A new adventure

Wow, I'm a really bad blogger. While I can't promise to actually be better, we'll ( I'll) see.

Today I am starting a new adventure. Kind of. I am at the last sign post to get to the entrance to becoming a roller derby girl. I have really liked the sport for about a year now, and have seen two real bouts, and few on-line. I have been skating on rollerblades for years, but now am going to make the switch to quads. After one DISASTROUS attempt before Christmas, I had all but given up. See, as a roller blader, I came to understand that all my control came from pivoting. Ankle support is key to blading, Well, I got a pair of rental quads (more on those pieces of.... well bad stuff, later) laced 'um up high and tight. I stood up, went three steps and promptly ran into the bench. I couldn't turn. As hard as I tilted my foot, no turning. Apparently, leaning doesn't really affect skates that have points of contact in perpendicular lines. Huh, go figure that I don't defy physics. I gave up after one turn around the rink, and returned to my lovely blades. I have gained some resemblance of confidence on blades and that was ruined on quads.

A few months later, I tried again. I did some research on line and discovered that ankles need to be free in order to turn on quads. I again rented a pair and got on the rink. 30 minutes in I was in tears. My arches were spasming. Now I wear high heels to work. I even have occasion to run in them. But skating? Absolutely killed me.

Now you may not understand what I am saying. I have found out that the common person (read: the majority of people, who haven't skated since they were 12, or in my family's case, the '80's) doesn't understand what the boot of a skate looks like. A woman's quad boot can come in two kinds, artistic and speed. Artistic is reminiscent of an ice skaters boot. It has a heel. Most women's quads have an artistic boot. Who, may I ask, wants to skate in heels? Apparently no one. Every person I saw on the rink who owned their own quads had a speed skate, which is more reminiscent of a sneaker. With my family, this is what they remembered, and is what I remembered, as kids' skates do not have heels. So every time I told them I was looking for skates without a heel, they gave me the funniest looks as they tried to imagine some sort of Frankenstein dragster skate.

Now, after my freeing my feet from their stiletto prison, I had all but signed the death certificate on my derby girl dreams. The husband insisted that I get a pair of men's skates, as they did not have a 1 1/2 heel. I had to try on about 3 pairs before I found one that fit. Wouldn't you know, it really helped. I was able to do my cross overs before an hour was up. The skates were still a bit big, and I earned myself a blister. I wasn't able to cross over after the blister formed, but I was fairly happy. I would have been happier if the husband, a dyed-in-the-wool-hate-quads-with-every-fibre-of-my-being rollerblader, hadn't ended the evening with backwards skating, turns, and a few jumps.

Well today, at approximately 8:30 a.m, I ordered my very own pair of quad skates. GT-50's fitted with clear red outdoor wheels. The GT-50's are supposed to be a bit wider, so hopefully they will fit my 6 1/2 wide feet. I am nervous about the fit. I wore men's 6 at the rink, and when I measured, I got the size 6 measurements, but when converting to a normal woman's shoes, it's a size 8! I am a consistent 6 1/2 wide. I wear a 6 tennis shoe, and can wear a 7 if they're shorter. I'm hoping that a thick sock will help, if need be.

I got the outdoor wheels because here in my little podunk city, we don't have a roller rink. The closest one is 45 minutes a way, in any direction. However. we do have a skate park. So outdoor wheels it is. I'll get some indoor wheels in June, when I have more money, and no sock club order.

In 1 to 7 days, I'll have my very own skates.