Puck Bunny

Wheels of Steel

This might be a first in Puck Bunny blog history. For the first time ever, this blog post isn’t about hockey. It’s about something similar to hockey… but also pretty different. It’s something that’s become my newest obsession, and is now taking over every Wednesday evening after I finish work and most of my Sundays! It’s a sport with skates, helmets and women with kick-ass team names. Have you guessed what it is yet? If not the photo below might give you a clue…

If the tattoos don’t give it away, the stripy socks and knee pads might! It’s Roller Derby. It’s ironic that it wasn’t until I moved to the UK that I got into it, as Roller Derby is huge in Canada. It’s taken a while but now it’s taking off in the UK in a big way. It started off as a women only sport, but now there are male and female teams across the world. I’d really recommend trying a trial session at your local club: I started about six months ago, but my ice hockey (and field hockey) experience stood me in good stead and I’m now a reserve on the team. It’s not a sport for the faint hearted, but then neither are rugby, hockey or soccer! It’s face paced, energetic, and exciting and the camaraderie on the track and on the changing room benches is second to none.

Roller Derby teams have only five members, but most troupes have a lot more members who skate in their recreational league, so don’t be put off. The aim of the game is to let your ’jammer'skate laps against the other team: they protect their jammer and try to block your attempts to protect yours! In basic terms it’s a little bit like playground tag, played on a circular track at high speed, and on skates. Falling over is all part of it, which is why we wear helmets, a lot of padding and mouth guards. Injuries are pretty much inevitable but they’re all part of exhilaration!

I’ve never felt fitter or more confident since I started training, and I can’t wait to get off the reserve bench and play a few games.

Oh, and my skating name? It’s AWESOME. I’ll let you in on the secret next time…

Similar Posts:
Cardio Training Tips for Downhill Skiing : Many skiers regard…
The cup upset : There is nothing greater in football than the…
Some Good Foods For Runners  : One of the good things about…
The Big Responsibility of EVERY Snowboarder. :  Being into…

Comments are closed!