Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Roller Derby virus is taking over Holland...

A little over a year ago, a bunch of rad ladies in Amsterdam started a Roller Derby League. Starting out to learn how to Roller Skate...Now one year later there are no less then FIVE leagues in the Netherlands!! And this is really something. None of us is playing bouts yet, but they are all training very hard, so next year we can hopefully organize our first Dutch Roller Derby Championship! Wouldn't that be a blast?!

So let me introduce them to you:

Of course I will start with the Amsterdam Derby Dames

You can find us online at:
Website Facebook Hyves Myspace



East Side Rock 'n Rollers (Enschede)


You can find these ladies online at:
Facebook
Website



Rock City Rollers (Eindhoven)

You can find these ladies online at:
Hyves



Dom City Dolls (Utrecht)


You can find these ladies online at:
Facebook



And then our latest Dutch edition to Roller Derby Holland:
Rotterdam Death row Honeys (Rotterdam and The Hague)


They do not have their own logo yet, but you've got to cut them some slack, they started a week ago! :)

You can find these brand new Derby Ladies (or should I say Honeys..) online at:
Facebook



I think it is amazing how fast the Roller Derby Virus is spreading around in the Netherlands.
And there will be more and more girls getting infected in the coming months, years, until there is Roller Derby everywhere!! :)

So on Wednesday nights I train with the Dom City Dolls. I have been living in Utrecht for the past 8 years, but when I was looking for Roller Derby in the Netherlands, it was just the Amsterdam Derby Dames that started. So I joined them. And after all these months of training with them, I couldn't leave if I wanted to. (Just for my league mates, I don't want to!!)
But when I heard there where girls starting up in Utrecht, I saw an opportunity to train more and to meet more Derby girls. When I first met these girls this summer, they were still getting the hang on being on skates. Seeing how I had been training with the ADD for over a half year, I was all of a sudden an expert!! You should have seen me, it was crazy, always being one of the worst at ADD and then being the best at DCD. It was just funny to me!
So I started helping out with their trainings. And it has been so much fun. Teaching them to fall and stop and basic skills like that.

Now a couple of months into their training, it's not just me anymore helping out, but also two other ADD team mates. And they are making great progress.
Today we practiced whips. It was so much fun, training the basic skills of whipping, just makes you want to play more. Seeing their tired but satisfied faces at the end of practice just makes my day.

And this is the really cool thing about Roller Derby, this is a DIY sport. We have to set everything up, train ourselves, organize ourselves, promote ourselves, etc, etc. There aren't any leagues or anything you can just join. Not like soccer or hockey.
I guess this is also what makes Roller Derby girls so uniquely connected...

Well before I get to philosophical, I'll go and hit the shower...cause you know, Roller Derby girls smell.......GOOD!!! :)


-Furrrocious

4 comments:

  1. hehehee, you go girl! Derby<3 all over The Netherlands! ^^

    MadCin, EastSide Rock'nRollers

    ReplyDelete
  2. Excellent post! And so exciting as I moved here 4 years ago and have been missing derby ever since.
    Eastside also now has a non-FB website:
    http://www.eastsiderocknrollers.nl

    Hope to skate with/against you soon!

    Stop Dutching Me, Eastside Rock'nRollers

    ReplyDelete
  3. @ Sheri: I chanced it, your website is now also on it! :)
    But yeah I can imagine, if you all ready played it really sucks to come here and find that your favorite sport in the world isn't know here...
    I got in contact with RD a couple of years ago when I was living in the States and one of my good friends took me to see a bout! I was amazed, scared and enthusiastic all at the same time! :) And now, years later, training myself to become one of those kick ass girls! :)
    Well hope to see you girls soon!
    - Furrrocious

    PS: Really love your name Stop Dutching me

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice! I'm working on the RDRH logo as we speak :) I think I can speak for our group is I say we're very, VERY enthusiastic!

    Cheers and thanks for briefly introducing us!

    Lot / RDRH / still thinking of a name ;)

    ReplyDelete

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