligerents

…is a super team I just created composed of all the leagues we skated with since we moved on from Texas. See, Team Bionic? It is that easy!

Actually, I know nothing about what it really takes to start a league. But, Mira Image of High Altitude Roller Derby does. A skater that survived PVRD’s fresh meat programming, she took initiative to start the first flat track league in Flagstaff, AZ.

We were so excited to get to Flagstaff—kinda partially due to finally getting our wallet replacement items, but mostly to see Mira and skate with H.A.R.D.

High Altitude Roller Derby in Flagstaff, AZ!

Not gonna lie: very young and fresh bunch of roller ladies. What they lack in track skills, they make up for with enthusiasm, league smarts, and determination. All of that should carry them through the competitive world of flat tracking.

Plus, they practice on a surface nick-named “The Swamp” (the only other we’ve seen since Burlington, VT) at 7,000 feet above sea level.

Roller Derby Is Like a Greasy Pole…

As a mantra during Gloucester’s Greasy Pole competition goes : “Focus, Footwork, Flag.” The basic concept of the contest is to reach the end of a forty-five foot long grease-covered telephone pole that is hovering over the ocean walk-the-plank style. Grab the flag nailed to the end and win!

During this past leg of the trip, I kept returning to that mantra. “Focus, Footwork, Flag.” Although a little awkward for a direct translation to derby-ese, the simple message speaks to the elemental conditioning that can carry a skater through a lot of war zones on the track.

1,000 miles, 8 states, 5 days, 4 leagues: A Decent Start!

After all the prep for the trip, we are finally out here on the road!

Chickadee, Celia, Jurasskick & Mars

Kick-off breakfast on Friday morning with PVRD friends got us moving in the right direction — to the HQ of the largest derby store in the world, Bruised Boutique. We couldn’t help treating ourselves to some new gear, which we put into use later that evening.

The Burlington Bombers invited us in for two hours of Sisyphean sprints on an indoor track surface made of carpeted Jell-O. After all the holiday laziness, we can only be thankful for this opportunity to burn off the cookies and booze. If you are looking for a good challenge — go do some endurance with BBRD on Friday nights.

Aurora & Southside - Extinguishing!

Afterwards, we got to help celebrate the birthdays of their youngest and oldest skaters — Aurora BoreAsskick and Southside Hitman. Happy Birthday! After some time spent with good friends in the Northeast Kingdom, we began our journey South.

Going from the edges of nowhere, to the heart of everywhere, overnight, can be… a little intimidating. But, the New York Shock Exchange welcomed us with open arms to a practice on Sunday afternoon at the Gotham crash pad.

Almost bursting at the seams, the crash pad managed to contain a flush of skaters from the surrounding area. The pace and intensity of the practice culminated in a three-way co-ed scrimmage which left me wanting more!

Coming out of the pack - Thanks for he great shots, Willverine!

Hitting the bar afterwards steered us toward an evening with old and new Gotham and Shock friends — filled with tabletop games, noodles, and sleeeeeeep.

It took a bit of energy to finally get out of the house the next morning and poke around Brooklyn. Some tasty sandwiches and a cup of joe at Bittersweet Coffee on Dekalb counted as lunch, as we wandered around Fort Greene Park and checked out the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument.

Ladies Knight also pointed us toward the Pratt sculpture garden, which had a certain, tricky, massive kinetic piece that put a smile on my face, reminding me to pay attention!

A former league-mate Pittstop and her BF guided us into Williamsburg to get some balls at the Meatball Shop to do some catching up and chowing down. This left us plenty of time to head on over to Branch Brook Park for a healthy session of power strides with the Garden State Rollergirls.

Rogzilla, who we thank for announcing for PVRD countless times, came to the rescue with a place to crash for the night in Mo-town. We finally found some breathing room here to hack away in a Portlandian technology loop to keep you all posted!

Up next: Baltimore, MD — Charm City Roller Girls and Harm City Homicide

If you are reading this – Thank You for your help, hospitality, and friendship!

Check out the infant stages of our progress map!

Until next time, JP & Chick

X-Country Derby Tourism!

Hello Everyone!

Chickadee Struction (Kacie) and Jurasskick Park (Andy) here. We are embarking on a cross-country journey to kick off 2012! The past four years in Western Mass with PVRD have inspired us to tour the country and, along the way, scope out the action as roller derby tourists.

We are heading south first, to escape the frigid winter of New England. (Have fun shoveling, everybody!) Westward from there should bring us to the Golden Coast, which we hope to meander along, up to the great Pacific Northwest. We’ve got about 10 weeks before we plan on being back home, so help us fill them with bruises, beers, and beaches!

Being with PVRD has opened our eyes to the world of derby culture, and we want to see what other folks are up to on their home turf. It also wouldn’t hurt to try and stay fit for the upcoming season. The first weeks of holiday break are already taking their toll.

So, stay tuned! You can follow us right here on the PVRD blog. Like PVRD on Facebook. And please contact us directly (e-mail – Facebook) with interest, questions, suggestions, or comments. We want to come skate with you!

Introducing the New Ask the Team Column

Lego derby by Bazooka Joe

It’s a common problem in roller derby. You’re into the sport—as a fan, an official or a player—and have a burning question. Who do you ask? Around the Bunker, there’s a simple answer: You ask other skaters.

As PVRDers gear up for practice, they often gather group wisdom on such topics as “What pads work best for you?” “How do those new gaskets feel?” “Where did you get those laces with bats on them?” “How much do nylon wheel nuts really cost?” and “Is it true that Honey Badger has strap-on mini-rockets for her skates?”

In the spirit of  such information sharing, the PVRD web team is pleased to introduce our new “Ask the Team” column. Every two weeks, we’ll select a particular question and post it on a whiteboard in our practice space. Skaters then have two weeks to add their answers. All of that collective knowledge then goes up on the blog for your reading pleasure.

Have a question you’ve always wanted to ask? Include it in a comment below!

What are your favorite wheels for skate court?

Roller Derby World Cup: A French-American Derby Adventure

Router Girl for Team France

By Router Girl

It’s still hard for me to believe that in about a week I leave for Toronto to join Team France and play in the first ever Roller Derby World Cup!

In fact, Team France will be playing the opening game of the world cup against Team Canada on Thursday, December 1st. We then play against Brazil and Sweden on Friday. After that we’ll see what the rankings bring…

Check out the bout schedule, player profiles and other Team France links in this handy PDF.

Thirteen countries are represented at the world cup: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden and the U.S.A.

There are many people to credit for how I found my way to Team France.