Well this is it - another year has come and gone and it is time again for the WFTDA National Tournment. This years tournament takes place in Philadelphia and is hosted by the Philly Roller Girls - last years second place winner behind the Champion Gotham Roller Girls. It seems just like yesterday I was at the Expo Center in Portland watching my first tournament live. What a weekend that was. 3 solid days of top level Derby - I thought I had died and gone to heaven. My poor back on the other hand was in knots after so much time sitting on bleachers. First lesson about attending tournaments - bring a stadium chair! Of course I gutted it out and refused to miss a single bout even though the smells of nachos and hot pretzels were mighty tempting distractions - not to mention all the merch booths to check out. Lesson number two about attending tournaments - bring a backpack full of snacks! Luckily I had this one dialed in before hand. I could not miss even one minute of the action - how often does one have the opportunity to watch thier idols in action - game after game - win after win, loss after heartbreaking loss I walked away with an even greater respect for the SPORT of roller derby. The rules continue to evolve and with each new change the skaters find new ways to capitalize and exploit every opportunity. The days of "just hit someone" are done. The game requires much more finesse and skill and having a STRATEGY is key. Last years tournament proved the West Coast style of hit hard and ask questions later is a thing of the past as the East Coast teams with thier skill and strategy walked away with all 3 top spots leaving seasoned West Coast teams like Rat City and Bay Area scratching their heads...This weekend's tournament is gearing up to be the best one yet as the East vs. West battle rages on - can the West reclaim a spot in the Top 3? Rat City claimed the top spot in 2007, however this year did not make it out of Regionals. The hopes of the Western Division lie with the powerhouse Oly Rollers (Olympia, Wa.) and the two teams from Denver - The Denver Roller Dolls and The Rocky Mountain Roller Girls.
Roller Derby Nationals
Well this is it - another year has come and gone and it is time again for the WFTDA National Tournment. This years tournament takes place in Philadelphia and is hosted by the Philly Roller Girls - last years second place winner behind the Champion Gotham Roller Girls. It seems just like yesterday I was at the Expo Center in Portland watching my first tournament live. What a weekend that was. 3 solid days of top level Derby - I thought I had died and gone to heaven. My poor back on the other hand was in knots after so much time sitting on bleachers. First lesson about attending tournaments - bring a stadium chair! Of course I gutted it out and refused to miss a single bout even though the smells of nachos and hot pretzels were mighty tempting distractions - not to mention all the merch booths to check out. Lesson number two about attending tournaments - bring a backpack full of snacks! Luckily I had this one dialed in before hand. I could not miss even one minute of the action - how often does one have the opportunity to watch thier idols in action - game after game - win after win, loss after heartbreaking loss I walked away with an even greater respect for the SPORT of roller derby. The rules continue to evolve and with each new change the skaters find new ways to capitalize and exploit every opportunity. The days of "just hit someone" are done. The game requires much more finesse and skill and having a STRATEGY is key. Last years tournament proved the West Coast style of hit hard and ask questions later is a thing of the past as the East Coast teams with thier skill and strategy walked away with all 3 top spots leaving seasoned West Coast teams like Rat City and Bay Area scratching their heads...This weekend's tournament is gearing up to be the best one yet as the East vs. West battle rages on - can the West reclaim a spot in the Top 3? Rat City claimed the top spot in 2007, however this year did not make it out of Regionals. The hopes of the Western Division lie with the powerhouse Oly Rollers (Olympia, Wa.) and the two teams from Denver - The Denver Roller Dolls and The Rocky Mountain Roller Girls.
