Karaoke with a Derby Girl!

Karaoke with a Derby Girl!

Derby Love

Many, many, many thanks to everyone who made our bout last night not only a reality, but a huge success!

Thanks to DC for driving down to the beach to play (and beat) us.
Thanks to our announcers, refs, and volunteers for their hard work.
Thanks to our friends & family, and of course, our FANS for coming out to support us.
Thanks to Vivo for hosting our awesome after party/dance off.
And finally, MUCHAS GRACIAS to our sponsors!!!

We will have a bout recap posted soon for those of you who were too lame to make it

Remember, you can always follow us on Twitter.

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What You Got in That Bag?

One of our veteran skaters and team captains, Thunder Lips, describes the process of selecting her perfect skates.

Adventures in Vandals

Most girls start out unsure of what it means to be a derby girl and if they have what it takes to make it through the Fresh Meat process. No matter if you have the right stuff or not, you need the gear to try – and it is costly. So I, like many other girls started out with an economy skate and I choose the Riedel “R3”.

When I bought them I was told they’d get me through a year and that they did….along with a foot full of blisters and a massive underfoot callus. See, the R3 eventually gets broken in and with continued skating it keeps getting broken in to the point where it didn’t fit my foot any more. It got to the point where my feet looked like they’d been eaten by my skates. So…I finally caved and faced that there was no way around buying and breaking in a new pair of skates, a derby girl’s most dreaded process.

At our event last summer, “Commotion by the Ocean”, we had Black Eyed Susan Skate Shop as a vendor. Marzipain took one look at my feet and was bound and determined to help me find the right fit for my foot and skating style. We tried on She Devils – too slim, we tried Wickeds – too heavy, we tried something that was WAY out of my price range, but I recall it being a little loose. Then I tried on my beloved Riedel Vandals. I took them for a spin on the Radar Flat Out wheels they came with, and I fell in love.

The wheels were great for the surface we were skating on that night in our bout against Madison, and the skate was a perfect match for my foot and my budget. They are leather boots with fully adjustable trucks, and with some trial and error, I finally got the right wheels for me, Atom Tantrums. As a “jammer/blocker,” I need a wheel that will allow me to perform both duties on the track without giving up one function or another – speed without grip, grip without speed or a wheel too heavy that it will impact my performance no matter where I am on the track, and Tantrums are perfect for me!

I’d like to say don’t waste your money on the cheap skates but that would not be good advice, get what you can afford to start but upgrade when you can to what you know feels good and will last!!

-Thunder Lips

Let’s see how those Vandals perform in the Dominion season opener this Sunday!! We’ll be facing the DC Rollergirls once again on our home track at the Haygood Skating Center in Virginia Beach.

Be sure to get your tickets – you don’t want to miss this hot derby action.

http://www.dominionderbygirls.net/tickets.php

The doors open at 6:30 so get there early to stake out a good seat!!!

Top 10 Derby Questions

Top 10 Derby Questions

10. Ah. So you Rollerblade?
We actually skate with quad roller derby skates. Referees have the option to use inline skates, but are strongly encouraged to use quads instead.

9. Don’t you need dyed hair and tattoo’s to play roller derby?
Many of our skaters are “normal” looking with natural hair color and some are clean slates (so to speak). During the East Coast Derby Extravaganza earlier this year, there was a Challenge bout called Tats vs No-Tats. I think Tats won, though. I could be wrong.

8. Where / how do you practice?
We practice at Haygood Skating Center 1036 Ferry Plantation Road Virginia Beach, VA 23455 (757) 460-1138. Practices usually consist of drills, endurance, scrimmaging, and speed.

7. So do ever get thrown over the rail?!
The Dominion Derby Girls are a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association(WFTDA) http://www.wftda.com/ We skate on a flat surface as opposed to a banked track. So no, we don’t get thrown over a rail, but we do, occasionally, land in the crowd.

6. DO YOU GET TO CLOTHES LINE PEOPLE?
As per WFTDA rules, infractions such as “clothes lining” or “throwing elbows” are prohibited and will get you sent directly to the penalty box; or even worse, ejection from the bout.

5. Do you ever get into fights with the other girls?
Fighting is an automatic ejection for all participants and may result in a suspension (WFTDA rule 6.2.14)

4. Doesn’t that hurt? /Don’t you get hurt?
Roller Derby girls are constantly practicing. We practice falling, hitting, tripping, and stopping so that when we do happen to get hit really hard or fall really bad, our muscle memory takes over and we fall in the correct way as so not to hurt ourselves. We also wear the required padding: helmets, mouth guards, wrist guards, elbow pads, and knee pads. Occasionally, some girls will succumb to an injury, but with the skill levels increasing, the tendency of those occurrences are decreasing.

3. I didn’t know they had that around here.
Well we’re glad you know now!

2. Are you serious? Do people still do that?
Yes and Yes! Roller Derby is the fastest growing sport in the Nation with coverage from CNN, ESPN, USAToday, MSNBC, NPR, and other respected media outlets, not to mention numerous books and even a movie in production directed by Drew Barrymore.

And the Number One answer we most likely get is:
I use to watch that on Saturday mornings when I was a kid!
Now’s the time to go and watch your local Roller Derby League bout on a Saturday or Sunday night! Support your local Roller Girl and especially The Dominion Derby Girls!!!

Wanna Date a Derby Girl? Follow the Rules!

*RULES TO LIVE BY IF YOU WANT TO DATE A ROLLER GIRL*

These are rules for guys to live by if you want to date a roller girl. This will avoid alot of false hope and arguements/team break-ups.

1. Men cannot compete with derby, you will always be sloppy seconds! Derby will always have her first.
2. She will never have “plans” with you. She will only have plans with derby and will only hang out when convenient. Your “plans” will be dropped for anything derby.
3. You are there to work out any frustrations. Derby leagues get into spats sometimes. Lucky for you there is a lot of frustration in roller derby.
4. Do not start talking about trying to take a vacation with her. She will immediately go into panic mode and start to think you are trying to take derby practice away from her. Vacation is only permissable in cities with other roller derbies. In such instances, you must entertain yourself as they skate. Go hide in the corner of the bar with the other derby widows, while the girls party and stay up all night talking derby with the new friends she made.
5. Don’t try to be the “manager”; do not try to get involved with derby business, that is only for the roller girl.
6. Don’t ask her teamates for relationship advise.
7. Don’t complain because your ( insert holiday here) date gets canceled because a bout has been scheduled. Holidays are no longer yours, even Valentines Day.
8. It’s not mandatory that you are at every bout.
9. Do not get jealous when your rollergirl talks to groupies. They are the ones buying tickets, beer, and merchandise, not you, so let them have there time. And remember, you get to go home with her!
10. Babies don’t make roller girls quit derby.
11. No the league doesn’t want you to travel with them.
12. Don’t make the following introduction, ” Hi I’m _____ and my roller girl is ______”
13. Don’t follow her around at bouts like a puppy, she is taking care of business. Find your own crowd.
12. Don’t go to league practice, and its normal to have them more than once a week.
13. Don’t stand in front of your rollergirl while she is skating, looking at her like she’s the greatest skater in the world. She’s liable to take you out.
14. Do not change your favorite team based on the type of rollergirl you date. Going from team to team just shows your not your own individual.
15. When she calls you when she is out on the road, don’t complain about when she is coming home. Consider yourself lucky that she even called you instead of spending the quarter on food or gas.
16. Never say anything negative about your roller girls league if you can’t say it to her. It will always come back to bite you in the ass.
17. If your dating a roller girl that wears a short skirt… she works it on the track. So, not only you will be able to see her Victorias Secrets.
18. Never cause a fight before your roller girl plays a bout. Relationship problems can be dealt with after the bout.
19. If they have a bout out of town, don’t drive just so you and your roller girl can have “alone time” or want to “talk”.
20. You cannot drink on your roller girls tab, buy your own!
21. Keep the derby seperate from your everyday life. That’s your roller girls passion, find your own.