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About Roller Skate Shoes

Posted by admin on September 13, 2009

Feeling tired to walk across the street to get the grocery?  Roller skating to the grocery store?  Anyone?

In short, it can be a good form of exercise and no one can give any lame reason for not doing it. Using roller skate shoes has its own health benefits as they prove to be a very useful form of cardio exercise and beneficial in arthritis problem.  Just like buying a pair of shoes, a few things should be considered, like the size of the shoes.  It must fit!  Make sure that the feet do not get cramped up otherwise it will be difficult to skate, and you are most likely to get blisters and some feet!

The inner sole should be soft and slightly cushioned so that when pressure is applied while skating, applying brakes or taking a turn, the toes should not be under undue pressure and cause added stress to the toenails. Added care in the fitting of the shoes, keep the feet strong and healthy to skate in the future. If there are ankle straps, roller skates should be strapped to the ankle properly. Roller skate shoe can either have two wheels, four wheels, fixed wheels, or detachable wheels.  It is completely your choice which you choose to start with.

The shoes also need to be tough and strong to be able to do roller skating and bear all the added stress which might occur while skating. You get a lot of colorful variety in shoes, designer shoes, and special shoes for kids, women, and men.

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Posted under roller derby, roller derby history, roller derby skate shoes, roller derby skates, roller derby teams

The Wild Wonderful World of Roller Derby

Posted by admin on August 11, 2009

Believe it or not, this is a sport born and bred in the good ol’ USA.  It is an All American phenomenon!  It is a high velocity sport that takes roller skating from the average neighbourhood street to an indoor oval track.  In its early years, roller derby was a professional sport played by both men and women. Today it is a primarily amateur sport that has teams and circuits all over the world and has becomes predominantly a women’s sport.  Hoo Rahh for the hard hitting women of roller derby USA!

Historically, the term Roller Derby was first coined in 1922 in the Chicago Tribune.  It was used to describe flat track roller skating races. Leo Seltzer a promoter and sportswriter, Damon Runyon have been credited with impacting the competitions in the 1930’s by making it focus on the physcallity of the sport and the spectacle of it.  Seltzer actually trade marked the term “Roller Derby” and used this to promote his professional teams as they toured through the US. Roller Derby became a part of pop culture as the matches took place through the US.  The matches were broadcast on radio in the early years and later became a television phenomenon with an increasing fan base.

Great ideas never stand alone.  Competing organizations such as Roller Games, burst onto the scene.  But as many fast rising stars often do, the sport had to ride out many ups and downs.  The mainstream event finally fizzled in the 1970’s.  Much of the interest over the next few decades were fueled by the veterans and die hard fans.

Today’s Roller Derby has re-emerged.  In fact 3,700 fans attened the debut of the 2007 Minnesota RollerGirls season.  Rooler Derby has entered into next era.  This sport has spread beyond its American roots and leagues have poppeed up in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.  It has reconencted with today’s hard hitting women and captured not only the athleticism but acquired a “campy” personality all of its own.

The revival is attributed to the non-affiliated DIY young women who took on the sport with guts and gusto. Roller derby is a contact sport and injuries range from common bruises and sprains to broken bones and beyond. No wonder that EMT’s are often on hand at the matches.  These injuries become the well documented and discussed “battle scars”, to be flaunted and exploited as a part of the culture that follows this growing sport.  Safety equipment such as helmets, elbow pads, knee pads are required.  Roller derby skates have to be built for the rigors of the face paced track.

The Derby demons of today’s Roller Derby has its own look and feel.  The look is often inspired by  rockabilly or burlesque fashions.  Cool tattoos and tutus are a part of the Derby style.  In some leagues, “Larger-than-life” on-track aggressive behavior, the half-time entertainment and “penalty games” provide the “entertainment” in this sport.  It is attitude and velocity combined wth the griity fast paced excitement that draws fans all over the world.

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Roller Derby in the 1990’s

Posted by RollerDiva on August 10, 2010

And yes, we made it into the 1990’s carrying the new flag of girl power… Thank you Spice Girls! Us Roller Derby Divas know every word of every one of your songs, and maybe we should take up wearing union jack hot mini skirts, just like Ginger Spice.

All over the roller derby scene in Canada, even in Calgary, there are new events, teams and blogs arising, and plenty if new and exciting websites being created, all of which are now enhancing the Derby Diva style, from girl power to diva power!

The sport was now finding its new identity as all the teams began to be created anew and the recreated ideals of the on and off track ideals came alive with a new sense of purpose, the 90’s really were the start of the rebirth of the sport, a sport that had its birth way back in the 1920’s in the days of our great grandmas – can you imagine them wearing our clothes, or having our tattoos? I don’t think so!

And come to think of it, I wonder what imagery, style and dress will be around in a further 20 years in this amazing sport, what will the girls of 2030 be wearing, and maybe their will be a truly International league, and even a world cup – now, there is a thought and one worth considering… I wonder who the first winner will be? The Roller Derby Divas of course!

To see what is happening moment by moment, follow us on Twitter here at Derby Divas and come along and like us on Facebook Roller Derby Divas… you know you want to.

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Roller Derby in the 1980’s

Posted by RollerDiva on August 10, 2010

Oooh, the 80’s! Some say the worst decade for style and music, but I love the 80’s, they gave us Madonna and more, it was the beginning of the reconstructed and deconstructed look in fashion that has evolved into the style of the Roller Derby Divas of today – all that mix and match, with elements of burlesque, punk, skater and trash all mixed in and cut up together.

The history of roller derby, as it evolved throughout Saskatoon, Toronto, Victoria and the York region of Canada, brings all those elements of uniform, outfit and clothes  that really bring the sport alive, as sometimes it is not juts how you play the game, but how you appear to play the game, and eye to eye, your need that 80’s style makeup, raw and edgy, with colour to spare, and the Derby Divas are the queens of style, we rule!

The sport has evolved, so quickly in this past 30 years, the main evolutionary step being the acceptance into the mainstream, and the willingness of younger and sassier girls to become involved, the continuance of girl power! But where would be have been, style wise, without Cindi Lauper? Her dress sense and style really helped us to be free from accepted roller derby styles, and enabled us to gain our own individual identities within the sport, so now it is run from the inside out, rather than from the outside in.

To see what is happening moment by moment, follow us on Twitter here at Derby Divas and come along and like us on Facebook Roller Derby Divas… you know you want to.

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Roller Derby 70’s

Posted by RollerDiva on August 10, 2010

The 1970’s – what does it mean to you? For me, well it has to be all about punk rock, and now as the Roller Derby Divas we owe so much of our style, attitude and sass to those days of revolution, attitude and fingers up to the establishment.

40 years ago mankind would not been able to accept quite what the Roller Derby scene has carried into the world, it is a version of liberation of the female psyche that is too intimidating for most men, but then really girls, who is interested in ‘most men’?

As the 2010 roller derby season unfolds across Canada, we see the calendar of events in Halifax, Vancouver, Kelowna, Edmonton, Regina and Ontario, and without those past days of roller derby of the 70’s, today’s revolution would not have happened.

We have our punk equivalents alive, kicking and pushing today, all those beautiful and powerful girls, bringing that attitude to the sport in our dress style, music choice and imagery. The Derby Divas are the girls that are setting the bar to new low heights of sheer raw energy, and to new high heights female attractiveness, and those boys that gawp at us… Well, keep looking boys, and then one day, maybe one day!

We are here, and here to stay, being the first, best and all about roller derby in Toronto – get your skates on!

To see what is happening moment by moment, follow us on Twitter here at Derby Divas and come along and like us on Facebook Roller Derby Divas… you know you want to.

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Roller Derby in the 1960’s

Posted by RollerDiva on August 10, 2010

Oh way back, way back man… Travelling in our time machine with the Derby Divas to those happy, hippy days of flower power, peace, love and Woodstock, when roller derby was a black and white shadow of its colourful present day image. On this forum you’ll see information about the latest equipment, team names, leagues and workouts – now that is something that was not available in the 1960’s.

And we have our star, our heroine, the roller derby jammer, in all her fabulous apparel, but can you imagine if the girls back then could wear what they wanted, instead of those old uniforms based upon men’s sporting costume?

Lets go there Roller Derby Divas! Can you see us in our maxi skirts, head bands and velvet jackets racing round the loop? With the psychedelic colours and incense floating around the track? No, not really, but boy, some of those girls were tough, more like wrestlers who had learned to skate, and largely professional, sponsored and employed by teams, earning through TV licensing, and girls, you know that this is coming again, so get your team rolling, like the Roller Derby Divas, and as the leagues and competition grow and develop, more and more opportunities will arise from the larger sponsors… Now there is a thought – what product would you like to see as a sponsor of the sport? Red Bull? Nooo – Red Cow?

To see what is happening moment by moment, follow us on Twitter here at Derby Divas and come along and like us on Facebook Roller Derby Divas… you know you want to.

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Roller Derby in the 1970’s

Posted by RollerDiva on August 10, 2010

Back in the day, way back in the 1970s’ when roller derby was in its second incarnation, a young Debbie Harry from Blondie was setting the stage for those later wildcat girls of modern day… With dyed blonde hair and ripped, provocative and evocative clothes and styling, creating the roller derby uniform look of today. A long time has passed since those days of punk, as now 40 years later the zombies are being re-incarnated, and can be found all over the internet.

Try a search on for ‘roller derby youtube’ and see what amazing videos have been uploaded, teaching the rules of the game, how to break the rules and maybe most importantly – choosing a name… Yes, there is an International database of registered names, each one individual and slightly crazy, though some are intended to be less tongue in cheek, and more slap in the face… And check out those outfits, something your mother might not like, but hey, that was yesterday, and roller derby divas are about to change the world.

The sport was a professional series back then in the 1970’s, with girls and women in both America and Australia finding the energy and feminine power to overcome some of the more traditional aspects of male dominated sports.

Yes, things have changed since then, and to see what is happening moment by moment, follow us on Twitter here at Derby Divas and come along and like us on Facebook Roller Derby Divas… you know you want to.

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