f r e s h s t a r t

Monday, February 18, 2008

 

Windy City Rollers

They'd been on my radar since I saw one of their posters at Big Hair a few years ago (a stylist there used to be in the league). I'd read about them occasionally, but never got around to going to one of their bouts. When Josh suggested that we go last month, I paused a second to think damn, I wish I had thought of it first, and then enthusiastically said yes.

The rules of roller derby are pretty easy to grasp, and after watching a jam or two even a novice will have it down. The announcers help too, by explaining for example why a skater who should be out on penalty is still skating (penalty box was full).

The various positions (blocker, jammer, pivot) require different physical skills---skating quickly by skaters opposing skaters to score, blocking the other team, reaching behind you and slingshotting a teammate up to the front of the pack, and so the teams are comprised of women of various heights and body types.

The crowd is even more diverse than the players. You've got families with kids sitting next to heavily tattooed guys with mohawks, middle-aged parents of skaters holding up signs for their daughters, hipster-types, and people who came out of curiousity and got hooked.

While the injuries page has made me a little wary of showing up for next year's tryouts (that and the fact that they train five nights a week), I'll definitely be going back for more.

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