I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season, no matter what holidays you celebrate with family, friends, a bottle of scotch, or your pets. I hope everyone received at least one gift this year that made them happy, (material or not).
My one roller derby gift this year was from my derby widow, ordered from Rollergirl.ca, and opened on Christmas Morning, which was also my 90th day of not smoking (GOAL REACHED! WOOT!), a new skate tool and stopper wrench. If you actually read my posts you'll know that when I got those sweet Kryptonic Route 65 outdoor wheels, I didn't get to try them before the snow flew because I had no skate tool to change my wheels....
Well, bless my derby widow for caring that I want to skate and supporting me in my derby dreams that may never come true. Why would I say that, you ask? Just feeling my age today, I guess.
In other holiday cheeriness, here are my top 5 derbyluv memories from 2008.
5) Building a GIANT paper mache roller skate for MTLRD's entry into the St Patrick's Day Parade in March 2008 with the creative committee, and with Tommy Toxic and Rue Bella in a workshop while missing a 'Ditas sugar shack team breakfast. I will always love Rue and Tommy for hanging in there with me to git'er done. It turned out AWESOME!
4) TIE: The GMDD Skills clinic. My first derby travel. Noise from hotel rooms will forever sound like whores playing. Waffle Bar!
and riding my first ferry on a road trip with Big Tickets of Hammer City Rollergirls on the way back from the GMDD Skills Clinic on a US road trip to Hot Topic stores.
3) Quitting Smoking with the words of Rollergirl Lisa in my head. "...Smoking [sic] ....makes you skate slow..."
2) Dancing on stage at the Bell Center with Rue Bella, Trash N Smash and Celine as Big Girl dancers for Mika, Jan 28, 2008, in front of like thousands... and adeptly covering a fall so that I was just rocking out - except that Mika is such a gentleman that he ruined my cover-up by trying to assist me... awwww so sweet and freakin embarassing..... I can't believe I danced in front of so many people in a corset and froo-froo panties. But I'd do it again in a minute. It was a blast!
1) My number one memory of 2008:
Beast of the East, Montreal, after party, drunk.
Getting the DJ to play "Big Girls, You are Beautiful" by MIKA (though I don't like pop music) for Rue Bella (as it was her birthday) and dancing like an idiot on stage with Rue Bella, Trash and Smash and I think Celine and lots of others - losing my Street Drum Corps Hoodie - breaking my pinkie in a taxi door - and waking up with the worst hangover I've ever had, hand throbbing, and saying; in a dry, crackly, voice: " Wow, what a great fuckin' party." just before I groaned and said, "Ow, my hand... Ow, my head".
Runner-up events include, a photo shoot with my teammates Liz On Ya, Elke Starck, me and Crazy Cardy ... we practiced, waited for a few hours, were starving and cold... but we got to get eyeliner and then dog pile each other for fun. Whatever, it was fun anyway.
And my lunch-time photo shoot with very talented photographer, MJ Caro in Montreal (look her up on facebook!) that produced the best photos of me ever!
Well, that's a 2008 wrap people.
Party hard, or soft, as you feel like tonight. Stay safe either way!
My resolution is to have no real resolutions this year. No disappointments, no worries. I quit smoking this year. I got a new job and moved out of Quebec. In 2009 I'm moving again so I can get back into roller derby. I have a list of things I want to do, but my only resolution is that I'll do what I can, when I can, as well as I can, and I'll be happy with what I have. What about you?
In other news, I have made it. Christmas Day is my 90th day of not smoking, and I am now not only a fan of Rollergirl.ca, but a friend to Rollergirl.ca, as without Rollergirl's challenge to me, I may not have made it through a few derby after-parties, and a few stressful events on my initial 90 days. Thank you Rollergirl!
Yep, that's right. WFTDA 2008 Nationals are over, but don't be a stats nerd! There's still roller derby to be had!
This weekend, on Dec 13, you can catch: Merry Rock N' Derby Saturday, December 13th, 10:00pm at Mulligans on the Blue with the Maui Rollergirls in warm, lovely, Hawaii. It's a fundraiser, bring a toy for the kids and try to win a date with a rollergirl. On another note, I just found out (too late, sorry Maui Rollergirls) that Maui was recruiting this past weekend. I have got to tell you that I type this Maui note with jealousy in my heart as I look out my window at the rain-drenched slush of a winter storm that wanted-to-be, and I say, to the goddess of roller derby, I wish derby was a paying sport and Maui needed a big blocker... LOL Anyway, they have tryouts on Jan 17. Good luck to the Maui Rollergirls fresh meat!
Also on Dec 13, for those stuck stateside, you can check out MRD's annual HO HO Bout. From the description on facebook:
On Saturday Dec. 13, members of the Quad Squad, Reservoir Dolls, Unholy Rollers, and Vaudeville Vixens will set aside their grudges and form two holiday-themed teams to compete in MRD's third annual Holiday Bout (or Ho Bout, as the locals call it).
Anyway, oh right, FREEZE RAY. (if you did not see Dr. Horrible's sing-a-long blog, you probably think I've lost my mind right now, right?)
Well, I'll continue. Mad Rollin' Dolls' annual bout is on in Madison on Saturday. What else, what else...
The Killamazoo Derby Darlins are having a holiday party on Dec 20. Facebook event says it's Dec 20 at the Back Alley Saloon in Kalamazoo, MI. I have to tell you. When Hammer City went down to play Kalamazoo, I wanted to go, just to say I've been to Kalamazoo! This is your chance, go check it out! And it's for a good cause...A portion of the proceeds will go to Warm Kids Project, Inc. to help provide Kalamazoo youth with hats, gloves, boots, and jackets in the winter months.
There's more derby out there! Just search your city and other nearby cities with the words roller derby after them, and if it's there, you'll find the local league for sure. See if there's a roller derby event to check out while you take a break from all the sugar highs, hot cocoa, decorating, holiday cheer and holiday stress stuff.
Me? You care? Well, I'm studying for a professional certification exam for my day job on Dec 19, to wrap up just in time to pick up the mother-in-law at the train station just in time to kick off Christmas week by celebrating my derby widow's birthday with chicken wings and a quiet, at home party, stressed out all to sh*t and trying to get off my fat a** for some heavy workouts to battle those Christmas sugar cookies that are asking to replace cigarettes in my available "best-friend"/crutch opening, and being smoke free (75 days tomorrow). I want to skate, but it's snowing. waaaaa.
I'll be online a little less because of that stuff over the next two weeks, but never fear. If I find out anything at all good, I'll pass it on. Twitter me, or facebook me, and I'll be around!
Oh, and I'll leave you with this. Fellow blogger Raven is diggin' this article on one of her favorite jammers: Sadistic Sadie http://www.fracturemag.com/derby/features/sadistic-sadie. And a little birdie told me that Montreal will be hosting Beast of the East II in April. So all you Eastern Canadian and a few of you east coasters, get ready... Who will take on 2008 Beast Champs, the Hamilton Harlots? Who will take home the crazy monster head on a platter? And will Nia get to go back to Montreal for the event and make it through the after party without losing anything or bleeding at any time? You heard it here first... hahaha maybe.... April 2009, the biggest thing north of the 49th. B there or B Square.
I'll try to get you a last minute roller derby Christmas shopping list. I am running behind this year!
Lust and Gore Hardwear: Hardcore Fashions with some Roller Derby Flair
On a long road trip across the US from New York to Arizona, home of the Renegade Rollergirls of Phoeniz, AZ, rollergirls Lusty Crush and Aurora Gory Alice decided to start their own business. Lust and Gore Hardwear was born and is fired up to supply you with hardcore variations on some customized cowboy hats that range from slightly rocked-out to full blown heavy metal.
Lusty contacted me because they now have a specific rollergirl accessory available. Maybe you'll call it heavy metal, maybe you'll call it bling, but either way it's a new take on a rollergirl favorite; the a necklace called the Renegade Twisted Link Bearing Necklace which sells for only $15.00 (US) from Lust and Gore Hardwear. They have matching earrings too, just so you know, and I have those on my stocking stuffer Christmas wish list!
I received the necklace and the first thing I noticed was the heavy chain. Some of the more girlie rollergirls out there may think they prefer a thinner chain (in which case this variation , also from Lust and Gore Hardwear, is for you - the Single Jack Bearing Necklace).
Then, I noticed the bearing and how it is hung. There is a small Single-Jack style chain that runs into one side, and the other, that attaches the bearing to the heavier Twisted Link Chain. What does this do? It allows the bearing to lie flat against your neck, so that it can easily be seen as a bearing, rather than hung with a leather thong or simple metal ball chain through the center. Good update to the idea, and very nice.
When I put it on, it was like, WOW! (it was cold!) but then with the choker-length chain landing the bearing at the bottom of my throat, I thought, Hey! That's pretty freakin awesome. The ball bearings in the center of the bearing are gold, hence my reference as bling (I am a silver-lover myself), which creates a nice contrast. All in all, a good-looking hardcore derby-luv worthy piece of jewelry. But would it pass the test of roller derby?
I wore it at the GMDD skills clinic in VT a couple weeks ago, and to NC for Thanksgiving weekend. After multiple hours of skate drills, a few falls, hockey stops, and blocking drills; Black Friday shopping hell, a bomb scare at my local Wal-Mart, and a George Bush and Sarah Palin spotting at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on Election Day: I can say yes. It never got twisted, the latch did not come loose, it didn't dangle or tangle, and it rode nice. I passed through airport security without an issue with it in my coat pocket, and wearing it as well. It also survived hotel madness and a road trip.
Rollergirls from Montreal, London, Tri-City (Kitchener-Waterloo), Toronto, Vermont, New York, and various leagues around the region either noticed it while we were lined up to drill, or were pointed to it by word of mouth, so it is a very noticable, prominent necklace that will grab attention and proudly display your derby (or non-derby, but hardcore skate) luv.
They say in the world of products, that you can have Price, Quality and Speed, but you can only pick two. In the case of the Renegade Twisted Link Bearing Necklace, you get good price, great quality and I had no issues with the speed of delivery.
Now on to more fun stuff. Lusty tells me that there's some other stuff we should know. I found that for the cowboy hats, which are awesomely available customized with everthing from nails to a lonestar skull, and fully designed for you, with your choice of hat, brim and decor. (I want one, but will have to get new knee pads first.) They also have military style cloth caps for those rollergirls and their fans that are not into the cowboy hat.
Don't be frightened by the "no shipping internationally" my Canadian sisters. Lusty says that they are working on adding shipping to Canada in the future. Thank goodness I have a US address with my mom, I can still have those earrings delivered! For others overseas, you may have to work out something with a US friend or sister league, sorry. For roller derby league designs, rollergirl designs and other sponsorship deals, check this out....
When I asked Lusty if Lust and Gore Hardwear would design articles for a specific league, or if they would cross-promotion or allow affiliate sales as a fundraising opportunity for roller derby, she said,
"We're already doing it for our Renegade league--and we'd love to offer the opportunity to other leagues. It's a great/easy fundraiser for your team/league--and also a good way to get the Lust & Gore name out to the public."
And if you like the marketing campaign, with the Renegade Rollergirls featured as models of Lust and Gore Hardwear and you want to get in on that action? Lusty says that Lust and Gore are:
"...Totally open to the idea and would love to do it. We don't have any concrete plans in the immediate future, but hopefully we'll get there. We are currently sponsoring our league, as well as 2 other leagues back east, the Albany All Stars and the Hellions of Troy. We will definitely sponsor more leagues in the future--as soon as we sell more hats! =) We love to support roller derby!"
I am now officially a Lust and Gore Hardwear fan, and I think all of us can find something we like from Lusty and Aurora. Good job, ladies! You, and your gear, are both hot and rock! Derby Luv to ya and good luck!
Reported on Perezhilton.com and in other sources including the Associated Press, Bettie Page has been hospitalized and is "critically ill" after suffering from a heart attack. Bettie is currently 85 years old, but her 50s pin-up looks are immortalized in the adoration of an infinite number of rollergirls, rockabilly girls, psychobilly girls, pin-up girls, 50's fans, 60's fans, every pubescent boy that saw her photos owned by their fathers, and just about every curvy girl that never fit into the 80's and 90's stick-thin look that loves her. She was pure pin-up beauty and we love her.
She battled mental illness, became quite secluded and became a born-again Christian in her post-pin-up days, and upon resurfacing in the 1990's for interviews, she refused to have her picture taken. We only know her as she was, and that's how everyone remembers her.
As Bettie is said to be in a coma, and has suffered a heart attack at such an advanced age, I hope that she is not suffering terribly and that she recovers quickly or passes quietly. We love you, Bettie Page.
Jam! Tales from the Derby Girls: Do you have a story?
UPDATED: 3:17 PM EST
Have you ever seen an email come in, then for some reason you just sort of missed it, and then a couple weeks later you go, OMG! Did I respond to that? Well, my apologies go out to OniPress, because I did it to them! Sorry, Jill!
So here's the scoop, OniPress, in association with Rose City Rollers would like you to submit your roller derby stories, they will be rendered into comic book format by artists that are waiting for your submissions to make you look awesome!
There are some stipulations,you can get all the information here. Looks like you gotta be a WFTDA member ( see the WFTDA logo/sponsorship), but since talking to Jill at OniPress, I found out they will, for now, accept Canadian rollergirl submissions, since Canadian teams are waiting for admittance to WFTDA, but Canada submissions will be pending WFTDA and league approval. I'd say Montreal, Hamilton... who else plays US WFTDA teams a lot?
Anyway, refs and announcers, you can participate too!
But hurry! Get your pens moving! Because I was a bone-head, the deadline is fast approaching! Get your stories in by December 31, for your chance to be in the book! Comic artists are lined up and have ink ready.
Hmmm... can I think of a funny enough story that will get me in by Dec 31? I do have that product review, a professional certification exam, work, that scarf to knit and Christmas to do... but you never know! Oh, I am not a member of WFTDA and I don't play with those US teams anymore. I am a FCDG derby girl now!
Roller Derby Music Video - with Beater Pan-Tease and Crazy Cardy of MTLRD
This has been up for awhile, but I only recently had a moment to finally check it out, and it's a very cool looking video with a catchy song. I love seeing Beater all punked out and waving angrily at pedestrians, and Crazy Cardy, showing off 'dita pride is awesome! It's too dark for me to pick out the other skaters to tell you who they are, sorry!
It is with great pride that we announce the upcoming OSDA Championships which will take place on December 6th at the International Sports Center, 1 Hovtech Boulevard in Mt. Laurel, NJ at 8:30pm.
In its intention to honor and respect our past, the OSDA is pleased to make the following announcements for that night:
The OSDA Women's Championship will involve the Penn Jersey She Devils Travel Team (Philadelphia, PA) competing against the South Jersey Derby Girls Travel Team (Deptford, NJ) and will be officially named the Atkinson Cup. As one of the leading families in all permutations of Derby from Roller Derby to RollerJam, the Atkinson Family has contributed much to this sport. It is our intention to honor them for their contributions. Buddy Atkinson, jr. will be at the game to present the award. long with the Atkinson Cup, there are two other major awards that will be given, the Female OSDA MVP will receive the Judy Arnold award. Many consider Judy Arnold the greatest women'sRoller Derby skater to ever grace the banked oval. She began skating in 1960 and her career quickly began to soar. Judy Arnold soon became the captain of the Philadelphia Warriors in 1967, where she remained until she retired in 1975. We are pleased that Judy Arnold will be in attendance to present the award. We are delighted to be able to bringJudy Arnold back to the Philadelphia Area to honor her in the region where she is still so fondly remembered. The Male OSDA MVP will receive the Arnold Schoen Award. Although the demise of the Banked Track cut short his career, to us in the OSDA, he is every bit a superstar. We hope that he will be as honored by this tribute as we are to have him associated with OSDA. Arnold Schoen will be present that night to present the award as well.
Between the periods of the Championship Game, there will be a co-ed game contested in abbreviated form. This game will involve both male and female skaters skating on the track together. Members of these teams will be made up of skaters from OSDA leagues, Man's Ruin Rollergirls (Chester, NY), Richmond Derby Demons (Richmond, VA), SouthJersey Derby and the Penn Jersey She Devils. Invitations are being extended to many other great skaters from the Derby world as well. It is our hope that they will also be in attendance.
The Old School Derby Association (OSDA) was officially founded in March of 2007 by Ken Sikes with the help of the Penn Jersey She Devils Roller Derby League and their coaches, Judy Sowinski and Arnold "Skip" Schoen. OSDA combines the most thrilling aspects of both old and modern rule sets to create a fast-moving, ultra-defensive game. The OSDA currently has member leagues in PA, NJ, NY, VA, and AZ and is constantly growing. It is the goal of the OSDA to once again show the beauty of a game that has kept Derby fans Derby fans for years.
Well, derby luvvers, I apologize. After the GMDD clinic, I worked for two days, and stared at my arm bruises from Bully Julie's Blocking Drills (Did you see San Diego Derby Dolls in this article?) , then I was off to my hometown in North Carolina for US Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to all my US rollergirls, and derby luvvers! I was evacuated from the local Wal-Mart (in Marion, NC) due to a bomb threat, and was flabbergasted of news about the Wal-Mart greeter trampled to death in NY, and the person shot at a Toys-R-US on Black Friday. I think from now on, I'm sticking to Canadian Boxing Day and Black Monday E-Commerce shopping.
I hope you didn't finish all your holiday shopping yet. Remember Derby Luv merch, even though it's from my cafe press store, is pretty hot and turns out well. Need a photo?
I watched a Heartland Havoc replay, Gotham Girls vs Windy City, on MAV TV on Thanksgiving night I think it was.. .or was it Friday? It was awesome to see a roller derby game on a big screen TV. But I wish the crowd had been bigger. I want to really push roller derby to the masses. I think everyone would love roller derby if we can get them to come out. More Marketing. That's what we need. What do you think? Comments are welcome!
Oh! And what does Derby Luv want for Christmas? Ummmmm.... Blood and Thunder Training Camp bloggers(are you going? Can you take a laptop and send me emails or blog from San Diego?) and a way to fundraise for the plane ticket - or a Xmas gift of an MVP pass! ~ to go to Rollercon 2009 so I can blog all about derby in Las Vegas. And a roommate or a free place to sleep.... I can't do it alone! But hey, if you know you are going (2008 MVP prices in effect for advance tickets now til Jan 1,2009 for RollerCon 2009 passes!), want to write, and are willing, contact me and I'll hook you up to blog from Las Vegas and I'll stay home for one more year.
But enough self-promotion - what's going on in Derby? Overseas, down under, games are going on - it's summer soon in Australia, right? - and here in Northeast North America, with championships over, nationals done, and holiday breaks on, the focus now is fund raising and RECRUITMENT! If you ever thought about becoming a roller girl, a ref, a roller guy, a volunteer.... look up your local roller derby league now. Maybe they are having a recruitment or fundraising event you can go to soon, or maybe you can get on a waiting list for winter boot camps, or find out where to skate for practice until try-outs.
I know where I am going in 2009 (as fresh meat, I have no idea what team or when I'll be in another game) in London, ON with the Forest City Derby Girls, but I need to get my RSC (Rollersports Canada) insurance renewed soon, and there's a lot of talk about that on the Canadian Yahoo Groups if you're interested. I think I'll have to do read up more on that. If I find out good info, I'll get back to you. Instead of wishing for a respository of good information for Canadian roller derby, I'll try to become one over the coming months. If I know it, you'll know it, and if you don't know, ask me, and I'll try to find out.
Training usually kicks off after Christmas for the spring season start-up in the Northeast and Eastern Canada particularly (Maybe Raven can speak to the West coast) so don't eat too many XMas goodies, and keep that gym training going to get ready for derby training in '09! I wish the snow had not started here, I was prepared to really skate train after the GMDD clinic, and now I'm stuck at home and in the gym. It's sad.
What else is going on? OSDA Championships. I've got the press release and info for you, watch for that post tonight - I need to get that written up first. Just make a note on the calendar that it is this weekend, Dec 6, in Mt. Laurel NJ at the International Sports Center.
And thanks to all of the girls at the GMDD clinic that checked out the Necklace I was wearing..... if you want one of those for Christmas for the derby girl in your life, hang in there and I'll tell you all about it soon.
I know this post was a little everywhere, but I wanted to let you know that even though I wasn't coherently into writing today, with a well thought-out article or cute link, that I am still with you and thinking roller derby.
Be patient with me, I'll get more info for you soon!
5) Building a GIANT paper mache roller skate for MTLRD's entry into the St Patrick's Day Parade in March 2008 with the creative committee, and with Tommy Toxic and Rue Bella in a workshop while missing a 'Ditas sugar shack team breakfast. I will always love Rue and Tommy for hanging in there with me to git'er done. It turned out AWESOME! 
4) TIE: The GMDD Skills clinic. My first derby travel. Noise from hotel rooms will forever sound like whores playing. Waffle Bar! 
Runner-up events include, a photo shoot with my teammates Liz On Ya, Elke Starck, me and Crazy Cardy ... we practiced, waited for a few hours, were starving and cold... but we got to get eyeliner and then dog pile each other for fun. Whatever, it was fun anyway. 
5) Building a GIANT paper mache roller skate for MTLRD's entry into the St Patrick's Day Parade in March 2008 with the creative committee, and with Tommy Toxic and Rue Bella in a workshop while missing a 'Ditas sugar shack team breakfast. I will always love Rue and Tommy for hanging in there with me to git'er done. It turned out AWESOME! 
4) TIE: The GMDD Skills clinic. My first derby travel. Noise from hotel rooms will forever sound like whores playing. Waffle Bar! 
Runner-up events include, a photo shoot with my teammates Liz On Ya, Elke Starck, me and Crazy Cardy ... we practiced, waited for a few hours, were starving and cold... but we got to get eyeliner and then dog pile each other for fun. Whatever, it was fun anyway. 
