Roller Derby

Over the weekend, Emma, Kara, and I saw a flyer for a roller derby game nearby in Raleigh and decided to go on a whim. Other than UNC basketball, this is probably the only other sport I've ever genuinely enjoyed watching. 

I have to admit the only thing I knew about it before going to the actual game was what I gathered from Whip It but it's way more exciting than that!  Luckily the programs they handed us as we walked in the door listed all the rules and pictures of what different referee calls looked like so we could follow along. The first game we watched was close, so it kept our attention. The second game was a little less exciting because the Carolina girls ended up winning by more than 170 points. 

My favorite parts of it all were the ridiculous and witty names of all the players and the mascots and announcers. Above on the left was the announcer for the games. He was wearing a sarong, a captain's sailor hat, and a t-shirt that read "919 y'all" (919 is Raleigh's area code). He was not wearing shoes. Then the guy on the right was the mascot for the Tai-Chi-Tahs. He could literally run faster than people could skate and his silk pajamas were drenched in sweat by the time the game was over. 

Emma and I made up names for ourselves should we find ourselves as derby girls. She went with "DilEmma" and I chose "Purple Haze." We also came up with a few Harry Potter-themed names, Harry Slaughter being the best.

What would your derby name be?