Surprised? Yes, Maybe A Little -Take 1-

For a little while now, I’ve wanted to check out the Windy City Rollers, the local roller derby teams. One thing or another has kept me from the matches these past couple of years. I have to admit that I wasn't all that comfortable about the neighborhood where the matches were being held, so the excuses were easy find. However, the venue was changed for the 2009 season. The matches are being played in a public transportation / ‘we’re all about diversity’ friendly neighborhood.


So, I planned to attend Friday’s match. I invited my daughter along as usual. She was not as nearly as excited about the prospect, but she agreed. We went to Friday's bout.

Though it was not quite the roller derby I remember from my youth, nor did I fall in love with a roller derby queen, we still had a blast. She got hit on by a guy who was, as my mother would say, “drunk as a skunk”. He was enthralled by her funky N*ikes. He seemed to be by himself and like us, virgins to the “talk derby to me” crowd.

I was very pleasantly surprised and pleased to find a wide cross-section of very knowledgeable and vocal fans enjoying the bouts. M called the next day and during our conversation he revealed that he has a friend who skates. He couldn’t remember her “skate” or team name. I’ll have to show him the roster to see if that jogs his memory.

The house was nearly packed and the atmosphere was charged. We had a blast. I don’t know about D, but I certainly will be going to more of the matches.

Talk derby to me.