Meet the new members of the Skatefast Club!

Meet some of the newest members of the Skatefast Club just in time to see them skate on 16 February!

LUruk-hai #32

I started roller derby two years ago in January 2011. I have a friend who had joined Aberdeen’s GCRG league and kept talking about it. I then went to watch Berlin play ARRG back in 2010 and decided to sign up for the next fresh meat!

My derby name is LUruk-hai. I love Lord of the Rings and Uruk-hai’s are cool and bad ass, even if they are the bad guys! I also like that it sounds kind of exotic too.

During the day, my “Clark Kent” persona is spent working for an organisation that supports people with learning disabilities, and I really like it.

This year, I am looking forward to actually bouting and getting more experience. I am also excited about skating with SFC! I like 80s-esque things and the colour yellow (as you will see from my skates).

The main thing I have learnt from roller derby so far is that you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. People are different and work and learn at different paces. So don’t give up if you really want to skate.

Some of the best parts of ARRG are learning derby, the change for keeping fit/doing sport (where as I was quite lazy before!) and all the awesome folk you meet and the great friends you make.

And you may not know, but my husband is ARRG announcer Stephen Tawking.

Terrifying Tink #802

Tell me how/why/when you started Roller Derby.
I been kind of aware of it, then a friend tried it and said I would love it; and I did! I started with a brand new league in November 2009.

Why did you choese your derby name?
I am a permanently, filthy child! and a bit scary!

What is your “Clark Kent” persona (or, what do you busy yourself with outside of derby)?
I don’t do much other than derby these days, but my day job is as a research scientist at the University of Dundee, looking for new treatments for Malaria.

What your goals and what are you looking forwards to this season?
Getting stronger, fitter, harder and gaining better tactical knowledge. I recently transferred to ARRG from a smaller league, partly for the increased physical challenge it would offer, and it’s certainly doing that!

What advice do you have for those thinking about skating or just starting out?
Do it, you’ll surprise yourself!

Finally, what’s the best part of derby and ARRG?
Massive team spirit!

Slamboyance #138

I started roller derby at the end of 2011. I’d been to a few bouts with friends and we all thought it looked amaze and wanted to try it, but I was the only one who ended up giving it a go!

I’ll tell the shortened version of the meaning behind my name! I’m hoping that one day i can live up to my name and be able to hit hard and have some fancy flamboyant footwork. Oh, and I’m very partial to a bit of sequin and sparkle!

My goal for home season is to not foul out! And of course to have lots of fun!

Pope #264

I first heard about roller derby a couple of years or so ago. My friend told me that there was this thing we should go to where we’d be taught to skate in the first hour and in the second hour we were to skate around and push people over. I wasn’t particularly keen. After going to see a few bouts and really loving it I decided to sign up, and started Fresh Meat in March 2012. It was a pretty rash decision but I’m really happy I did. And I can confirm that my Fresh Meat training was not at all as my pal had described.

I chose my derby name because I wanted something really really silly. I had a pun-filled couple of months before someone told me to hurry up and pick a name. I sort of regretted it after a while but it’s kind of a part of me and I think I would be confused if my fellow ARRG-ers stopped calling me “Pope”.

This season I most of all want to have fun and to feel like I’m getting better. And hopefully not to spend too much time in the bin (stupid forearms!)

You do need time and serious motivation, but anyone can do derby. When I went to my first FM I had never skated on quads before and I looked terrified. A good friend and great skater said to me “just sort of pretend that you can skate and eventually you will be able to”. I would give that advice to anyone starting out (disclaimer: you do get a lot of very good technical advice too. I just really appreciated this).

Come and see them play on 16 February 2013 at 2pm at Meadowbank! Tickets available for £5 (+booking fee) on eventbrite or for £7 at the door.