Last week I was trapped in Texas on a work trip -  but Texas is the birthplace of modern roller derby.  Thus I brought my skates and tried out the fabled BANKED TRACK that we are so furiously fundraising to build.  Our league is trying to become Michigan's first banked track league, but almost none of us have actually skated on one. 

Banked track derby is FAST.  Like, really fast.  When we scrimmaged I had no idea what was going on.  I tried to form defensive walls and by the time I got my stuff figured out the jammer was long gone.  The first time I tried to jam I fell on my face.  The TXRD track is slippery and uneven - it's the track the Bay City Bombers skated on in the 70's.  They affectionally call it "Grandma."  It has some issues.  I'm grateful that our track will be new and shiny!

Hitting uphill (i.e. to the outside) is fun!  Hitting downhill (i.e. to the inside) is hard - staying in control while going downhill and hitting and remaining in bounds is not something I mastered in my two practices.  Even just skating the track uses different muscles than a flat track, and I got tired pretty quickly (it was also 100 degrees).  The skaters eat pickle-flavored popsicles to stay hydrated.  I'm not sold on these.

The TXRD league also uses different rules than regular banked track (WORD) rules.  For example, they can use elbows (ow) and multi-player block to clothesline people (ow).  And instead of penalties, they have pillow fights, arm wrestling, and other battles.  Luckily no one wanted to fight me.

Because I am a huge dork, I took some videos.  Here is me holding my camera while skating; and Junkyard Jess filming me as I skate.