Winter Wheelies

Time for a little review of recent times to distract us from how all this weather is unsettling the normal schedule for skate practice. You'd think roller girls would be used to sliding all over the place and therefore ideally suited to arctic conditions, but eight wheels is NOT the same as an icy road, sadly.

November brought us the great fun of bouting the London Rockin Rollers away. Thinking about the wonderful warm welcome we received might just melt the snow! Possibly the fastest pack speeds ever seen in UK derby, and some awesome defensive play, took the LRR to victory, beating us 179 to 61. The grins on so many Blitz faces after the bout suggests that we at BBD don't like the easy life, there's so much to learn when you're being challenged, LRR were generous hosts and it was a pleasure to skate with them. Special thanks for the medals!

I will NOT be mentioning any of the silliness that took place travelling between Birmingham and London. Let's just say it can be a lot of fun hanging out with Dames in a confined space and we've no intention of growing up and getting boring any time soon. :-)

Such fun was had with LRR that we were setting a date for another chance to skate with them before the bruises had even had a chance to show. So right after new year, bulging with mince pies, we held a mixed scrimmage at Aston Arena welcoming skaters and officials from LRR, Rainy City, Severn Roller Torrent and Bedfordshire Roller Girls, among others. We had a wonderful day, despite the cold, and were so glad that so many roller girls and guys made the effort to get to us. It was really great to pack up in different combinations and learn to work different tactics and with different on-track personalities. Hanging out in the bar with cake and pizza, to witness the Derby Marriage of our Sleazy Rider and Roisin Roulette, was a great way to finish the day. Again, massive thanks to everyone who was there. We hope we'll be able to repeat the event and get even more leagues involved soon!

As well as having fun at Subside for our Christmas fundraiser, and getting to see lots of bouty goodness courtesy of Rainy City and LRG, we've been training hard and welcoming lots of lovely new Dames into the derby way of life. We're hoping the snow won't disrupt our attendance at Tattoo Freeze, where we'll be bringing a team with guests from LRR, Leeds Roller Dolls and SRT to take on the three LRG teams in the hope of converting a fan or two to our sport. Tattoo enthusiasts and roller derby? Doesn't sound like a promising mix... ;-)

The future's bright: the future's roll-y.