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Just wanted to pop in and say that I attended my first roller derby tonight, and it was loving awesome. There's a newly-formed men's league in my town and I'm signing up as soon as humanly possible. The cost of the equipment is insane, but I think it will be worth it in the end. To chime in on the previous argument (I didn't read the whole thing, so I may be repeating some things, just my two cents): The fact that they use crazy names and just generally go wild with the roller derby personality is awesome, as far as I'm concerned. I was actually really surprised at some of the names (Gansta Barbie Bitch, Anita Hardone, Philabitch, Gitmo Bitch, Grizzly Madams, Roll It Up, Ruby Typoon. . .) but I think the fact that they do that is just balls-to-the-wall awesome. I really like that concept, and agree with the idea that 'sanitizing' it would be a really big disappointment. Anyone currently in a league and have any advice? I'm pretty new to skating in general, I'm just picking up a beginner's package and hoping to start practicing hardcore on my own to get better. Any trustworthy (and preferably super cheap) site recommendations would also be great.
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Nov 8, 2010 04:47
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Thanks for those links. I'm kind of stuck at that point where you know the basics but aren't actually good. But anyway, I'm hoping to fix that all pretty soon. I found This deal from a quick google. Seems pretty cheap, I was a little wary about the site at first but after looking up some reviews on it, the only complaints were that the shipping took a while sometimes. Anyway, it's the silver package (because I figure I might as well go a little higher than the bronze package or I'll just have to replace the stuff later), and it comes with: Includes: Riedell R3 Quad Speed Skates Triple-Eight KP-PRO Knee Pads 187 Fly Elbow Pads Triple-Eight Wristsavers Triple Eight Helmet Shock Dr Gel Max Mouthguard Reflex Utilitool Toesavers Bones Speed Cream for $250. I was wondering if anyone knew enough about any of these products to give their thoughts on it. It doesn't seem like a bad deal to me, but I'm not really sure how much this stuff usually costs. After a little checking around it seems like buying stuff separately would cost me more, and I definitely don't want to go past $250 when I'm first starting. Also I assume I'm going to need to buy some outside wheels so that I can practice at home. Is there any real big significant advantage to buying an expensive set versus a cheap one to start with? Also after scorpiobean's 187 recommendation, I find it funny but slightly strange that there is only one 187 pad in this pack while the rest are triple-eights. What do you think, scorpiobean, triple-eights any good? EDIT: Found some reviews for the skates, they look to be a pretty good pair for just starting out, plan on doing some more research regarding the pads and stuff later on. Personal preference input is always helpful though. Redfont fucked around with this message at 21:49 on Nov 8, 2010 |
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Nov 8, 2010 20:15
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scorpiobean posted:
Very helpful, for sure. I'm glad to get some peer review on the skates, especially hearing about what happens to them after a lot of use. I got to thinking about it, and do you think it would be a better investment to push all the money towards a pair of better skates that I won't need to replace later, and worry about the pads at another time? I'd obviously like to get into roller derby as soon as possible, especially since I have a tendency to sort of drift away from things with time, but I'd also like to get in a lot of practice before I start looking for anything serious like a team, as well. I'm thinking in any case that I'd like to spend another day or two researching things, and seeing what sort of money I can pool together before I get something on an impulse. I'm actually pretty glad I was a little short at first so I didn't just buy the first thing I saw, haha. I do have a terrible feeling that if I don't get everything I need now then there's going to be a dry spell in the future where I'm just out of luck on being able to purchase it. EDIT: I think the best thing to do is get the package, and just try to scrabble up enough to order some new wheels/bearings alongside. Maybe I can use the wheels they come with to practice outside, since I won't have to really worry about them getting torn up as much. Double edit: I just realized I could totally disassemble that skateboard and yoink the bearings out of that. I was bummed because I knew I used to have some Swiss somethings around the house but lost them long ago, then remembered there are great ones inside that board. That will save me a good $30-$50. Woo! Do you have any specific suggestions for the wheels? Like I said, I'll probably just rough it with the standards for outside, and get something else for indoor flat track use. Redfont fucked around with this message at 01:43 on Nov 9, 2010 |
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Nov 9, 2010 01:31
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helpfulness
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/\/\/\ Ooh, pretty interesting. My only concern is being able to find it in a package sort of deal where I can get everything all at once, cheaper than buying it separate. I'm only around 125, so the hubs/high hardness shouldn't be a big deal. Thanks for the info, though, definitely helped out with some stuff I didn't even know I didn't know. EDIT: There are two sets of wheels on sale right now, Atom Jukes and Atom Juke Slims, so I'll no doubt pick those up while I can. Is there any difference between the two except that the slims are... slimmer? Edit edit: Or rather does said slimness affect the performance at all? Further edit: Also hey, any name suggestions would be awesome. The only thing I have right now is Waynekiller (painkiller) (because my middle name is Wayne). The first is Joel (I might have used Bazooka Joel if there wasn't already a Bazooka Jolene on the ladies team), and names can play on the word "Meek" for my last name. That's the only thing I can think of to offer in the way of pun material for you at the moment. EDIT: Hahahahaha, that's hilarious because it totally works out and is completely awesome. \/\/\/\/\/\/ Redfont fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Nov 9, 2010 |
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Nov 9, 2010 02:46
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New post for less edits. What's up echopapa? It's cool to hear that you helped out the roller derby cause with pappy.from.jersey, it's good to know there are people out there willing to give a helping hand to scrubs like myself when they need it. Redfont fucked around with this message at 06:37 on Nov 9, 2010 |
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Nov 9, 2010 03:21
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Woo! Thanks for all the information. I'm still going over everything, making sure everything is in order and whatnot and trying to decide what would be best. Do you think it would be best to bump up from the R3s to a pair of Rebel Fugitives, then? I do like Sin City Skates from what I've seen so far, but I may or may not be stuck with this first site (which isn't so bad I guess), depending on when I can talk to my sister next, who offered to get a gift certificate for me for my birthday. But anyway, alright, I'm thinking the wide wheels will do good, do you think I should go with 93A or skip down to an 88A? I feel like I don't want them to be TOO soft, but I don't want a set of wheels that I'm going to break my face on, either. Other than that, depending on what sort of swag I can get from my family, I'll more than likely either go with the R3s or the Fugitives. Apparently both of the plates are plastic which is  but I can live with that, I don't think it will be a big deal for me at the get-go anyway. If I can somehow manage to get a whole bunch from them, I'd love to get some Riedell Vandals with the 265 boots, they look slick as hell.EDIT: Also the whole different components thing is kind of  for me, I'm used to everything being one thing, I'm not sure if I should be referring to the skates by what the boot are or what something else is or what, I'm just sort of going off of what the names the sites give me, haha.Thanks, I really wasn't sure, and I didn't want to be using the wrong names or something. \/\/\/ Redfont fucked around with this message at 22:33 on Nov 9, 2010 |
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Nov 9, 2010 20:59
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drat it, if I still lived in Illinois I could have gone to that Indianapolis game. That would have been pretty balls out, to go to a big one and see some pro-fessionals tear it up.
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Nov 10, 2010 03:17
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Spookydonut posted:Ref from WARD (Western Australian Roller Derby, not Washington) here, been in derby a year now and it's really taken over my life. Popping back in to report that I ended up getting the R3s, and I'm actually really quite pleased with them. They're pretty comfortable. I did end up finding my Bones bearings, but then I realized I only had 8 of them  so I just sort of halved them with another pair of on-par bearings that I had. Dramatic increase in the performance of the skates! I'm really enjoying them, though I haven't had a chance to take them to a rink to test out yet.Anyway to get around to replying to the quote, how'd you do at the competition? Also I'm glad your skates are working out in the face of being expected otherwise!
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Nov 25, 2010 18:33
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Spookydonut posted:I've heard and found that the quality of bearings really only affects how well you need to take care of them. Of course there are plenty of exceptions to this. Well, the bearings that came with them were really stiff. I'm sure they'll get better once they get broken in, but for now they're just really bleh. They made the roll much more smooth, in any case. Also, condolences for your losses, but awesome that you got to ref some games. I'm still interested in doing that, though I think I'd have to watch a few more first to get the hang of it. These R3s are actually pretty comfortable. I finally got to take them out to a rink to test them out, and I was quite pleased with them, I didn't get any of the rub that I usually get from rental skates. It was a pleasant experience overall.
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Nov 29, 2010 04:58
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Spookydonut posted:Some bearings come filled with packing grease. This is usually more common with skate packages that might be sitting around for a long time. The bearings won't spin freely until you clean out the grease with a brush and lubricate them. Ooooh. I guess that would make sense. What sort of brush, just any kind? I assume like a disposable toothbrush or something wouldn't hurt them in any way. And that sounds like a doable idea. I'll probably be moving out to Wyoming before my local derby teams will be doing any more matches but hopefully there are some more opportunities out west.
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Dec 1, 2010 06:27
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overthefalls posted:The Terminal City Rollergirls just had our first WFTDA Apprentice bout on Friday! Finally, an entire match recorded. My previous searches brought me nothing but interviews or brief recordings. Thanks for this. As a (somewhat irrelevant) update, it turns out Cheyenne, WY has a roller derby team, which surprised me. I might end up volunteering to ref for someone after all. EDIT: Maybe I'm just unclear on the exact specifics, but it looks like here in the beginning there's a lot of overlooked back-blocking. Redfont fucked around with this message at 03:11 on Jan 25, 2011 |
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Jan 25, 2011 03:04
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Ahhh, right. I forgot about those severity-based penalties, it's been a while since I looked over the rules. I'm glad I'm not just seeing things, though, I was mainly just curious. Good stuff all in all. Fake edit: I'm glad I stopped into this thread today, because I remembered I'm supposed to stop by that roller derby practice today to see about volunteering. That should be cool.
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Jan 26, 2011 19:57
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overthefalls posted:Volunteering is awesome. Do it. I ripped tickets then got poached by the referees. Sweet, thanks for the links. There's supposed to be a local match here tomorrow, I'm planning on trying to drag my family out to watch it, at least my brother who's on board, as long as the baby doesn't decide she wants to be difficult that day. Hopefully it's as good as the one I stopped by in Florida. EDIT: What sort of stuff would a team require volunteer-wise other than a ref? I've never been too good with recognizing rule-breaking, but I'm sure I'd pick it up over time. In any case, what sort of stuff might I be able to do to help a team during the time I'm learning all the rules and how to recognize penalties and the like? (I forgot about Wednesday so I'm going to be finding out this Saturday instead, but I figured I'd ask.) Also just for clarification, both jammers can score points during the bout, the lead jammer can just call off the bout early if she wants, right? Some of the rules for roller derby seem so complicated when I'm just looking at them on paper. Redfont fucked around with this message at 20:50 on Jan 28, 2011 |
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Jan 28, 2011 20:14
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Ria posted:Well, "Bout" is an entire game. What you're looking for is "jam." Oh yeah, sorry, brief lapse in thought. Thanks for the reminder, though. My terminology has been lax this last week for some reason. overthefalls posted:Volunteer crews for derby leagues can use you for near anything -- referee and non-referee. On the non-referee: ripping tickets, greeters, merch, set up, clean up, beer garden, etcetera; whatever they can come up with. Excellent. That makes sense, I didn't comprehend that it would be volunteers doing all that stuff, for some reason, I guess I assumed it was the roller rink that set some of that up, or something. That's reassuring, though, at least there will be plenty of things for me to help out with. Thanks for the advice.
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Jan 29, 2011 18:57
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scorpiobean posted:Oops, I see you just responded to people, but I was gonna say that for a ref in training, being a nonskating official would probably be the best thing for you to get into before you start actually reffing. overthefalls just listed a bunch of NSO positions, but the nice thing about those positions is that they're usually pretty easy to learn and do even by people who don't skate and it'll keep you pretty close to the action so you can see how the refs work and how they call and so on. I'm not a ref myself so I don't know for sure but for you as a ref in training, I'd say you should particularly look to do penalty tracking. But also as overthefalls said, there should be plenty to volunteer for at a bout in general. Penalty tracking would definitely be the thing I'd want to brush up on the most before I tried reffing. The thing that seems like it would be the most difficult for me is trying to not only skate around the track to keep up with the skaters, but also trying to watch out for penalties in the hectic pack. I'll have to keep going through the rules to try to get more familiar with them. I've been through them once or twice, but there are so drat many. It would be worth it, though, roller derby is a sport I'd really like to get more involved in. The bout I went to last night was pretty packed. It wasn't quite as exciting as the one in Florida, but that might have just been because it was my first. It was a drat good game, though. I'm looking forward to helping the team out. EDIT: Also, thanks again for the info/advice so far. This thread has been the source of a lot of valuable and/or helpful information for me.
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Feb 1, 2011 06:03
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Spookydonut posted:Zebra Huddle. Very interesting, I like the sound of that. I'll check it out and get it set up. Just out of curiosity, might I ask what sort of things there are that skaters aren't supposed to be learning? Sort of vaguely in general, I'd imagine.
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Feb 2, 2011 19:38
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Though I'm not sure if that's exactly it or not (after reading Dominion's post), I can see how that might be something that comes up on the boards and how skaters might want to try it out. In any case, that's actually a pretty interesting concept in itself.
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Feb 3, 2011 03:58
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Hey, thanks for the tip, Ria. This page looks pretty nice, and I have a feeling I'm going to be learning a lot from it. Also, aren't inlines allowed in roller derby, just discouraged? I don't remember remember if I've seen it in the rules or not. It might have just been the personal preference of one team for practice maybe, but I distinctly remember the words allowed but not preferable. I was also under the impression that older roller derby was sort of like a co-ed version of a men's lacrosse team, with lots of checks and bruises and not many rules. But I suppose it could go either way. Maybe that's just the way I had it pictured in my head. Going back to my original question A) Thanks for the answer on what it was skaters aren't supposed to read about B) The reason they aren't supposed to read about it seems to make pretty good sense. Personally, I sort of like roller derby where it is right now, it's got kind of an underground feel that ties in well with the skater's deameanour (like their roller derby names and the whole punk nature) and just the general atmosphere of the sport. I'm a little worried that eventually it's going to really catch on and gain some steam, and it's just going to turn into another boring, regulated, rule-riddled, safe sport on TV that no one will want to watch.
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Feb 4, 2011 22:47
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It certainly does. Very educational, and interesting to boot. That ref part would explain where I got the inline thing. I'd have more to comment on, but it's difficult to type/focus with a baby in one hand. I'm sure I'll be back later to edit in some questions though.
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Feb 4, 2011 23:22
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I can see both how a turn-around toe stop could be and also could not be useful in roller derby. I suppose it all depends on when and where you use it. Like kung fu. Or rock paper scissors. Or something. Other than that, now that OrpheusFaust pasted that part of the rules in, I do faintly remember reading them. Also personally I think the running with the toe stops is kind of hilarious. The high knees and pointed toes thing just gets me every time.
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Feb 7, 2011 02:28
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Spookydonut posted:I do all sorts of crazy things on my toe stops, like skating -> running -> skating, spinning, jumping, etc... I'm still at the point where all I can use them for is to brake. My skating is slowly advancing, but I don't see myself being able to do anything fancy like jumping or spinning anytime soon.
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Feb 7, 2011 22:13
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Dominion posted:Absolutely. I do the same, and my girlfriend has a similar struggle, being a home-league caliber player who is in a city/league very focused on travel team and national ranking type things. quote:And etc. NOT TO GET OFF TRACK BUT I know how this is. This happened when I was playing paintball. It seems like the more you play and the more serious you get about wanting to play, the less fun it gets. People suddenly become very concerned with winning and losing and doing things right or wrong, and it's... just not as fun anymore. I eventually ended up quitting because of it. Shooting at people stopped being fun. Hopefully this doesn't become the case with roller derby.
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Mar 3, 2011 21:19
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WindyMan posted:This is true for anything competitive, not just paintball or roller derby. And because of that, eventually there will be separation with players/leagues who want to do more and win more, instead of just play roller derby and have fun. You're right, and it's lovely. I wish it wasn't the case, but I guess roller derby is one of those sports that you can't just go out and... Actually that was already mentioned too. All the important stuff was covered, I just wanted to toss in my "hey this sucks." Roller derby is great, and it's too bad there's nowhere you can just stick to keep having fun. At least it's getting some attention, though. Maybe eventually there will be a point where there are enough people interested that you could just find some strangers and pick something up. ... Seems like a far shot, though. In other news, sweet, name registration. I can find out what names I can't use and at the same time perhaps be struck by inspiration to think of a good one.
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Mar 4, 2011 00:45
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Mr. Powers posted:So, I got to jam ref last night for the first time. It was during our tryouts which they ran without the ability for the lead jammer to call off the jam. It was a lot of fun, though. What'd they do that for? That seems like an important thing, to be able to recognize the point at which it's better to cut the whole thing off as opposed to letting the other team get any more points. Just curious.
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Mar 7, 2011 22:41
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Aericina posted:I caught this video this morning, and what a great way to stop the idiotic dancing at the line after the jam whistle blows. quote:Lack of jam-calling reasons. quote:Slow starts
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Mar 19, 2011 20:39
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