I've got only 10 tickets left in advance for this event on May 23rd in London, ON - ROLLERGEDDON is a FCDG home game against the Derby Debutantes of the GTARollergirls, Toronto, ON. Don't think just because FCDG isn't a member of WFTDA yet, or that GTA Rollergirls are still considered a newer team that this won't be a tough game. These teams have trained with the larger leagues out there, have been at Beast of the East with the likes of Montreal Roller Derby and HammerCity (Hamilton, ON), so they can kick it up just as good!


After practice last night, my legs were screaming, so I know FCDG will ROCK! Besides, it's a great location and a fun, family-friendly atmosphere with a great party and beer garden in the same location! What more can you ask for in one night? Get your advance tickets from me, your favorite FCDG Rollergirl, or order online at westernfair.com . They are going fast! ($12 at the door, kids under 10 FREE, Licensed event).

Let's say you just can't get to London, ON on May 23. Okay, I'll hand it to you, it may be too far for some folks east and west of us here in SW Ontario. So what else is going on next weekend? This weekend even?


Start out East/EST:









Montreal's and Beast of the East Champs La Racaille are challenged in Montreal by CN Power, Toronto Roller Derby's powerhouse travel team in Provincial Skatred. Tickets are for sale at brownpapertickets.ca or at MTLRD sponsor locations in Montreal, if you don' t know any of the rollergirls.




Just a note, tonight is CN Power's fundraiser, Quick and Dirty, to help them get to Montreal.

HammerCity is holding a derby Bootcamp on May 20 and starting an 8 week derby 101 course for recruitment. Looks like TORD is also recruiting. Montreal's recruiting is closed, as usual, as the season is under way. FCDG is also recruiting and looking for London women that want to skate hard and hit harder.

Over 130 rollergirls from Toronto, ON to British Columbia's coast are this weekend in Red Deer Alberta for the CWRDA Boot Camp 2009.

I so wanted to go, and I hope more leagues in Canada join the CWRDA and we can begin to gain some Canadian steam in Roller derby as members of WFTDA and CWRDA, opening the door for all women and all types of roller derby to come together.

Well, that's the big derby news this weekend. Head to Red Deer this weekend, or go support TORD's CN Power, grab a bootcamp in Hamilton mid-week on your way to the May 23 ROLLERGEDDON bout in London, ON, and if travelling doesn't work for you, and you're out east, head to Montreal for the Provincial Skatred bout next weekend.

Either way, today is the day you should buy tickets! Head to westerfair.com for FCDG tickets, and to Brownpapertickets.ca for MTL tickets. Support your local rollerderby!

Labels: CWRDA, FCDG, GTA Rollergirls, Hammer City, MTLRD, wrapup

In my usual early week review of all things roller derby, I heard about the Central New York Roller Derby league that has split. Now we have the CNYRD and the Utica Roller Girls.

So let's look at the Pros and Cons of starting a new league, or splitting your league:

Pros:
-You can correct mistakes and use your past experiences to build a better organization
-You can direct your new league to be more go or more show (concentrate on development of athletics, or development of crowd-pleasing as you see fit)
-You can have control over where your dues are going and can use a communication style that fits you better.
-You can make your own rules and not go by the original league rules.
-If starting a new league, you get the automatic gratitude of your future new recruits when they fall in love with roller derby.
- You'll have more networking opportunities. Let's face it, be honest, we all want to be popular.
-You may have a higher position than you had before, so you may have more access to training and information than a basic skater.

Cons:
-If you are splitting: You dilute the talent pool if there is a league in your city already. Depending on your numbers of new recruits each year, you'll now have competition for those new skaters that could be super stars.
-You will have to compete for media coverage, promotion, sponsors and fans. With the economy being in a recession, people do not have as much money to spend on a family of 4 at $15 ticket prices with snacks and merch as often.
-You may have a lot of drama and gossip and fighting amongst the former league members, and the ones that come with you. Now, if you're into that kind of drama, more power to you. This also depends on the amicability of the split and the size of your city.
-You undermine roller derby to the fans and the original league to other roller derby leagues, which can hurt fan sales, fundarising, and future bout contractual agreeements.

-If it's a new league in a new city, it will be a LOT of work. Be prepared for it! And be aware that you will not make everyone happy all the time.
-If you're a new league: Getting sponsorship is hard.
- You will have to devote twice as much time to roller derby, because now you're a skater, as well as part of the business that has to run the business.
- You will need partners and other board members to help you. And you will have to trust each other.
- Leaders have to lead. So you will need to work harder, try harder, practice more, and inspire others with your greatness, or at least your commitment to greatness.

I am sure there are other issues, I couldn't list them all. And every city is different. But if you're thinking of splitting, or of creating your own league in a own with or without roller derby, it's important to do what's best for roller derby in your town. Roller Derby is bigger than a single skater.

Everyone can't be happy all the time, but if some people can be happy most of the time, and most people can be happy some of the time, and a few people are unhappy only some of the time, then that's probably as good as it's going to get.

Ok, I am talking about this because I miss roller derby and if starting a new league would fix my time issues and allow me to go back to full-time training and practice tomorrow, part of me would say, YEAH! do it! But the logical, derby luvver part of me says, no. There's already a lot of roller derby and some awesome leagues in my part of Ontario (ToRD, GTA, Hammer City, Tri-City, London (Forest City)) and it would be bad for roller derby. So I'll be patient for '09.

In the meantime, I have the GMDD skills clinic with Bonnie D Stroir and Bully Julie of San Diego in two weeks, and I am trying to arrange a practice with the Blue Ridge Rollergirls in NC for my annual US Thanksgiving trip home, and I am also waiting for a final trip approval for a business trip that will allow me to catch a practice with the Rocky Mountain Roller Girls in Denver in early December.

Keep your elbows down and skate hard!
Later,
Nia

PS - 47th day of no smoking - I'm making it! Over halfway through my 90 day challenge. And I am a non-smoker!

Labels: GTA Rollergirls, Hammer City, HCRG, practice space, rollergirls, team building, training, Travel

Well, I hope Raven's nerves calm and her arm is healing up for tomorrow's game for the Santa Cruz Rollergirls last game of the season vs the Bay Area Derby Girls.

The Big news over at the Derby News Network and in WFTDA realm, of course, is the Fall Brawl tomorrow down in Ft Wayne. Hammer City is on the Non-WFTDA line-up. I hope to get word on how they do after.

In other derby news, The Sault rollergirls in Northern Ontario are looking for new practice space - icing down all the arenas for hockey is a Canadian rite of passage as the cold bite of fall hits the wind, but for derby leagues all over Canada and the northern US, it means a hunt for an indoor place to practice in the winter. How can you come out swinging in the spring for your season, if you can't skate for 7 months of the year? Good luck to them, and if you're in that area and know of a place, Please contact Elora Nelson at (705) 253-2044 or email purple__mascara@hotmail.com check the website:
http://www.saultrollergirls.com/

Next week, MTLRD New Skidz on the Block will be taking on the Brooklyn Bombshells down in Gotham City. If you're on Facebook, Here is the event page. If not, brownpapertickets has tickets, or check out the Gotham Girls site. I haven't heard from Georgia W Tush since she went out on tour with the band, but I hope she's playing and let's us know how that one goes.

Way out in October, watch for a Skate of the Dead, hosted by the Forest City Roller Girls in London, ON. The facebook event says it's October 18. The Forest City Roller Girls website is under construction, so I'm looking out for this league, as they have been playing hard for their first season in 2008. Next year should rock in Ontario and Canada with all the leagues coming up.

In Nia Capps news, I'm in the gym 5 days, count that again, 5 days per week for a 45 minute workout every lunch hour, and I'm skating on the weekends (or if rainy, hiking). I am on an 8 month journey to hit the GTA Rollergirls in April when I get ready to slide a little back east into Mississauga and Toronto area, ready to kick ass. Hopefully, I'll still get to a couple of practices with HCRG in the interim, or with GTA. Slapallonia may hook me up.

Everything is going great. Ok ok, so I had a bad reaction to some Novocaine after a dentist visit yesterday and today I am resting because my face is numb and tingly and I'm nauseated. But shut up, I am doing AWESOME!

In Derby Luv news, I have a new short sleeved Derby Luv T-shirt, along with a long-sleeved Derby Luv T-Shirt on their way to keep me Derby Luv style for my around towns, and a big shout out and thanks to everyone that has decided to wear their Derby Luv this year!

On my project list I have a product review for some derby-inspired toys, and I'm waiting to see if I can get an interview with the derby girl that won $35k on a game show. Do you know what I am talking about? Hmmm, a derby trivia quiz for your weekend!

Oh yeah, and a fellow Southern Belle, an Atlanta Rollergirl was chosen as a skater for "Whip It!" - a body double stunt woman skater I should say, as a body double for Eve. That is awesome! I wonder who I could body double for... hmmmm Wynona Judd? Screw that, by April it'll be for Xena. ;)

Happy Friday, Derby Luvvers. Saturday always bring Roller Derby!

Labels: bouts, calendar, Gotham Girls, GTA Rollergirls, Hammer City, MTLRD, roller derby, Santa Cruz Rollergirls, WFTDA, whip it, wrapup

Well, let's move away froom serious competition for a moment, and take a look at some fun stuff!
There is a review of "Xanadu" on DVD from the Washington Post, and just looking at the pictures jogs my foggy memory of seeing this when I was a kid, on TV - or was it at the drive-in with my sister?

I learned to roller skate at the local skating rink in Forest City, NC when I was about 4 or 5 years old. The building was turned into a dance hall/bar in later years, and the rink moved down the road, but I have memories of being 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 going to the skating rink on weekend afternoons, and sometimes in the evenings, to my older sister's chagrin as I tagged along. I remember skating under the disco ball, with the laser lights all over the wood floor (I think it was wood then) and learning to skate faster, go backwards, slalom, spin and dance on rented quad skates that at that time, were in good repair and were the only kind you could get.

I skated to "YMCA", "I wish they all could be Carolina girls" , "You dropped the bomb on me" , "Beat It" and all sorts of disco and early 80's tunes.

I skated every weekend until I was about 12 when for Christmas, what I wanted was my own pair of speed skates. By then I had skated at skating rinks in every city we had moved to across NC and was back in Forest City. the new skating rink was larger, with smooth concrete floors, and older girls would fly around on a speed track during a section of the nightly skate... and I wanted to do that. So off I went on my first pair of speed skates, white with pink wheels.

I got faster, but never had a friend that wanted to skate like me, and never thought to ask for help or a coach. So I learned by myself and loved it. Skating as fast as you can to Bon Jovi when you are 13 and "Shot through the Heart" is blaring is just awesome.

All night skates 7 PM to 7 AM were a trip, and I grew up on those skates. Once I skated down a one block steep hill on the street, I fell at the bottom when I panicked when I heard a car coming over the hill to intercept me (no way I was stopping at that speed) and I bounced and slid across the road backwards on my rear. The car did hit me, but only the wheels of my skates and it spun me around as it flew by, never braking, and my friends shrieked in horror from the grass beside the road. I dunno what happend when I got a car and turned 16 and started running around all teenage crazy... but my skates got put away and lost.

Now I have two pairs in a skate bag with all my roller derby gear, waiting for me to pick them back up and get back on wheels. For now, I am going to start concentrating on Derby Luv, and I'll be ready to train as a rookie fresh meat player in the fall to start over from scratch.

So for this weekend?
HCRG is hosting a charity event "Schoolyard Scramble". The entire league, names drawn out of a hat for instant team split up, and scrimmage! For info visit the website, or check your facebook and myspace for Hammer City Roller girls. I think this is a really fun idea, and I look forward to hearing if Jet Girl takes my advice and starts a game of Red Rover, Red Rover in the pack.

What games/events are you going to? Let me know and tell us about them! info @ derbyluv.com!

Labels: Derby Luv, Hammer City, HCRG, roller derby, roller rinks, roller skating

So I am all settled into Hammer City (Hamilton) Ontario. I finally bumped into Staplehead, Hammer City Rollergirls' League President yesterday, and I may get to finally strap my skates back on for the first time since straining a calf muscle in late March or so. (Sunday for a 4 hour practice) - Yay! Skates! But I'm nervous a bit. I know two months is a long time off-skate, maybe I will suck and make a bad first impression... or maybe I'll be fine and then may feel bad if I can't work out a schedule to make the weekday practices... either way, I may be down trodden. I'll keep you posted as I try to revive my roller derby career now that my relocation is done.

In the meantime, I have not given up on roller derby at all, and I hope you haven't given up on Derby Luv. I have been perusing news, like this article that revisits "Hell On Wheels" at austin360.com and did you hear that The Death Row Dames in Hamilton won over Ottawa Roller Derby on May 24th? That's what I heard! And Saskatoon got it's first taste of roller derby when The Hell's Belles and Bridge City Bombshells played to a sold out crowd this past weekend.

I've talked to Hammer City folks, and hear there is a game coming up with the Steel Town Tank Girls vs The London Thrashers next week (jun 7). (more details when I have them). In Toronto, the TORD is playing on the same date, The Death Track Dolls take on the Bay Street Bruisers.

And there is "Skate Through This" a double header in Montreal on June 14th. Les Filles du Roi will be going up against Boston B-Party and La Racaille against the Charm City B-Team.
Also on the 14th: Calgary's CRDA Hellion Rebellion Travel Team vs. Victoria's Eves of Destruction, in Victoria, BC.

Lots of summer derby fun for everyone! Stay tuned, I'm back and ready to bring you some more roller derby news!

Labels: bouts, Derby Luv, Hammer City, MTLRD, roller derby

First off, kudos to MTLRD for pulling this event together and setting up this tournament. What a derby crash course for those that aren't familiar with it, what a challenge for the newer teams, and what a chance to show off for the established teams.

Here's a breakdown - well as much as I caught(I was stuck working the bar longer than my planned shift), but I will try to get the proper results and scores from our Head Ref later...

Steel Town Tank Girls (W) vs Smoke City Betties (L)
La Racaille (W) vs The Bytown Blackhearts (L)
Death Row Dames (L) vs Devil Dollies (W)
Steel Town Tank Girls (L) vs La Racaille (W)
ToRD D-VAS (L) vs MTLRD Les Contrabanditas (W)
Semi-Final 1: Les Contrabanditas (L) vs La Racaille (W)

ToRD Gore Gore Rollergirls (L) vs Hamilton Harlots (W)
Bay Street Brusies (W) vs Thames Fatales (L)
London Thrashers (L) vs ToRD Chicks Ahoy (W)
Death Track Dolls (L) vs Les Filles du Roi (W)
Chicks Ahoy (L) vs Les Filles du Roi (W)
Hamilton Harlots (W) vs Bay Street Bruisers (L)
Semi-Final 2: Hamilton Harlots (W) vs Les Filles du Roi (L)

Beast of the East: Hamilton Harlots

Special nods go out to the London Thrashers, Death Row Dames, and the Thames Fatales. This was one of the first games for some of these teams, and kudos to them for working hard and doing ther best. London played with 7 players against a full bench of Chicks Ahoy, and that was awesome.

Other special notes, the teams to beat will obviously be the Hamilton Harlots, Les Filles du Roi, and a runaway win in their second appearance in MTL La Racaille. Iron Wrench, jammer and captain of La Racaille created a buzz amongst the crowd with her speed and natural agility. Hamilton Harlots, though, deserved the Beast of the East title, they skated tight, fast, and smart. Since I'm moving to Hamilton in a couple of weeks, my response was, " I wanna grow up to be a Harlot someday."

Okay then, it was a long day and a crazy after party, so I will see about getting those scores. In the meantime, you can check out all these teams online for news on their season openers.
Derby Luv to ya!

Labels: beast of the east, Hammer City, MTLRD

Last night, I entered Les Saints on St-Catherine St in Montreal after meeting some of the London Thrashers outside. Those rollergirls made the almost 8 hour trek to Montreal and were tired but excited to be here.

Inside I found a couple of my Contrabanditas teammates working the door, and got a look at the team reception gift tote bags that are filled with merch and tournament goodies, and I only wish I had a camera for those of you that are not here to see them, because the tote bags made by Outlaw Productions (owned by Jess Bandit of Les Filles du Roi) were awesome!

As teams arrived, we noticed ToRD was running late with their travel and hoped they would arrive soon, and Hammer City arrived in full force, all at once, with cheers of hellos.

I spent some time at the bar with Myna Misshap and Blammo, the only ToRD girls that were already checked in and talked about Toronto and Montreal.

MUFF (Montreal Underground Film Festival) opened the event with prize raffles of T-Shirts and tickets to the next night's Lesbians on Exctasy show. Then it was time for "Hell on Wheels".
I am sad to report, if you haven't seen it yet, that the review were right. Not enough skating or details about league starting, too much talking. But the movie does really show off how attached to a new league founders can become. The 4 team captains of the original BGGW were so afraid to give up control, they almost lost their league. Happily, for all of us, we all know that Roller Derby spawned from the Austin beginning and thanks to those Texas ladies, we all get to play now!

At the end of the movie, we got a preview of the Beast of the East trophy. Created by Tommy Toxic, a MTLRD ref, it's a trophy that is at least 4 1/2 feet high, a golden pedestal marked with The Beast, and Le Bete (en francais) holds a man hole cover tilted like the serving dish in the MTLRD logo, with a beast head left bleeding being served up. MTLRD plans for it stay in Montreal, but I heard stirrings of the Hammer City plans to take it home to Hamilton. Games start in 45 minutes, and 12 hours from now, the Beast of the East champions for 2008 will be decided... and someone is going home with The Beast!

Labels: beast of the east, Hammer City, MTLRD, ToRD

Yes, I blog from work occasionally when I am on break - though I know they'd hate it. I can't help it today, as I am coungting down until the Beast of East tournament kicks off here in Montreal. Even though I am off roster and can't play in the tournament itself, here's what my weekend schedule looks like:

Friday 5 PM work day is over (WOOHOO!) 5 a 7 (that's sank ah set if pronounced by me) with work with 2 for 1 mixed drinks or beer... on a beautiful spring day... Slam back 2, party party... go home - go shop (I really need some clothes) - change into Nia Capps and head to the registration party, and "Hell on Wheels" Screening to kick off the Beast weekend. Add drinks, meeting those that will become my Hamilton, ON roller derby family and crying over it being my last Montreal HOO-RAH, more beers, movie at 10 PM -..... who knows?

Saturday 9 AM - get up and get moving... cat to the vet, pills to make her sleep on moving day, shop (I am sure I won't find anything tonight, I hate shopping for work clothes), then get to the Beast tournament late at about 2 PM (hopefully by 1 PM in time to catch my friend Seth on a DJ Set for the morning semi final game.

At some point, I'll be working a volunteer few hours shift doing something (don't know yet) and then cheer my lungs out for some more time, with beer. Then 10 PM off to bar Syndrome for the after party... I can't imagine the debauchery that will go on there. Oh, and it's MTLRD's 2nd birthday so there may be surprises! Cab it home, drunk and disorderly...

Sunday 8 AM Get up and get going, in sunglasses with aspirin and a bottle of OJ and Water - chicken soup broth.... ugggggggBRUNCH - say good bye and see you next week to all my Hammer City friends to be, cheer MTLRD for a successful completion of the first annual Beast of the East - hug all of my Ditas.... and saunter off to sleep for 12 hours.

I wish I had a camera so bad... I'll have to hope Georgia fishes some photos from people and comes through for you, I know it's going to be a blast!

GO HABS GO! I mean, GO DITAS GO! I mean... BLACK MARKET DERBY! ummmm you know...

Labels: beast of the east, Hammer City, MTLRD

Labels: Hammer City, MTLRD