In the spirit of Best Live Entertainment, this evening was spent at a roller derby bout! Today, our All Star team played against Montreal Roller Derby’s New Skids on the Block in a closed bout for ARRG friends and family.
This is a big deal for several reasons.
1. The Auld Reekie Roller Girls are currently a WFTDA (Womens Flat Track Derby Association) Apprentice League. In order to graduate to full member league status, we have to play number of sanctioned bouts, that tick all the boxes and do all the things the WFTDA expect from a bout. This could well be one of these bouts.
2. Montreal are, according to the Derby News Network, currently listed as #14 in the WORLD. As derby is largely played in the US, this means that many of the best teams are North American and that UK leagues don’t often get the chance to play them. Montreal are in town for Anarchy in the UK, a weekend long WFTDA sanctioned tournament hosted by the British derby champions, the London Rollergirls. The London All-Stars don’t generally play against any UK leagues, as they are just too good, and it makes for a boring game. This weekend will see them take on three of the top ranking teams in the world, Baltimore’s Charm City Roller Girls (#9), Pittsburgh’s Steel City Derby Demons(#18) and Montreal. If you’re in London this weekend, you should go! I’ll be there!
3. It’s our birthday! Three years ago today, the first ARRG practice took place in a church hall. To have us take on such a huge team on the anniversary of that day seems quite fitting.
To celebrate this, I bring you *another* ….multimedia breakdown!
Here, for your viewing pleasure (we are multi-sensory here!) is a quick jam from tonight’s bout:
Have you ever been to a roller derby bout? Did you find it entertaining?
PS – No idea what’s going on? Check out my Introduction to Roller Derby post!
Looks lots of fun! Although I wouldn’t stay upright for more than 30 seconds! Roller skating is not my forte – Nicola (Robotnic) and I went to a roller disco (with free vodka) in Sheffield last year, and I was shamefully pitiful. Maybe blades would suit me better than skates…
Actually, I would say that quad skates are better for balance and agility. You have four fat wheels on each foot to keep you stable!
apparently, inlines are better for long distances and speed (I am such a nerd).
What was the roller disco like? I’ve always wanted to go to a proper one!
i didn’t realise blaze took such a massive hit! nightmare.