Home of the Kokeshi Roller Dolls and Devil Dog Derby Dames

I was still pretty shocked I had retained all of the skills necessary to pass my MST only two practices back, and it spoke to the importance of good skill development beyond just simple athleticism. I had a lot of building to get back up to the endurance level I was prior to my injury, but the basics were there. That coming weekend our Skate Wars bout was coming up and I was invited to play. What?! 4 months of no skating to bouting! Could this be real? The lump in my thr

The first time I laced up my skates after my injury it was like spending time with an old friend. Almost 4 months to the day that I broke my foot I returned for open skate. I was greeted by the same warmth and smiles that were there the very first day I ever showed up nearly 9 months ago. It was like returning to school after summer break, anxious to see your friends and compare schedules. Little did I know what was in store for me by the time the weekend was over. I’d go

How many times have you packed your workout clothes for vacation only to reflect when you return they were just taking up much needed space for souvenirs and shoes? Well, I have done it many times having been bit hard by the vacation bug the minute I land out of my normal routine. But this summer was going to be different. I was going back to the states for 5 weeks to visit my family and I packed purposely with all of my gear in mind, determined that I would use it if I was

Me: I’m sorry. Shisa Beast: There is no ‘I’m sorry’ in Derby. Ahhhhh. So refreshing. In this world of political correctness and way-too-easily offended snowflakes, derby offers a venue to just be human and let that id and ego hold hands and play for awhile. Or push. I know my past two posts have revealed the warm-fuzzy side derby brought into my life, but let’s be frank, these are unexpected fringe benefits. I was originally drawn to derby for the grit, the challenge,

My first practice was so exciting, I felt like I had found my long lost sport. I couldn’t wait to skate again. Many girls who start roller derby have come from other sports or would probably consider themselves athletic in nature, but this is not my story. I had tried many sports throughout my life and never really fit in any of them. I was a cheerleader throughout high school, but the tumbling part was never my forte, I was just really good at being loud. Part of all o

Wednesday, February 22, was a normal day of errands, picking up kids, eating on the edge of healthy, and generally striding through life in my mid 30's. The furthest thought from my mind was roller derby, but the KRD booth at the PX and smiling faces behind it called to me, even in my haste to run an errand. It'd be fun to see when they play, I thought. I had a truly genuine interaction with the players behind the table, something that is often challenging to find when on a