training for wonder derby

Someone else's mis-hearing of roller derby - I liked it. A rookie skater's blog. Tumblr icon from this photo by Doug Wheller.

[gifak-net]

[tastefullyoffensive]

The Final Boss

[molly-malign]

Fresh meat jamming against vet skaters

[wonderderby]

I am you, tiny ginger kitten.

[firerunwthme-deactivated2015041]

[un--becoming]

I ordered Kryptonic Route 65s from Amazon because they were suuuper on sale, I had a gift card, and they were advertised as 78A. They got here today and it turns out they’re 83A and I’ve been obsessing all day over what to do with them, because I have nothing else to do with my life right now. I…

[purplewookiee-deactivated202311]

My first set (and pretty much my only set) of outdoor wheels are Radar Zen wheels which are 85s and they work just fine for me.  I say go skate on them and if you really feel like they suck for being outdoor wheels, get a different set and try to sell the Kryptonics.

Although, I personally wouldn’t pay more than like $40 for outdoor wheels because they’re going to get beat up no matter what.  Granted, I don’t do a lot of outdoor skating (yay Minnesota! and piss cold weather) but I get a fair amount in and my Zens have held up pretty well.

[un--becoming]

I was lucky enough to pay $30 (using a gift card, no less) on the wheels I ordered; without the sale price it would have been around $60.

After doing some research I found out that the Kryptonics Route wheels, which used to be sold in a range of durometers, are now sold only as 83As, whereas the Cruise wheels are their equivalent in 78As. I’m talking to Amazon now trying to get them to send me the Cruise wheels as a replacement/give me a credit toward them if I return the Route 65s. If that doesn’t work I’m going to keep the Route 65s & give them a go and sell them if they suck. These New Orleans roads are no joke & with my back problems I’d really rather use the lowest durometer wheels I can!

[wonderderby]

Sorry, just saw your update. Now that I actually look at the Kryptonics website, I see the Routes being advertised as 83A. That's a pain.

[grimmscarytales]

Roller derby is an aggressive sport, it’s full contact, hard hitting and fast paced. If you want to get somewhere in derby you have…

Roller Derby Saved My Soul: Be Aggressive, Be, Be Aggressive - How To Find Your Aggression For Derby - 909's Fresh Meat Tips  

[second-nature-blog]

[wonderderby]

automatically thinks of NSOs

[shotime369]

This winter, I fear my last words will be “I forgot I didn’t have toe-stops”

[wonderderby]

I feel this! Ice skating came pretty naturally after a couple of years on quads, but any time I fell it was from looking for absent toestops.

[wonderderby]

Bear City v Sin City

abombnabull has a great collection of gameplay gifs made from Bear City v Sin City. Rewatching that this weekend before being back on skates for the first time since before Christmas. European derby pride! (Besides, I have a big derby crush on Master Blaster. When I grow up I want to be her.)

[abombnabull-blog]

That’s some damn fine point protection.

[noxblogs]

Today Suzy Hotrod posted on Facebook that she will not be playing on the Gotham Girls All Stars team in the 2015 season. Happy to hear she will still be skating, but this is a big deal for the Goliath that is Gotham!

What kind of impact do you think this will have on the GGRD All-Stars? 

[wonderderby]

I feel that losing Hotrod isn't going to be the issue so much as there being so many skaters stepping down at once. As well as Suzy, Mick Swagger, Fisti Cuffs, Ana Bollocks, Hyper Lynx will no longer be playing for the All-Stars. It'll be interesting to see if things change.

[wonderderby]

2015

This year, I'm committing to getting strong, getting agile, and getting on a team.

[wonderderby]

Got the couch into the perfect position for practising hitting. Yay! An unexpected benefit to getting my apartment in order.

[wonderderby]

Derby names become this obsessive focus for a short while after the end of freshmeat. Then you start playing, and all you care about is how fast it can be yelled. "OMG, it must be perfect" so quickly becomes "eh, so long as it can't* be shortened to 'Twat' it's all good".

*or can. Depends on your preferences.

[wonderderby]

Disorder on wheels

Looking forward to getting back to learning derby and thinking a lot less about the details of what’s on my feet. I’ve a couple of goals set for June, and one of them is getting genuinely comfortable on my toestops. It’s still a technique that has me going “oh fuuuck” when it’s part of a drill, and that can’t continue.

[wonderderby]

Oh, I am achieving this goal! I can finally run on my toestops consistently. And hop around on them a bit when I'm jamming. The new skates are still not exactly my friends. Boot is lovely but I'm wondering if I'm just not someone the Avengers suit.

[wonderderby]

I have tickets to LRG v Gotham! (Sort of kicking myself for not getting a bootcamp ticket though... I didn't feel like I was a high enough level, but now I know there are going to be plenty of people at my level going. :/)

It's uncomfortable to realise how down on myself and unmotivated I've got over the last while. My goals seem to get smaller - it's not "A Team in a couple of years, national team someday" or even "B team reserves, yeah!", it's become "maybe I'll be fully able for scrimmage this summer". I've been (not)dealing with life stress that's taken a lot of my energy away, and have been starting to feel like all I do is derby. It's not a way I function well - I've got to have lots in my life, magic, music, dancing, different groups of people, joy. And derby is wonderful as part of that full life.

I must find the energy to have that full life while continuing to progress.

I've been drawing pictures on my ipad. It's a start.

[wonderderby]

Disorder on wheels

I got new skates recently and I'm trying to get used to them. I've gone from the usual R3s nearly everyone starts on to Suregrip Avengers in a normal mount. Definitely an adjustment. Transitions are much easier, and I can use my edges a lot better. Crossovers are not feeling at all right yet, and my stability is messed up: I'm higher off the ground and can't resist effectively when pushed. It's only been two sessions; it'll come to me when I can get the time on wheels. I had a hell of a time getting these skateable, really: they came without a tool I needed, then I damaged the included spanner adjusting the pivots and had to get another, then one of the trucks turned out to be damaged, then it was just bloody hard to find the right adjustment for the trucks... Such a litany! They're still not right (left is decidedly looser than the right, causing some of the issues with crossovers) and I will sort that out, of course, but I'm sick of fussing with them and secretly wishing for magic plates that just know how I want them to skate. If I was buying again, I'd go for a plate that people in my league use so I could get help, rather than going my own way based on advice from strangers online. Sigh. Looking forward to getting back to learning derby and thinking a lot less about the details of what's on my feet. I've a couple of goals set for June, and one of them is getting genuinely comfortable on my toestops. It's still a technique that has me going "oh fuuuck" when it's part of a drill, and that can't continue. Printing out that Punchy O'Guts article again to practice toestop balance. http://punchyoguts.com/punchblog/2013/4/5/falling-drills-eff-that

[wonderderby]

Refreshing for scores

This weekend, there's derby everywhere but where I am. Keeping up as best I can using Twitter and shrieking inadvertently while my family watches Monaco GP qualifying. Bless you, live tweeters, you are doing important work. May your wifi connections never fail.

[wonderderby]

Anarchy in the UK 2014 starts on 12.04.2014!

I can’t wait to see London play next weekend. Who else is excited for this?

[justbeingbelle]

I’ll be there :D

[shemonu-deactivated20221029]

Tumblr meet up! :D

[wonderderby]

I'm in favour of this idea :)