I got the BEST email last night – I have officially been offered a place in Auld Reekie Roller Girls Fresh Meat programme. Fresh Meat is the extensive training programme that all new skaters need to undergo, it lasts 16 weeks and at the end I’ll be assessed on a whole range of skating techniques, hits and falls. I am actually THRILLED, so naturally celebrated by skating up and down hall and playing with fonts (see above).
(Image nicked from here)
Another of my latest obsessions, is roller derby. If you live in/around Edinburgh, I highly recommend you get yourself along to the next bout which is on 19 January at Meadowbank. A great fun, fast paced full contact sport, I love how it’s described on their website – ´It´s a hug disguised as a rib-splintering thump’
I first heard about Roller Derby a few years back, when I noticed, via facebook, that a couple of my old flatmates were skating, Kat [Pixel Junkie] used to skate with ARRG [Auld Reekie Roller Girls] and Jen [Hitty Longstockings] skates with SWAT [South West Angels of Terror]. Then, back in July whilst off work with a dislocated knee, I watched Whip It. Maybe it was the fact that I could barely walk and was navigating the house using a desk chair as a kind of zimmer, but I totally got the urge that I wanted to skate. As a kid I was constantly on skates [ice skates and quads, never blades]; I remember when I was five piecing together all my jigsaws and hard back books as a makeshift skate rink over the living room carpet so I could skate indoors (I think I might have been grounded…). So I googled Edinburgh Roller Derby, found ARRG and bought tickets for the next bout.
It’s a fabulous Saturday afternoon out with a great crowd, really friendly and also totally suitable for kids. In fact I think seeing a group of highly skilled, dedicated, fit and strong skaters competing in a badass, yet friendly way is a fantastic role model for kids. This is a great post on the rules and an introduction to roller derby.
So, I’ve signed up to be on the fresh meat waiting list for the February intake. My physio had a wobble when I said I wanted to sign up for roller derby, having physio-ed me through said dislocated kneecap. However, I have been building up my quads, to hold my pesky kneecap in the right place, and even conquered my gym phobia/aversion. Getting into a size 8 has never made me want to go to the gym; being strong and fit enough to be able to skate with a group of awesome skaters totally does.
Like I said, next bout is 19 January at Meadowbank, get yourself some here
Check out their website here
And like ’em on facebook here
Also loving the design for their Home Season collateral – click for ARRG facebook
Mandy Fleetwood | UK Lifestyle, Design & Craft Blog 