more rolling

The other Norfolk roller derby league on YouTube and in Canada.

BBC doc United Skates has stunning (often synchronised) rolling from black American skaters.  It also has racism, gangs, developers and closing down roller rinks but stay with it as the ending is encouraging.

Nice to see that roller derby skate outs are still alive in the USA.

In a lifetime of laughter and tears we have noted that most people like what they're used to and that usually means clichéd predictability so when the Blue Thunder Rollers renamed themselves we were impressed they resisted Suffolk Punchers or such like.  Recently Suffolk Roller Derby skater Dr Astrid Coxon has revived the draught horse allusion.

When Richard Branson goes roller skating with some rock dinosaurs and it's not him who breaks his ankle surely an up cock by God ... ♫

Just one more confirmed Covid-19 case in Suffolk yesterday.  A fifty sixth reason to be cheerful ... The twenty stair rail is really <beep>ing that up.

Rollerworld Colchester has started a Crowdfunder page so they'll still be there when the stay at home let's them re-open.  Inducements include roller derby and speed skating sessions.

Crikey!  A non-helmet wearing backflip on roller skates in a skate park and the suspension of British american football extended to the beginning of July.

Short track slider (not roller) Elise Christie has been on a journey.

Suzi Rufell is a better roller skater than Rachel Parris.

Scot Alicia Rodgers and her mates bought roller skates after seeing Whip It (they are not alone) but then omitted the next step learning to skate.  Alicia is now learning to skate for a charity live performance on 25th May.  She's doing better than us (we can't shoot the duck off skates) and thankfully she had gained a helmet by the latter part of week two.

896 confirmed Covid-19 cases so far in Suffolk and total yesterday, the rate of increase seems to be easing.  The thirty fifth reason to be cheerful continues yesterday's roller derby theme with a tattoo related YouTube. ♫

877 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Suffolk and total so far.  The thirty fourth reason to be cheerful ... London Roller Girls eh?

When Cambridge Rollerbillies were Romsey Town Rollerbillies they shared a warehouse with a cycle polo team, it was very Whip It if not banked track.  Sadly the Billies didn't get an anonymous angel unlike Sacramento Roller Derby ... even if your premium bond pulled the big one you still wouldn't have enough money.

A charming immediately post Edwardian Easter card with a roller skating small girl who is also a bit scary with her stick to hit the fluffy little chicks.  A rolling on cards album update that includes rolling skating bears, cats and a dog.

Roller derby in its present flat track iteration is a young sport so there's always a new way to interpret the rules.  We recall a downed skater having three seconds (a bit mean eh?) to get up but we can't find it in the current WFTDA rules.

Suffolk Roller Derby recreating old time derby fun in 2018 and Ipswich.

Happy New Year.  The bit of Suffolk that is near the coast tends to go into hibernation during January but we'll forage for any stirrings.  In the meantime here's the pic we meant to use about bank track roller derby in that there London and the 50s.

We've renamed this roller derby section rolling to make it more inclusive.

We were pleased to see the dress rehearsal Framlingham's Off-Ice Skating Club's Christmas show Peter Pan.  Like last year's show this year's is charming and has lots of impressive lighting effect.  More info and tickets from pippatigerlove@talktalk.net.

In our childhood we read from the public library an autobiography of a Canadian sports promoter working in 1950s London.  Not surprisingly he promoted ice hockey but perhaps more surprising also bank track roller derby,  The long term result of our reading was when Twitter showed a derby league forming in Essex we had a very faint idea what it was about.  The Triple Sword Roller Girls never completed their gestation but no doubt the skaters are still out there somewhere.

In 2014 and Ely we snapped a Red White and Bruise Rollers scrimmage with Suffolk RD and we're pretty certain we snapped a RWB skater with a mixed league team in Bletchley.  Like the Seaside Sirens very regrettably RWB are pulling up their track tape for the last time.  As a league that pretty much could only draw on military and their families at RAF Lakenheath it was likely to struggle.  The brilliant bit is they are giving away their t-shirts for just the postage.  Ours arrived this morning and it fits!

This morning in the Tommy Mills sports hall Framlingham in front of a very supportive and appreciative audience The Little Mermaid whizzed about on off ice skates.  One of the many very young cast members had to be taken to the toilet during the show but like we said before nobody fell over.  Such an opportunity for the young to learn self confidence ... hope there'll be another show soon.

Saturday at Inspire Ipswich a sur5al format roller derby tournament hosted by Suffolk Roller Derby.

The skaters at the rehearsal of The Little Mermaid in the Tommy Mills Framlingham's sports hall today were wearing off ice skates, they look like inline skates but the four wheels are mounted in a curve so only two wheels touch the floor making spins and turns easier.  At the rehearsals nobody fell ... more here

Live European roller derby on the BBC website this afternoon.

Last Sunday we asked a Killa Hurtz coach if there would be a skateout for their bout with hosts the Leicester Dolly Rockits, Don't know she said But everyone hates skateouts ... so just us then.  It seemed a fairly even bout but then we stepped out to see the score and the Rockits were easily pulling away so don't trust us on anything.  A comfortable 225-063 Rockits win despite early on losing a skater with an ankle injury, it's always ankles.

The Dolly Rockits are full WFTDA members and two Rockits told us the league wouldn't be competing in the British Championships next year as they want to concentrate on tournaments.

Congratulations to Rebellion Roller Derby who have been accepted by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association as an apprentice league.

When we arrived at Loughborough Leisure Centre this afternoon it was pouring with rain and the car park completely full, we had to circle until a leaver made a space but the Leicester Dolly Rockits were very welcoming.  The mixed league support bout of rookies and second bouters was very impressive; Bambi jumped the apex, there was organised blocker offence on a power jam and a pivot shouting To me! To me! when play had broken down (she's officer material).  Very good stuff indeed.

Play off finals in today's British roller derby Championships live on BBC online from 1:30pm.  At 4:30pm the Norfolk Brawds play Rebellion Roller Derby.

Very regrettably Southend's Seaside Sirens have pulled up their track tape for the last time.  Back in the days before roller derby got a bit up itself they produced some enjoyably witty skate outs and we snapped what was their and the Norfolk Brawds' first public bout.  Some good has come from it as the Sirens have donated £1,000 of their remaining funds to GB Junior Derby.

In the manner of a roller derby programme that so relentlessly refuses to identify mixed league team skaters' home league the Women's Tour web site fails to identify national champions and the web generally is surprisingly reticent ... and what's more nowhere like the predicted 5,000 in Framlingham yesterday.  But still the riders tended to be friendly if ... more here

roller derby 2016 included Norfolk Brawd Vixen Mortar making a marriage proposal mid-jam and a Chelmsford Killa Hurtz Girl on a corner in Wimslow Arizona

Usual slightly off journalism associated with derby but Sunday 4th February the Beeb is streaming this year's roller derby world cup from Manchester.  Spotted in a vid on the Beeb page ex Concrete Cow and Grid City skater Magic Beanz now a London Roller Girl ... every girl's dream to wear the pink:)

Inevitably jokes about falling over feature in Victorian and Edwardian postcards about roller skating along with fancy dress and roller rink staff promoting the surprisingly ubiquitous rinks but women on skates were also portrayed as attractively elegant ... especially on French cards.

Roller derby has more rules than the town council (it is possible) and so needs something like this.