If you know me, you know I’m a clumsy daydreamer, a walking disaster.
I’m built for comfort, not for speed.
I have skated before, and in fact I spent most of the summer before Grade 6 at the Orillia Roller Skating Place.
This was the fact that made me say “Yes!” when assistant editor Heidi Ulrichsen asked me if I wanted to try the Learn to Skate program from Nickel City Roller Derby (NCRD).
The fact that this was more than a minute ago *cough 35 years cough* is what made me panic over my choices for three weeks ahead of the event.
But genuinely, I had an amazing time. Not only was everyone extremely supportive and welcoming, but the lessons were easy, broken down into achievable steps that had me skating backwards by the end of the night.
And while there was a bit of Grade 6 Jenny coming through, the number of times I fell let me know there wasn’t much.
But Andrea “Ando-Commando” Swensen was an amazing teacher.
Established in 2009, NCRD’s founding members built the league from the ground up, creating what they proudly state is Sudbury’s very first Flat Track Roller Derby league.
Both the roller derby, and their seven-week Learn to Skate program offers an inclusive, all-gender, safe space to practice and have fun. They even teach you how to properly fall, and to be honest, I didn’t get hurt at all.
Well, a couple of falls were like “pow, right in the dignity,” but still.
Anyone interested in the Learn to Skate program can borrow equipment from the team like I did, securing a helmet, elbow, knee and wrist pads — as well as very stylish roller skates — from the team.
If you are not so into the derby aspect, they also offer roller disco, and fun opportunities to come out and skate. I am not so into the derby aspect, but I am all in for disco.
And while our audio did not turn out — technical difficulties that will prevent you from hearing me wax poetic about the state of the world, but really just saying dumb stuff such as “oops I fell on my bottom”— I had a great time.
Here’s hoping me making an ass of myself in a Crazy for Swayze t-shirt will give you courage to lace up and join NCRD.
You can find more information about the Nickel City Roller Derby here.
Jenny Lamothe is a reporter with Sudbury.com.