Scarface Clawdia: How it all began for me

So, I was reading articles online to procrastinate from the mundane job that was slowly killing me when I came across this.

A wee flicker of excitement lit up. A quick Google search whipped it into a frenzy, as I found the Richter City Roller Derby site. This amazingness was in Wellington too. Argh! Further scanning revealed a Freshmeat and Greet was happening the following evening, so it seemed luck was on my side. (In all honesty, if it had been in a week or so, my initial enthusiasm probably would have been worn down by self-doubt and "reality checks" that would have me believe it was a stupid thing to look into, I could never do it and to just move on.)

I talked myself into it. I turned up, and it wasn't scary. Okay, it was a little scary - but mainly because I don't usually turn up to bars and sit with random people to talk about a random sport I know nothing about.

But the girls were great. Welcoming and friendly, they answered my stupid questions,and told me anyone could give it a go. They enlightened me that this was one sport where my childbearing hips would come into their own; my legs would span a track and being solid would come in handy. So, somehow I found myself at Cheapskates the next afternoon, buying the cheapest pads out so that I was further committed to turning up on the Saturday to try out the Upper Hutt skate rink.

I'd never been on roller skates before, so this was a whole new world to me - but I was up and skating, with the walls to cling onto when I wanted to slow down...and some of the league girls on hand to give me
advice on skating (BEND YOUR KNEES), balance (lean forward...) and falling (not on your arse). I was getting the hang of it and skating away, getting slowly more confident...probably right up until I was suddenly on my tail bone, somehow seeing stars and waiving the prepubescent skaters' concerns away...carefully trying to reconstruct some sense of dignity. Suffer Jet skated by with one consolation: once you've fallen on your tail bone, you'll remember to fall forward next time - safely padded knees over bruised tail bone any day.

The next day, I was along at a Freshmeat session - back when it was more informal and structured loosely around what the skaters who turned up needed. We learned the basics of falling, stopping and skating form. I vaguely pity those outside of skating who had to listen to me groan about the aching legs, the pain caused by walking up and down stairs, and the desperate need I had for my very own skates.

It had begun. I was hooked.