Field Theory: Skate Highway One
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Honestly, it was totally edge of the seat stuff the whole way through, even though it was clear that Auckland was going to win.
But that whole calling off the jam thing early - I know it's legitimate and all but IT SUCKS. PLAY IT OUT, PUSSIES! Exclamation marks and capital letters!
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You must not have been paying attention:
http://sp.mlr.co.nz/sport/roller-derby/skate-highway-one/IMG_5130-0045.jpg/image -
Also, if you love Roller Derby like me, you might very well like to vote for it in the Fourth Annual Wellingtonista Awards as 'Best Regular Entertainment'. Not to threadjack or anything...
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Yep, already voted. Can't see how anyone could vote for anything else.
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The Wellington skaters kept a sense of humour too. Even forty points down Bikkies couldn't help a cheeky wave to a Pirate being sent to the box. And MEOW started dancing with Scheisse Minelli between jams.
There was also some damn impressive trash talking going on in the penalty box, including in the very last jam.
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Wow, Stanaway's report was terrible.
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Wow, Stanaway's report was terrible.
Worst reporting of any sport, ever.
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Worst reporting of any sport, ever.
Typical minority sport reporting. "Hey, look at these funny people! Man they're crazy! Look they dress funny! And crash into each other! Tough girls!"
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'twas a fun night, indeed!
Reflecting on the awful "mainstream" coverage, I was struck again with Roller Derby's similarity with another hugely fun entertainment the mainstream will never take seriously - pro wrestling.
(and, yes, before you start; I am *well* aware roller derby is an actual sporting contest and 'rassling is not. Just so we're clear).
But the emphasis on fun, on larger-than-lilfe characters, mixed up with brilliant athleticism, watching as intriguing stories unfold during the action, and audience who gets it and gets into in a way someone who wasn't there just won't understand. IPW in Auckland has already done a combined roller derby / wrestling show, hopefully either KPW or WPW in Wellington will soon do the same. And I know there is already quite a bit of cross-over in the audience, so it won't hurt expanding it in that way (though, admittedly, it may not help roller derby's "mainsteam acceptability").
Another thing that occured to me, watching my first inter-city roller derby competition, was another possible equivilence between pro-wrestling and roller derby - the Wellington / Auckland divide. I've seen quite a bit of local wrestling, and it's apparent there is a difference between the Auckland and Wellington styles.
Auckland's style tends to be more physical, more built around 'fighting' characters, more focussed on the physical nature of the wrestling competition (i.e., the point of the match is to pin / force your opponent to submit).
Wellington's style tends more towards entertainment, towards humourous or non-realistic characters, with the in-ring competition having a bit more focus on flash and spots (i.e., showy moves, posing and taunting the crowd, rather than trying to win).
I think I saw a similar thing with the way the the two cities approach Roller Derby.
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From my view in the middle of the rink, Braxton Kicks did an awesome job and is fully underrated. I'd have to check with Goregasm about how often she was played, but she was a solid jammer. No flash, but truckloads of determination to do the job. I'm pretty sure that we didn't throw her ass in the box, either.
Also worth mentioning was the difference between halves. Richter City was learning and responding to the stepped-up game. When the rematch is set, watch for a vastly different game.
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I missed the bout, but have seen the Auckland bouts in Auckland and the Wellington bouts in Wellington. Good you think Richter City will up their game. Those Auckland girls have a real different approach, like real rough play. And obvious diffences in crowd support - Richter City supporters are flippin' loud and numerous. It'll also be interesting to follow the Richter up-and-comers. There's some talented Wellingtonians waiting in the wings.
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IPW in Auckland has already done a combined roller derby / wrestling show, hopefully either KPW or WPW in Wellington will soon do the same.
Actually I hope not. There isn't as much cross over as you might think. For a start the Wrestling attracts a lot of kids, mainly boys, who would likely get bored with derby. Some people take their kids to derby but I'm not sure how much they enjoy it.
And, dare I say it, wrestling fans are tamer than derby fans.
I spoke to some of the Auckland girls after Monster's Brawl and they said that they don't know if they'll repeat their wrestling/derby combo.
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Why was Wellington not in black and yellow?
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Because they skate their own way? They like purple better? Why would they be?
On kids liking it, I think some of the younger ones struggle - but try getting any child to watch anything not made by Pixar for near two hours.
My daughter (9) loves it, was gutted we didn't get to skate highway one.
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Why was Wellington not in black and yellow?
I don't know but I'm glad they weren't, purple + orange = awesome. And it must have been destiny, because without knowing anything about it I wore purple and orange to The Grudgemaker (there's even proof on the promo video).
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Man, Saturday night was brutal - for both the aggressiveness in the jams and the emotionally draining, heart-wrenching guttingness of losing (I know, I'm just a spectator, but still...).
Part of the guttingness was that I wanted to hate PCR for being bad at SOMEthing, but I couldn't - they were good skaters with good tactics (and good uniforms). Grrr.
But for RCRD, Braxton & Punk Puntha were standouts in terms of improvement over the course of the RCRD matches. Bikkies looked impossible to get past. Perky & M.E.O.W were putting in some solid hits.
The rules around keeping the pack together are very interesting (and formed a big part of PCR's tactics) - I heard from Justicier that they've changed a lot recently, and I'll be interested to see how the rematch goes once they've been bedded in.
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Why was Wellington not in black and yellow?
Ahem, the official reason is that this was not Wellington vs Auckland it was Richter City vs Pirate City. Hence it was Purple and Orange vs Red and Black.
And trust me, I argued with everyone about this. But I'm totally over it now...
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Hence it was Purple and Orange vs Red and Black
So they made Auckland dress up like Cantabs. Nice touch.
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If you were watching rugby for the first time you'd think that it was a strange game where the players just flop over the ball until someone passes it or the ref blows his whistle.
ha ha, my little boy (now 3) used to call rugby "man falled over" and later, "man having cuddle".
i've heard more and more - mayhap i should check out this roller derby thing?
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Ahem, the official reason is that this was not Wellington vs Auckland it was Richter City vs Pirate City. Hence it was Purple and Orange vs Red and Black.
And trust me, I argued with everyone about this. But I'm totally over it now...Well I for one am glad they chose to forge their own identity rather then feeling bound by pointless tradition.
So they made Auckland dress up like Cantabs. Nice touch
Given that I'm curious to see what colours the Dead End Derby (Canterbury) team will be wearing. When Richter City wipes the floor with them, I mean.
i've heard more and more - mayhap i should check out this roller derby thing?
Yes. Yes, you should.
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Well I for one am glad they chose to forge their own identity rather then feeling bound by pointless tradition.
Hear fucking hear!
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The issue with keeping the pack together is that it used to be legal to tactically drag the pack apart to force people out of play if it helped your jammer. The rulemakers have decided that this was a bit of a cop-out, but a few of the Pirates were still happy to execute this play. The rule change was in August, so it's somewhat understandable. But this is December, so I'll happily throw someone into the box for a minute and give her time to catch up on the rules.
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Well I for one am glad they chose to forge their own identity rather then feeling bound by pointless tradition.
There are a number of pointless sports traditions but uniform colour is not one. The colour says where you're from and occasionally where you're playing. Like any icon it makes thought easier for fans, players and referees.
The argument of forging their own identity has it's merits but isn't a clincher for me. Yes, each league wants to be identified for who they are, but why not the city they represent?
I'm fairly sure the real reason is: didn't want to look like rugby players.
Derby is stuck between in a place between wanting to be taken seriously as a sport but without doing any of the things that other sports do and without looking like a sport. Something that is potentially insulting to other sportspeople.
Derby's audience is the same, given that it attracts a number of people who claim to not like sports and so would hate to wear team colours unless it was for something cool, like roller derby. Only jocks wear rugby jerseys etc etc
I should point out that I don't mind the colours the teams wore, both of them looked awesome. But what would be so bad about wearing yellow and black? Smash Malice did it all season.
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Well I for one am over-joyed they chose purple and orange.
Apart from not wanting to wear Wellington rugby colours - and the obvious garishness the combined colours provide - it gave me a chance to wear my Velma Dooby-Do outift.
And would the Joker have looked so cool in black and gold?
Fantastic end to a fantastic season - when's the next bout? And how soon after you give birth can you start playing?
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... not wanting to wear Wellington rugby colours...
You mean "Wellington colours". The rugby teams wear yellow and black, so do the Phoenix (football), the Pulse (netball), the local softball team, the local sevens team etc...
Which was kind of my point. I don't mind the purple and orange, I am just defending the status quo
And would the Joker have looked so cool in black and gold?
Probably not, then again.
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