From a Fan: My First Derby Match

Hi everyone! Anita, here. I’d like to tell you about the very exciting experience of seeing my first ever derby match.

I live in Chicago, and was planning on going to Kansas this summer, and I really planned my trip around being able to finally see Mel Breakdown and the Royal Pains. I ended up picking the very best game of the season!

It was the last game, and the emotions were high as the Pains sought to take the third place slot from the Deadly Sirens. From the start, all the skaters put it all on the line, and the entire match was either tied or close as the ladies battled for every point.

It was thrilling to watch the jammers surge through the pack and skillfully weave around the other players. The pivots fiercely blocked and shoved and hip-checked. I’m still not sure how the pack of skaters managed to skate so fast and hard without tumbling over each other into a pile of arms and legs and wheels. That’s some skill. I am pretty sure I cringed every time a skater hit the floor (or wall or barrier), but I was impressed by how they got right back up and kept going. I think I would have needed an ice pack and a lollipop. 

While the game has been explained to me a few times, I finally started to get the hang of it after watching the first few jams. I got sucked in and was screaming and clapping along with the enthusiastic crowd in no time! I was literally on the edge of my seat until the last seconds, and I had to leap up and cheer as the Royal Pains WON! I haven’t watched a sporting event that exciting in a long time.

I had to fight my way through the crowd to get to Mel, but I was sure to get my picture with my favorite player.

The whole experience was so fun and exciting! I will be checking out the Windy City Rollers schedule soon!  http://www.windycityrollers.com/

P.S. The match theme was zombie apocalypse, and it looks like Mr. Cooking On Skates found the cutest zombie of all!