random thoughts – Day 1,644 – (Tuesday) – roller days

Typical practice attire.

On this date in 2010, which is now so, so, so many years ago and yet sometimes feels like mere weeks, the Red River Sirens Roller Derby hosted a roller disco at Magic Wheels, our home rink. Usually when we were skating at the rink on a weeknight, we were geared up as mandated by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA -- "whift-da"). That meant knee and elbow pads, wrist guards, helmets, skate stops, and mouth guards. 

The night of the roller disco, we were decked out in our best attempts at late 70s disco-era finery. It felt weird just skating with no gear in polite ovals like civilians instead of engaging in our usual drills on falls, speed, endurance, and hits. Our skates would rumble on the wood floor.The suicide drills were we skated as fast as we could while counting up 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 minutes then back down at  4, 3, 2, and 1, interspersed with "breaks" for crunches and pushups were brutal, but also my favorite.

Taking a break at
the roller disco.

Instead of our gear, which usually stank, for the roller disco event we wore all manner of getups that included gym shorts with tall gym socks, shiny dresses, beaded tops, big hair. Just like in my younger days when I strived for big hair, gravity was not my friend. I tried channeling a Studio 54 vibe with shorts and a black beaded top over a flesh colored tank, based on some of the scandalous attire I had heard about from during the height of the New York City scene. 

There were raffle prizes and I won a gift certificate donated by a spa that was one of our team sponsors. The funny part is, I can’t remember ever using it. That long ago disco night was fun. Roller derby was fun. The drills and workouts were fun, even when they hurt. 

Now the fun is tamer, less assertive, and with a different musical soundtrack. I still get to wear outfits for dancing, but big skirts and jingly coin belts have replaced the team's red or the black bout jerseys with silver short shorts over fishnets. My skates and gear still live in my bag in the spare room closet. I don’t really know what to do with the stuff.