mickikrimmel on August 23rd, 2008
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Summer hiatus is over! The teams are practicing again and the next bout is just around the corner. Get your tickets now, VIP seats are selling out fast!
As for me, I’ve been out of practice for most of this month thanks to 1) a badly sprained ankle and 2) a horrible ear infection. Both are on the mend now. Try outs are tomorrow! I’m not feeling as confident as I have been but I’m gonna give it a shot. I figure the worst that could happen is I don’t make it. That means another few months as Fresh Meat. That ain’t so bad. I can still skate which is all that really matters. I can’t wait to get back on the track! So wish me luck tomorrow! I’ll check in and let you know how it goes.
mickikrimmel on July 2nd, 2008
Last night marked a milestone in my roller derby career. I got track-cleared! Basically, once fresh meat skaters master a set of skills and show that they can scrimmage with other skaters safely, they get evaluated to be track-cleared. Once you are track-cleared, you can join the all skate practices with more seasoned derby girls and you can also practice at the track whenever you feel like it - as long as someone else is there with you. So this is great news for me! The next try-outs are at the end of August and now I can practice more to prepare for them. And I really need to. I’m not so great at stopping. In fact, I suck at it. I skate really strongly and I’m definitely in control but the perfect stop has so far eluded me. Not for long though, cause I’m gonna hit the track as much as possible over the next 2 months.
If you want a sense of what a 2 hour roller derby practice is like, these are the drills (as best as I can remember them) that we went thru last night:
30 seconds as fast as you can
rest (still skating)
45 seconds as fast as you can
rest
1 minute as fast as you can (need to do 5 laps for tryouts)
rest
1:15 as fast as you can
rest
1:30 as fast as you can
rest
1:15 and … all of the above all the way back down.
20 laps in opposite direction as fast as you can
20 laps in regular direction as fast as you can (must be under 5 minutes for tryouts)
stretching
blocking one on one partner
blocking/jamming 2 on 2
blocking/jamming 3 blockers, 2 jammers
blocking/jamming 4 blockers, 2 jammers
wall of pain:
20 crunches
20 side crunches on each side
20 bicycle crunches (much harder in skates!)
20 flutter kicks
20 scissor kicks
30 squats
30 seconds of squat pulses
hold squat for 30 seconds — ooooowwwww!
stretching
Then, after all that (2 hours), a few of us got back up on the track to get cleared. It was a tough and inspiring night. After watching the bouts at the tournament over the weekend, we were all really determined and had a great practice! This shit is crazy fun.
mickikrimmel on June 27th, 2008
This upcoming weekend is probably the biggest weekend the LA Derby Dolls have had so far. In a first tournament of its kind, the best skaters from Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County are having it out on a banked track. Not only will there be tons of games throughout Saturday and Sunday, there will be bands, food, beer and general awesomeness. What the Derby Dolls do is very special and unique to Los Angeles. If you were making a list of thing to do before you move out of town, this is a must and here’s two days of opportunity (and while available, there’s a discount code [ladd2day] for $10 off here).
And if you do go, you’ll see one hopeful player working the door. She won’t be playing since she’s still considered “Fresh Meat…”
Read the full article. If you like it, click on “recommend” at the bottom of the post and it will stay at the top of the page for new visitors to LAist.
I’m so honored to be able to represent the LA Derby Dolls even as the noob that I am. Roller Derby is crazy freakin’ fun but more importantly, the Dolls are a really strong community. The support we receive from the vets, the trainers and the other “fresh meat” is super inspiring. I leave every practice feeling like I can do just about anything. So thanks to everyone involved and to Zach Behrens for reaching out to me for this story.
The Derby Dolls are super committed to supporting the community - we’ve got a bunch of community service projects in the works - and we need your support to continue. So I hope to see you at the tournament this weekend! We are making roller derby history - don’t miss it!
Photo credit: Michael Zed, aka Rink Rat. BTW, I’m wearing Fighty Almighty’s old helmet. Talk about an honor! She’s the player I strive to be.
mickikrimmel on June 13th, 2008
Back on a roll in L.A. with Derby Dolls - Los Angeles Times - Awesome article about the Derby Dolls and the upcoming tournament.
Get $10 off tickets by using this code: ladd2day when you buy your tickets online. Limited number of discount seats available. Hope to see you there!
In other roller derby news, the next tryouts are at the end of August! Wish me luck. I have a lot of work to do!
mickikrimmel on May 11th, 2008
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Thanks to everyone who supported my fundraiser! I can’t wait to try these bad boys out on the track. Apologies for the crappy video quality and hissy audio. All I had with me was my point and shoot.
mickikrimmel on May 5th, 2008
Help me become a Derby Doll!
I won’t give you the whole sob story but Yuri and I have been dealing with a bunch of personal and family issues lately that have necessitated a lot of travel and time off work. We’re broke. And dammit, I want to be a roller derby girl! I went to my first practice yesterday with the LA Derby Dolls and I kicked ass! So I need some help paying for gear. The skates alone can cost up to $500, not to mention the knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards and helmet.
So I’m reaching out to you, my lovely friends to pitch in and help me tear it up on the Derby track. I know I can kick those girls’ asses. But I need your help.
We have one week to raise $400 (I’m gonna try to get used gear)! I know we can do it! Come on, it will be worth it just to see me in uniform… No?
UPDATE: Wow, the show of support has been amazing! I think I only need like $40 more to reach my target! FYI: those of you donating by means other than paypal, your donations haven’t been counted yet but I do see them. So thanks to everyone!
UDPATE (May 8): Wow! Thanks everyone! In just over 48 hours, I surpassed my goal and have raised $458! Thanks, mostly, to Twitter. You are all amazing. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support. It’s just a little thing (a pair of skates) but your support means a lot to me. Hooray, internet!
