Oh, and I found out about the Dollz on MySpace. Yup.

I remember fun times skating at RollerCon ’07 – the evening open scrimmages outside with the light that you had to push the button to keep on. That was great. It was still hella hot, but much nicer than the temps in the parking ramp during the afternoon on skates classes. I remember coming away from that experience feeling like I was a part of something so much bigger than myself. That this was a huge community, and I was in love.

I cannot thank the founders of the Sioux Falls Roller Dollz enough for starting that league. If it wasn’t for that league, I shudder to think of where I’d be in my life. PainMaker & Queen Elizabitch – and really all the Dollz that were at that first meeting I drove 2 hours to get to. I knew as soon as I met you all and heard you talking about this sport that I had to be a part of it. Damned the drive!

And now, many years later, I’m living in Minneapolis, dating a man from Ireland who I met because of derby, skating with MNRG as a Rockit, volunteer working for the WFTDA, living the derby dream really. That’s how I feel. This sport has changed my life and made me a better and much happier person.

I’ve been listening for the past 3 years, and it’s always been enjoyable to listen to you all chat up this thing that has consumed my life, even when I don’t agree with you. Keep up the great work.

2008 – when our league won our first bout. It was so close they had to hook up a video camera to a TV to review the points. I bought a lot of shots at the after party that night.

2010 – going to New Orleans & San Antonio for a couple of our mock sanctioned bouts. The Big Easy was a blast. We had a couple of days to kill in S.A. so we went to a TXRD bout in Austin on that Saturday night. Ummm, what was that about no penalty wheel? I was only used to seeing the Derby Dolls play so I was completely confused. So where a lot of the girls that when with us there. It turned them of banked track for a long time. Luckily at halftime a couple of the TXRD jeerleaders told me the key to watching the bout: have a few more drinks & just let it happen. It worked (plus they had long quarter breaks). Afterwards we went out to eat with some of the Austin derby girls (including Rice Rocket).

Then there was watching Champs that year. After seeing Oly vs Rocky at Westerns everyone was wondering if they could do it again. The feed kept breaking up and was far from the quality we have now but Dumpy & Val on the mic for that was magical. I am not ashamed to say I was crying at the end of that bout (along with a lot of other people I bet). It was such a great game.

2011- Coaching my first (and so far only) WFTDA bout back in New Orleans. That was a tough game esp since we lost. But I have never been in a venue that had the energy that the last 3 jams of that bout had. Two tied jams, everyone thinking it was going to overtime tied and finding out there was still time on the clock for one more jam due to a time out (Yeah, the scoreboard clock was “malfunctioning”). The only thing that kept me from just breaking down was the fact I said I would call DD after the bout. But I somehow got through the call. To this day is the only episode I have never listened to. We went to the after party & it wasn’t happening at all so we just did what anyone would do: we hit Bourbon Street and drank our faces off. We ended up leaving it as the sun was coming up over it. That night didn’t suck. Neither did the next minus the crazy metal fans, being where we didn’t know anyone & almost stealing our rides car to get out of there as he looked like he was going to shoot someone. But hey, shit happens down there.

Then there was RollerCon 2011. Meeting Megatron, Dumpy, PitchIt, ChromeMolly & Tara for the first time in person was amazing. Hurt, Mercy & a few others making our way to the Boones party. Sitting with some of the Rocky Mountain girls while waiting for Bay Area vs Denver. Since we couldn’t leave our seats as they wouldn’t let you hold them, we had to do the “lean & shift” for 4 hours so it didn’t look like anyone had left when we needed to step out for a minute. Oh and sitting around the pool with Levar Hurtin, Sharkey, Joe Rollerfan and others one night. Somehow we got to talking about the Skate Safe kits and one girl from Cherry City suddenly goes “Lube just means you want to make things more fun!” Yeah, that stopped the conversation.

Hanging out at Westerns with Chrome was a blast. I thought my “pony beats Dutchland” shirt was good until she got that pivot line one. Being upset at Rat for not skating (and Rocky for going along with it). Cheering for Rose as they beat Bay Area was intense. WOJ fans are nuts! Bumping into Ecko at a party Saturday night and getting her on video promising Rocky was going to skate not stall the next day vs Oly. Going with Chrome & Megatron to get pizza at about 3am. We thought it was a good idea since he had on tights and booty shorts and was walking back to the hotel. That was good pizza too. The stripper at Union Jacks taking all my money and tipping it back to me like we were doing her was hilarious.

Getting windburn in Denver at Champs sucked. But watching KC vs Oly made up for it. Sassy from Oly giving me a titty twister. Realizing Elektra from Tucson is perhaps not the best driver to go to a part with when you don’t know where it is (love ya).

Going to the World Cup was awesome. Yes, the feed sucked but being there was incredible. Somehow when I went to buy a Team Sweden shirt I got sucked into working their merch booth and ended up hanging with them most of the event. Seeing Betty Ford Galaxy & Lilly Lightning suddenly pop up out of nowhere. Getting a private tour of Toronto on the Saturday party bus as no one by myself and my friend Zack were the only ones on it and the driver had to make the loop tip anyhow was cool. Meeting all the people from around the world that came to the event was a blast. Honestly, they didn’t know how many people would come to the first one. I think they bet right on it. What if they rented a big arena (if they could have found one) and no one came? It would have been the first & last time it was ever held. Sunday breezing past 1,000 people in line for bag check & sneaking Hurt in a bottle of single malt just because. US vs Canada was off the hook. It was a blow out but that place was so alive! I ended up basically with all of Team Sweden sitting on top of me for the bout.

2012 – Coaching my first game at RollerCon and finding out Demanda Riot really is nice. Really nice. Having Francey Pants bring us crepes at the pool Sunday night after it was over. Learning that maybe playing the drinking game with L8r Sk8r & others during the live DD show may not have been the best idea.

Going to Champs in Atlanta was fun. Not quite as epic as Denver due to the venue I think. But fun was had (and much safety). Seeing Francey put up 45 on Texas to pull that bout out was just nuts. Nothing like that is ever going to happen again. Then Belle Starr with a broken wrist signing autographs for the kids there immediately after the bout was just… wow. I would have een like “hospital NOW!” but she just smiled, signed and talked to everyone that wanted to talk to her. The next morning she still had her arm in a sling wearing her uniform from the bout. Bet people on the plane ride home just loved her. Watching jr derby players do a exhibition during the event was special. They were so cute and nice that WFTDA was acknowledging the future of our sport at it’s biggest event. And learning that even the Hard Rock Cafe isn’t prepared to deal with a derby party. So understaffed it was comical. Please people, if you are going to hold a big event and have a big party afterwards, make sure the venue knows to bring on extra staff for us. Double the number of wait & bar staff in the club is a good place to start. Having more than two working registers would help too. Thank goodness B-Train hooked me up with an extra beer while I was waiting to get out of there.

Honestly though my best memories are getting to hear the podcast every week (nearly every week that is). From the big issues (like TransferGate) to just the little jokes and such keep me coming back. Plus on those long drives to and from away bouts make the trip so much easier esp when it gets past 1 or 2 am in some cases. I am so glad Derby Deeds made it to 150 episodes and here is hoping it makes it to another 150 more.

I’ll start. With the fact that I shot this series: