What do you get when you combine 40 roller girls from across the country, their fans and refs, sprinkle on a little pizza and cake, then stir for 24 hours? A whole big pile of awesome, that’s what!
August 14th was the date of Roller Destruction in Manchester. The venue of the Arcadia in Levenshulme, where the Manchester Roller Derby girls train, is enough to make any derby dame swoon. A full size hall with a gallery for the spectators, digital timer, and the track painted out on the floor. No cones for these women! Skating there was a dream - nothing imparts the feeling of professionalism like a venue designed exclusively for rollersports.
After the warm up & group stretch we rocked off with the first bout. It was hard-fought and exciting, with players mixed up with people from all over the country having to work on quick tactics & teamwork. The crowd couldn’t have guessed though - the defensive teamwork of the blockers was seamless, and the jammers moved around the track like greased lightning, getting whipped through the pack like the teams had trained together far longer than the 10 minutes we had all known each other.
At the end of the first bout the black team had thrashed the whites, although both teams had displayed some epic play. The crowd was excited, everyone was in high spirits, and it was time for some awesome pizza & learning how to maintain our skates on the sunny grass with Paul The Man. There was a fount of useful information, modified spanners, and some cunning use of bike oil & concorde grease; but words cannot share the wonders of what Paul can do with a filmcase & a can of WD40.
For me the most fun part of the day was a game of roller hockey, this time blacks versus greens. Everyone could take part, including some who were probably too young for roller derby (though getting my skating skills mocked by said 3-year-old child was less fun!) It was a game most of us had no training in apart from some chilly lessons at school, but what we lacked for in skill we made up for in enthusiasm. The ball was whacked all around the court, players collided and points were scored. The greens won the first time round (Woo!), although the blacks won in the second game (Boo!) Definitely something I want to play more of.
The fun carried on far into the night, accompanied by a lot of laughter and hugs. Overall, it was an amazing day, and I’d love to offer my adoring thanks to all those who made it possible. A shining example of the awesome fun of roller derby!
Purpletrator
#7
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PS - Don't forget our Scary Tales end of season party on Sunday!
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