"Rouge à Lèvres et Protège Dents" was the title of the bout opposing the Paris Rollergirls B Team, the Quedalles, to Anvers's One Love Roller Dolls (10 A-players out of 14) on Saturday 14th, for the Titanic's 100th anniversary and my dad's birthday.
It was organized in Lille, half-way between the two cities, on the occasion of the "Quinzaine de l'Entorse" (Two weeks of the Infringement Association) in partnership with the "Rencontres Féministes" (Feminist Encounters Association). These Two Weeks, the aim of which is to highlight links between arts and sports, have been perpetrated for a few years now...
With Wonka, we were put up at one of the organizers' apartment, a two-storey place she shares with three other flatmates. Great place, great people!
DOCUMENTARY SHOWING EVENING
DOCUMENTARY SHOWING EVENING
We arrived on Friday, a day before the bout, because in the evening there was a showing of short documentary films on women and sports, followed by a debate in which I had been asked to speak about my sports experience.
The showing was in a place highly deserving its name: the Hybride. Want to go to the pub and watch a movie on a big screen sitting on a big sofa?
Unfortunately, the following debate was a bit wheezy because the place was too comfy! Haha.
Amongst the documentaries, in-between the stories of a boxer, two gymnasts, a body-builder, etc. there was this amazing film on the early days of roller derby, before it felt into oblivion and before it was reformed. A bunch of old ladies were interviewed about their carriers (up to two decades of professional derbying!) and you could still see sparkles in their eyes as they were talking. I wish to be as proud as them when I'm their age!
The showing was in a place highly deserving its name: the Hybride. Want to go to the pub and watch a movie on a big screen sitting on a big sofa?
Unfortunately, the following debate was a bit wheezy because the place was too comfy! Haha.
Amongst the documentaries, in-between the stories of a boxer, two gymnasts, a body-builder, etc. there was this amazing film on the early days of roller derby, before it felt into oblivion and before it was reformed. A bunch of old ladies were interviewed about their carriers (up to two decades of professional derbying!) and you could still see sparkles in their eyes as they were talking. I wish to be as proud as them when I'm their age!
High Heels on Wheels (2006)
The morrow was the big day. We had to meet the rest of the Parisians in the skatepark of Lille, "La Halle de Glisse", which is a huge place divided into three indoors evolution areas: a beginners park, an advanced park and a hockey rink (on which we put a derby track) -- And let's not forget the outdoors streetpark!
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| Guess who's on the poster? |
THE BOUT
The bout was followed by a roller disco so that lots of spotlights and a sound system had been set up for the occasion. The girls had the chance to benefit from great light effects during their game.
The game was preceded by a demo by the young local league, the Switchblade Rollergrrrls, who staged various game situations in slow motion (on purpose) in order to make a quick introduction for the neophytes in the public.
Although they lost 65 to 149 (?), the PRG Quedalles, bench-coached by All-Stars Cherry LieLie and Pooky Balboa, did a good job for their second official event together. They sometimes lacked automatisms but some strategies were implemented with success and they managed to resist to more experimented opponents.
THE TRAGIC TURN
However, this great weekend ended up with a bitter taste: 10 min before the end of the bout, Wheely Wonka was jamming (and leading) when she hurt herself real bad as she was accelerating at the end of the bend: a huge crack followed by a palpable silence.
Medics, Firemen, casualty dept., X-ray, broken fibula, cast, back in Paris, hospital, surgery.
On top of the broken fibula, broken ankle, torn internal ligament and dislocated shinbone.
Ending up with a plate on the fibula and a screw maintaining it to the shinbone while the ligament grows back during the six weeks of cast.
Been a long time since we hadn't had a cripple at home!
Was starting to miss it...
ROUGE A LEVRES ET PROTEGE-DENTS
by Justine Pluvinage
(event review)
FOCUS ON / ROLLER DERBY
La Quinzaine de l'Entorse
MEDIA:
Oh no! I hope she will be fine?
ReplyDeleteTell her to get well from me!
Done!
DeleteIt's going to be a long way but she should be fine.
The surgery was not compulsory (a cast and a good rest would have been ok) but in order to be sure everything heals well in its right place and to protect the articulation of the ankle for the future, they advised her to get the surgery, to which she responds well because she's young!
What a year....
I think no one is interested in bedroom secrets when it is a documentary about sport.
ReplyDeleteI wish quick recovery to Wheely Wonka!