Flat Track Fever « Edmonton Sports Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Flat Track Fever’

the butterflies have begun…

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

Bring it!

In 27 hours and counting, the Kill Jills hit the track at the Olympic Oval for their first regulation bout in Alberta’s largest roller derby tournament, Flat Track Fever.

I’m a little nervous, being fairly new at this roller derby thing…I only joined the league last October, and have yet to play a real bout. A few scrimmages, against our neighbours at Foothills, and amongst ourselves and the Dogs. But a real bout? with spectators, and announcers, and pressure…

Actually, that sounds pretty awesome! I mean, in real life, who gets to do what they love with a crowd of people cheering (or jeering) you on? Besides, since we’re a new team, there are quite a few of us who have never played in front of anyone. So we’ll figure it out together. And we have some more seasoned players on our team, to provide guidance and to keep our heads on the track instead of in the crowd.

So bring it. And come watch us leave our blood sweat and tears on the track for the first time. Whether we score more points than our competitors or not, we will come out of this weekend winners, because we have waged our first battle on the track.

Let the games begin!

www.flattrackfever.chinookcity.ca

Photo by Steve Recsky

Tags: Calgary, Flat Track Fever, foothills, glenmore reservoir dogs, kill jills, olympic, Roller Derby
Posted in Amateur Sports, Roller Derby |

Flat Track Fever starts Friday the 13th!

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

Anticipation is building with Flat Track Fever less than 2 days away…Fans and players are getting ready, rosters are finalized, and Chinook City Roller Derby is set to host the biggest roller derby tournament in Alberta.

Action starts at 2:00pm Friday afternoon at the Olympic Oval onthe U of C campus, and goes all weekend long! Don’t miss the Kill Jills in our debut regulation bout at 2:45 pm as we take on CARDA…I don’t know if I’m more excited about playing or about watching the killer lineup of teams – Spokkannibals vs. Foothills will be a great matchup, and for the men, the Vancouver Murder vs. our own Glenmore Reservoir Dogs is one I’m looking forward to! Also, don’t miss out on the mini-derby matchups; the Juniors bring a new perspective on derby which has not been seen in Calgary to date, so bring the kids, a donation to the YWCA, and let the games begin!

For a full line up, check out www.flattrackfever.chinookcity.ca.

Tags: Calgary, Flat Track Fever, olympic, Roller Derby, University of Calgary
Posted in Amateur Sports, Home, Roller Derby |

A Newbie’s Guide to Flat Track Fever

Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

So with Flat Track Fever rolling into the Olympic Oval in less than three days, you might be should be contemplating strolling down to the University of Calgary campus to see what this crazy and colourful world of flat track roller derby is really all about. If you are a newbie to the sport, the idea might be daunting. But don’t worry, my friend, I have assembled a quick guide to help you along.

1. Learn the rules. On the surface, roller derby might seem simple – a bunch of skaters rolling around a track knocking the crap out of one another. While true, that also only scratches the surface. The fact is … modern roller derby plays by a pretty complex rule set. Most (if not all) of the leagues skate under the WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association) rule set. This is the current international rule set that governs our current style of play. Its a complicated tome that might send your average newbie fan fleeing into the night.

But rest assured, the more you watch roller derby, the easier it will be to understand. And for the basics, just check out this link for a brief run down provided by my beauteous team mate, Crimson Shivers. Or if you are like me and a visual learner, check out this video that the lovely ladies of Hammer City put together.

2. Rest up. Flat Track Fever runs three days – a very long, intense and action filled three days. These days will be BURSTING with roller derby awesome and if you aren’t rested, you will burn yourself out. So get plenty of sleep Thursday night and pace yourself. You have the opportunity to see some of the best roller derby in Alberta and it would be a shame if you missed it because you were dozing in the bleachers.

3. Replenish. Excitement makes me hungry and thirsty. So, if you are anything like me, you will make sure you keep yourself well-fed and well-hydrated over the three days. And we can certainly help you do that. On-site, you will have access to some yummy noshes provided by the Ship & Anchor Pub. Plus, just a few steps away at MacEwan Hall, you can access a plethora of food stylings that will cater to any palette. But just make sure you get back quickly so you don’t miss anything!

We also have a beer garden for those of you who enjoy an adult libation or two.

4. Cash money. In addition to a slathering of roller derby fun, Flat Track Fever also offers an amazing vendor alley. We have local photographers and artisans as well as some big names in the business of roller derby that will be offering their wares throughout the three days. I know I will be spying some new pads! Maybe you can even pick up your first pair of quad skates so you can play in the tournament next year!

For the most part, this means we are a cash only event. And if you are planning on buying your tickets at the door, it’s cash only. But as the brilliant Douglas Adams once said….Don’t Panic! There is an ATM machine available at the Oval and MacEwan Hall also houses several machines. So your pockets can easily be refilled with coin.

5. Go Green. Flat Track Fever is a green event. You will find recycling and compost bins throughout the venue. Make sure you use them! We’d also encourage you to bring your own reusable water bottle as we won’t be selling bottled water on-site. Every little bit helps keep our lovely mud ball of a planet healthy and pretty.

6. Team colours. Don’t forget to bring signs, pom-poms, or other fabulous fan-nish things in your favourite team or league’s colours! Skaters thrive off of fan support. The louder you scream, the faster we go! The most ruckus you make, the harder we will hit! We feast on your energy so bring as much as you can! And if you don’t yet have favourite team colours, may I recommend yellow and black?

7. Be coifed. The entire three days of Flat Track Fever will be live streamed across the vastness of cyberspace. The fabulous folks at Canuck Derby TV and Derby News Network will be taking care of streaming this event. So you never know if your mug will be beamed across the cosmos and onto the laptop of some unsuspecting derby fan in Australia, UK, or even Alpha Centauri.

8. Have fun! While this is an intensely competitive sport, our fundamental goal is to have fun – both for the skaters and the fans. For the most part, we don’t take ourselves very seriously (just look at the outfit your average derby girl is sporting). We like to have a good time and gut-busting laughter is definitely the norm. So prepare for a healthy dose of F-U-N!

9. What else?! In my advanced age its quite possible I missed something. So if you arrive at the Oval and find yourself a bit confused or have a question, you can head over to the Information Booth. The lovely Info Booth minions will be happy to answer any addition questions you might have.

And if you wanna earn a lot of points, hug a volunteer! If it wasn’t for them, this tournament would not be happening. So always remember to thank them. They are our foundation!

In closing, if this is your first foray into roller derby, you are going to find yourself in an amazing world over the three days of the tournament. You will be treated to some fantastic sport, awesome athletes, and will probably experience one of the best times you have had in a while. And in all likelihood, it will be the gateway to a brand new addiction…

Trust me.

http://flattrackfever.chinookcity.ca

All photos have been provided by Steve Recsky.

Tags: bout, Calgary, Chinook City Roller Derby, flat track, Flat Track Fever, Roller Derby, tournament
Posted in Home, Roller Derby |

The hurt locker

Friday, April 6th, 2012

I haven’t actually seen the movie the Hurt Locker, but I figured it was a good title for a derby post. Because most people, when I mention Roller Derby, comment on one of two things. 1) Isn’t it like wrestling, with scripted storylines? and/or 2) Wow, that’s a pretty rough sport.

Now I didn’t know, being relatively new to the sport, that it was, indeed originally based on plots and rehearsed fights and all that jazz. Had I known that, I would probably have joined a lot sooner…:) But gone are the days where derby bouts are all flash and soap opera with more action, like the WWE. Which makes me a little sad (tear…), but actually improves the game. We still have quirky derby names, we still wear fun uniforms and make up, if we want to, and we add a touch of whimsy wherever we can, but derby has evolved into a more or less legitimate sport. With ex-speed skaters, hockey players, and all-round atheletes joining our ranks, the skill level is rising, and the focus has become less about heavy hits and playing for the audience and more about strategy and defense. And scoring, of course.

Which brings us to 2) – yes it is still a pretty rough sport. There are penalties for illegal hits, such as throwing elbows, clotheslining, tripping, back blocking…any deliberate or negligent action that has the potential to cause major injury can have you thrown out of the game. This keeps us all safer. That being said, there’s nothing like a can opener – which is a perfectly legal hit – to land a girl flat on her ass, wind knocked out of her, and perhaps not able to recover in time to join the pack. I have had a few significant bangs in my short time playing, including a pulled quad, jarred knee, and a thumb that got caught under another skater’s wheels. Not to mention all the various bumps and bruises that come during practice – we recently had an experienced visiting skater actually break her ankle during practice. (She is healing well and the Kill Jills wish her all our best so that she can get back on skates and kick our butts on the track once again!). So yes, derby is a rough sport. But you know the best part of it? When I lay into a girl (or guy, we scrimmage with the Reservoir Dogs pretty regularly), and I get a really excellent legal hit on, that player, without fail, will turn around and congratulate me on a good hit. And I do the same. It feels good, in a twisted way; they hit you because you’re between them and a couple of points, and so, really, a good hit is a reward for a job well done.

So no, it’s not scripted, and yes, people get hurt. But we do our best not to injure someone to the point that they won’t be able to play, because what fun is that? The more people that play derby, the better bouts we have, so we do our best to keep all our players safe. Besides, if too many people get hurt during the bout, there will be no one at the after-party, and that would be a real tragedy…:)

Come and see what the evolution of derby has to offer next weekend, at the Olympic Oval, during Flat Track Fever. I promise to lay in a few good hits for you – and hopefully, I’ll take a few too!

www.flattrackfever.chinookcity.ca

Photos by Steve Recsky

Tags: Calgary, chinook city, Chinook City Roller Derby, fight, Flat Track Fever, flat track roller derby, glenmore reservoir dogs, hitting, kill jills, penalties, Roller Derby, wwe
Posted in Home, Roller Derby |

Roller Derby’s Biggest Challenge to Growth

Monday, March 26th, 2012

Winter is a challenging time for Roller Derby in Canada. Facilities that are big enough to host practices and bouts that do NOT have ice in them, are limited. The derby community is a creative bunch though, and somehow, they always pull through.

There are dreams, however. Dreams of venues dedicated to the sport. Dreams of Roller Derby having paid players. Dreams of Roller Derby world domination….oops, maybe that’s a bit much, but I think you get the gist.