Roller Derby, Part I: Getting Settled
Jul. 1st, 2007 10:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebWe were advised to arrive at the roller derby venue early for better parking. Doors opened at 6:30, and the event started at 7:00, so we arrived at 6:30.
It turns out that's not very early. We did get parking, and we did get seats, but the lines were quite long.
When I first got there I felt like someone's grandma. "Oh, I'm here to see my little Vatagirl! Isn't she so cute in her little plaid skirt?" And I even had better posture than usual because my neck was hurting for some reason.
By the way, the team we were cheering for is the Hell Marys, not the Hail Marys. Duh, how could I forget?
I expected something somehow slimy or sleazy. Like boxing matches look on TV. But of course it's just a roller rink, the same one they're going to let little kids into tomorrow. And they even let kids in today, and someone reminds band members that cussing is not allowed.
The floor has boundaries laid out in hoses (so you can feel the boundary as well as see it) taped to the floor, making a unexpectedly small loop in the middle of the rink. There were three rows of chairs around the periphery. There was space for one row of folks to sit in front of the chairs and plenty of standing room behind.
There were some people dressed up funny: the players, the announcers, the cheerleaders, and some of the fans. But mostly it was just all kinds of people of all ages and genders. I fit in just fine.
We brought books, which we didn't need, though if we had come earlier, they would have been handy for the waiting-in-line part. We brought earplugs, which were excellent. And glasses, also recommended if you're nearsighted.
For those of Vatagirl's friends interested in seeing the next and final bout in August, you should buy the tickets online as soon as you're sure you can make it tickets are likely to sell out. (Also, they're cheaper online anyway, even with the fifty-cent fee added on, plus you get to wait in the quicker line.)
Tomorrow, I'll let you know what I thought about the actual event.
It turns out that's not very early. We did get parking, and we did get seats, but the lines were quite long.
When I first got there I felt like someone's grandma. "Oh, I'm here to see my little Vatagirl! Isn't she so cute in her little plaid skirt?" And I even had better posture than usual because my neck was hurting for some reason.
By the way, the team we were cheering for is the Hell Marys, not the Hail Marys. Duh, how could I forget?
I expected something somehow slimy or sleazy. Like boxing matches look on TV. But of course it's just a roller rink, the same one they're going to let little kids into tomorrow. And they even let kids in today, and someone reminds band members that cussing is not allowed.
The floor has boundaries laid out in hoses (so you can feel the boundary as well as see it) taped to the floor, making a unexpectedly small loop in the middle of the rink. There were three rows of chairs around the periphery. There was space for one row of folks to sit in front of the chairs and plenty of standing room behind.
There were some people dressed up funny: the players, the announcers, the cheerleaders, and some of the fans. But mostly it was just all kinds of people of all ages and genders. I fit in just fine.
We brought books, which we didn't need, though if we had come earlier, they would have been handy for the waiting-in-line part. We brought earplugs, which were excellent. And glasses, also recommended if you're nearsighted.
For those of Vatagirl's friends interested in seeing the next and final bout in August, you should buy the tickets online as soon as you're sure you can make it tickets are likely to sell out. (Also, they're cheaper online anyway, even with the fifty-cent fee added on, plus you get to wait in the quicker line.)
Tomorrow, I'll let you know what I thought about the actual event.