First strides as a Bear City Rollergirl

FRESH DERBY NEWS! It has been a while. For those who would have missed a chapter, I have moved to Berlin (as explained more thoroughly here). Here is a feedback on my first impressions about my new league, BEAR CITY ROLLER DERBY.

A (not really) BRAND-NEW WORLD (but still a lot new)
 
Berlin was no complete unknown territory to me, I had already been there several times for skating events, in freestyle and more recently for the EROC, where I represented the Paris RollerGirls as their head coach two years in a row, in 2012 and 2013 (French HERE).

I had also skated quite a few times in the Bombshells' training venue, first time back in 2011 for a bootcamp run by Suzy Hotrod and Swede Hurt; I also took part in the 2013 EROC scrimmage (in 2012 I had crutches), played a bout as a Paris AllStar against the Inglorious Bombshells last April and joined a couple of practices the following week while I was at it... with already the idea of moving in mind.

EROC 2013

Version 2.0

The 4th edition of the European Roller Derby Organizational Conference was a 2.0 version of the event in a new venue able to host up to 5 conferences at the same time.

Except for the traditional scrimmage in the end, everything was off-skates. And I am not talking about physical workout but brain workout here! It was for the best as everyone could take part in the various debates on national and European structurations of Roller Derby, ask questions, say comments, compare experiences and situations, give and take advice...

The EROC adapted successfully to the current needs of European Derby. Of course, on-skate classes are fun and exciting, and I will not conceil that I was a bit disappointed in discovering the schedule at first... But thinking it over and with hindsight, we all basically know how to run a practice now... and derby has developped in Europe so that there are other (and better appropriate) occasions to attend punctual classes on bootcamps.

Bootcamp Team France "Born to Reform"

A dozen members of the 2011 French selection who made it to the World Cup in Toronto (Dec.'11) gathered to organize a huge advanced French bootcamp on January 5-6, 2013, entitled "Born to Reform". The aim was to share experience throughout on-skates and off-skates classes and conferences.

The event was divided into three different cycles: skater / coach / staff, with specific classes according to the cycle you had applied to.

Honestly, I would have loved taking part in that bootcamp.
Coaching was fun too, though.

Breaking ankles is trendy at PRG's

We've been trying hard to launch a trend for a year, and after a couple of failed attempts (I proposed the knee, Lara Von Rapt the shoulder, High Wheels and Dixie Pixie the ribs) we are finally on the good thing with ankles: Fast and easy, just a little twist is enough to make you the proud owner of a broken bone, with a cast offered in the special package. A tempting offer which more and more Paris RollerGirls are unable to resist, to our greatest bewilderment.

The PRGs need YOU!

Wheely Wonka started it in setting the bar high, like any fashion designer who creates unique items at the greatest level of the idea.

Gigi Ell'n followed, then Marty McFight whose aquisition is almost a perfect copy of Wonka's original -- multiple fractures, surgery, cast, screws and plate, minus the torn ligament final touch; 

Then No Name Jane and Nelly Kaskou, but these two failed at breaking, they had to content themselves with sprains and did not get the cast in bonus;

Even Whisky Mamy's cat let himself be tempted with the breakage-pin-and-cast pack!

And (hopefully) last but not least, Meryl Strip-Her chose our first scrimmage of the season to switch to the dark side too!

Derby girls are not masochistic, they are just fashion victims.

...Sadly enough, this trend leads to a side-effect: we are getting undermanned.

Do not miss our 2012 recruitment workshops and enlist in the Paris RollerGirls, WE NEED YOU to fight by our side! We will feed you, love you, take care of you and train you to become perfect masochistic derbygirls.


RELATED POSTS

• First casualty under my command

EROC 2012

The 2012 edition of the EROC took place in Berlin on the last weekend of January, and was hosted by the local league, the Bear City RollerDerby. Go HERE if you want a little "history" of the event -- if you can call it history so far...

The European Derby Convention is growing year by year: Have a look at the list of the registered countries and leagues if you're sceptical! 13 countries were represented by up to 16 leagues each (for Germany) -- and 7 for France!

The event started on Friday evening with an opening party at Wowsville bar where all the participants could meet and warm up for the weekend. I had forgotten what it was like to be allowed to smoke in bars! Although I convey it's pretty cool not to have to go outside and lose your fingers in the German cold, I'm not quite sure I'm liking it anymore.
By the way I would like to deeply thank all my saviors to whom I borrowed the gloves during the weekend: I really had underestimated the power of cold. Now I know that I'd rather concentrate on my gloved hands slipping on my crutches, than concentrate on saying to myself over and over that pain is just an illusion.
Anyway this is no dilemna now as I don't need my sticks anymore: I learnt to walk this weekend thanks to an intensive training consisting in at least one hour per day of waking in the snow.

Opération Tonnerre: PRG Vs. Go-Go Gent

I haven’t been writing much lately – I mean, actually I did write a lot, for work, which is why I couldn’t take care of this blog. Still I take the time to report on the match of last weekend Opération Tonnerre, featuring the Paris RollerGirls Vs. the Gent Go-Go RollerGirls.

ORGANIZATION & BERCY VENUE

We had managed to get the Bercy Venue just like for Goldfinger against Malmö last June, after weeks of pleading and harassing for them to give us a second chance. We were quite late on the schedule last time and they didn’t like it at all.

This time we had learned from our previous mistakes and the organization was close to perfection, so that the keeper of the gym even came to congratulate the Paris RollerGirls’ organization and confided that he wished that all the clubs using the gym were as squared as us. Epic Win! …And Epic Reward for the girls who spent sleepless night sweating on the event - Marion could tell you more about it than me.

BCRD Advanced Bootcamp

INTRODUCTION: FATE & PLANES

Sometimes fate can be as kind as cruel.

Sometimes bad things lead to even greater things than the ones you missed.

Remember the Epic Fail of the Paris RollerGirls Vs. the Berlin Bombshells in late July? When Destiny had decided that the Air France strike would affect only one flight, THE flight. It had to be the Paris-Berlin of course. And one complication leading to another, the bout had to be cancelled (again).

Remember my Epic Rage when I learnt that I had shortened my stay in Las Vegas at the RollerCon for a cancelled bout? I was lucky that I didn't have a direct flight, and arriving in Paris I rushed into an Air France shop to change my ticket… for a trip on the 27-28 Aug. Same date as the Advanced Bootcamp run by Swede Hurt and Suzy Hotrod. An exciting perspective which lessened my frustration for having left so early. The registrations had been closed the previous week, but the camp was not sold out and I managed to get my ticket.

Holidays in the U.K.

I haven't been very talkative lately because I was on holiday in London. Ten days to chill out, go shopping at Oxford Street, clean out second-hand CD shops, smoke chicha, ride motorbikes, but above all to SKATE!

I usually go to England every summer -- Don't ask me why I don't go spending my holidays in the Spanish sun just like every normal French people... My rebel side tells me to go North when everybody goes South. The weather is not worse than in Paris... after all England in the rain is just a myth (okay, I convey that sometimes it's not).

For three years there's been this annual freestyle skating event called SkateLondon in which I used to take part. This year SkateLondon hosted the European Championships and I decided to go as a visitor (yet, I ended up as a judge to give a hand for the Classic, but this is another story...)

2011 French Team

THE SELECTIONS FOR THE FRENCH TEAM took place last weekend at Le Hangar Skatepark in Nantes.

There were 20 places and we were nearly 40 to try our luck: 10 from Paris, 9 from Toulouse, 7 from Bordeaux and from Metz, 2 from Nantes and Montpellier... not forgetting the expatriates with 2 girls living in the US and two others in the UK.

THE SCHEDULE OF THE TRY-OUTS WAS INTENSE

Starting at 2PM for us to register, get our number-of-the-day (mine was #29 and it remained at least 3 days on my shoulder... bloody permanent markers!), get used to the floor...

The atmosphere was unpleasantly heavy, as if it was some kind of audition -- I had this weird feeling to be brought back years ago, at the time when I was a ballet dancer at the national Conservatoire. Hopefully we managed to relax it little by little.

However, the real beginning was at 3PM, here we go for 2 hours of skills analyzed by our judges: Amelia Scareheart, Slash Gordon, Bravehurt and Brute et Peste. Agility, Team work, and Blocking'n Helping were the main points.