all that's changed

I felt like I could easily keep up with the skating at the roller derby the other night, but since I haven't been on skates in oh, 20 years, I thought I'd give it a dry run. I was going to run out and buy some until Dana came up with the brilliant idea of renting skates at a roller rink. They do that, you know.

Before I get into my performance, let me just comment on what a glorious experience the roller rink is on Adult Skate Night. Music ranged from hip-hop hits from oh, 2003 or so, to 80's pop and 70's R&B. In addition to being a multi-culti and ageless, it was also high-fashion scene. Here're a few gems:

* pair of women in mid-late 40's, jeans and t's, talking over kids and husbands
* couple in their 50's wearing shiny track suits
* pair of gay guys in 80's yellow-green neon Campagnolo bike hats (looking on eBay now for that action)
* lady in her 60's in velour track suit
* bunch of twentysomething girls in full on 80's wear, including a well-executed side mono-pigtail
* few couples on dates, girls without exception outskating guys
* best skater in the rink: punk kid, shaven head, baggy pants, wifebeater

The fact that this is all going down in Rohnert Park, a burb an hour north of SF, makes it that much more cool. I imagine there are roller rinks in SF, and I imagine I'll be going soon, but it'll be Hipsterama. The RP rink was pristine.

So yeah, I still got mad rollerskating skills. By the time we left I was cornering at high speed, circling, stopping on a dime, backwards skating (albeit slowly) and changing velocity (which is speed AND direction people, I just had Physics last semester) smoothly.

I think I can take on the roller derby.

Next steps: Auditioning (if that's what they call it), and practice skate @ the rink's Family Night. The falling and out-of control anklebiters will be great obstacles to work on quick stops, dodging and weaving, which I think will be more important than speed in the derby. Who's with me?

Posted by em on Thursday, February 02, 2006 at 1:10 PM | Permalink