Green Mountain scrimmage in Burlington.

A couple weeks ago we drove up to Burlington to scrimmage the Green Mountain Derby Dames - one of my favorite roadtrips!  Thank you GMDD for hosting us!

After the scrimmage we headed into town for some drinks and chow.  We saw a woman on the street that had a cornucopia of rainbow and unicorns.  Did I mention that Burlington is my favorite?  The only thing missing was a team attempt at the Vermonster again.

This weekend marked my first of three consecutive derby weekends in April... The 2013 derby season is in full swing!

St. Baldrick's - Jezibelle N. Hell shaves her head for charity

Roc City Roller Derby hosted a St. Baldrick's event the same day as our bout.  Jezibelle N. Hell decided to raise money and participate.  She said she shaved her head three times in high school... so, no big deal!  But it is a big deal.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation currently funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. The Foundation coordinates its signature head-shaving events worldwide, where volunteers get bald to stand in solidarity with kids fighting cancer and raise money to support life-saving childhood cancer research. St. Baldrick's events are the largest volunteer-driven fundraising opportunity benefitting pediatric cancer research.  - http://www.stbaldricks.org/

Here are some photos related to the shaving event

Action shot

In the locker room after shaving.

It's not too late to donate to St. Baldrick's via Jez' page: http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/629484/2013

No big deal that our photoshoot was also the next weekend.  Jezibelle rocked it.  At least her hair was easy to "do"!

Photo by Dino Petrocelli
Makeup by True Grace

Quick Recap of First Two Bouts

March 2 - HoTRD vs. Green Mountain Derby Dames

HoT vs GMDD.  Photo by Sean Childs

Our first WFTDA sanctioned bout!  Against our great friends from Burlington, VT - the Green Mountain Derby Dames!
I was on the roster for this bout, however I ended up with a late case of the flu (!!!) and ended up having to miss the bout - I couldn't even go and watch.
GMDD is a strong team and was a good challenge for us.  The final score of the bout of 228 GMDD - 110 HoT.


March 23 - HoTRD vs. Roc City Roller Derby

HoTRD vs Roc City.  Photo by Kris Dreessen

This bout took place at RIT college - neat!  This is also where our former skater CrickHit goes to school - so we got to hang out with her that weekend.  She's skating with Roc City's B team... so awesome.  I wish I started derby in college!

Roc City took an early lead and racked up point quickly. The score at halftime was 211 Roc - 55 HoT. After a good peptalk in the locker room from coaching, we refocused and kept the damage minimal. Roc still took the win with a final score Roc 306 - HoT 126, but we were happy with the second half.  Roc also had perhaps the best hospitality ever - their skaters set up a potluck so there was tons of different and delicious food to enjoy after the bout.
Roc City also hosted a St. Baldrick's event that day - Jezibelle N. Hell participated - blog on that coming up soon!

Take a deep breath and jump

A couple weeks ago WFTDA released an updated Minimum Skills Requirements (MSR) document, a document that WFTDA member leagues had been reviewing and beta testing for the past [undisclosed amount of time]. Since the Hellions had this information in advance and our coaching department was getting ready for league evaluations anyway, we've been able to do some "dry run" evaluations this week.

3" cone      |           6" cone

One of the revised skills is being able to hop over an object at least 6 inches in height without touching the object or losing balance, while skating at a moderate pace. The former standard was 3 inches.

Me catching some air over the 6in obstacle.

When you're brand new to derby the idea of jumping any height is intimidating. You want me to what? Are you kidding with me? Nope! I say: Just take a deep breath and go for it. Practicing jumps helps build muscle memory just in case you have to jump over a fallen skater on the track. This has happened to me before and thankfully my body just DID it without me having to think about it.

Anyway, I remember when I was a new skater and would just do sort of a standard little hop, just high enough to clear the 3 inch cone. Then one day when I was feeling particularly energetic, I built up some speed before launching myself into the air, kinda trying to see if I could get my feet to touch my backside. WOW! I don't remember if I stuck the landing, but after trying it again a few more times I realized it was just another fun, new, and useful trick I had added to my skill set.

The best part of this hopping drill this past week was that everyone participated, including the fresh meat. They had already practiced hops maybe once or twice in the past... maybe once jumping over an actual object. Even though there were some nervous faces, everyone gave it a shot. By the end of the drill, everyone was hopping higher than their first shot. It was awesome!

Blurry Hellions (haha) clearing the 6in obstacles.

Lil' Wheezy going for a big jump.  NBD.

Roster for this weekend's bout - introducing some new faces

Introducing our roster for tomorrow'ss bout! We've got some new faces making their debut with the Herculadies this weekend: Felony Femme, Moxie Furious, Painted Lady, and Wanda Smacksemoff. Wicked Irish also makes her Hellions home bout debut this weekend!

Catch the derby action! Hellions vs Lumber Jills - Saturday April 13 @ 7pm at Rollarama! Going to the bout? Say so on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/events/342182402569687/

I'm Short Temper and it's my day - April 11 ... 411!

Just a quick fun post to show off my headshot from our recent photoshoot with Dino Petrocelli and True Grace Makeup!

Two derby events this weekend: bout and recruitment event!

On Saturday, April 13th, the Hellions of Troy’s B-team, the Herculadies, will take on Plattsburgh’s North Country Lumber Jills. Last year the Herculadies faced off against the Lumber Jills in their closest bout of the season, skating away with the win 152 to 126. The Herculadies finished their last season with a 5-1 record and are looking forward to another successful season.

In addition to aggressive, fast-paced all-female roller derby action, fans can look forward to a beer garden at this bout! You read correctly – 21+ fans can now enjoy an ice cold beverage while watching the Herculadies and Lumber Jills go head to head on the track.

The bout will take place at Rollarama Skating Center in Schenectedy, NY on Saturday, April 13th. Doors will open at 7 p.m.; with the first whistle starting the bout at 8 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs as seating is limited.

An after party at Clinton’s Ditch, located 112 South College Street in Schenectedy, will immediately follow the bout. Tickets for the bout are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, and $3 for kids under 12. The Hellions also offer reduced rates for groups over 10.

Open Recruitment!!!  You could play roller derby! Recruitment Event this Sunday night @ 7pm at Rollarama Skating Center.

Also recruiting referees,
non-skating officials, and volunteers!

The Hellions are currently in open recruitment for skaters, referees, and non-skating officials and will be hosting a special recruitment event on Sunday, April 14th from 7-9 p.m. at Rollarama to complete this derby-filled weekend. Women over 18 can join as skaters.

Both men and women over 18 can join as referees, officials, and volunteers. If you have an awesome attitude, the Hellions have a place for you! To learn more about Hellions recruitment, contact hellionsrecruitment@gmail.com.