33 hours

I have arrived back home safe and sound from Philly... for 33 hours. I leave early Sunday morning for my company's corporate headquarters in Appleton, WI. I came home to be greeted by a very happy Mr. Carnate AND my new Rector Fat Boy knee pads!

I have 24" legs just above my knee and have had a HORRIBLE time finding kneepads that fit. While the XL fatboys are snug, they are completely adjustable with butterfly closure and extra secure velcro straps. What's even better is that they are ambidextrous so I don't have to worry about putting them on the wrong leg.

Off to bed now. Visiting my grandmother tomorrow, trying to keep it together, and preparing for trip #2. Back in the land of NHRD on Friday.

New kneepads!

I have been on the hunt for knee pads that would fit my "big girl" legs since at least January. I bought Protec Streets because they were cheap. They never fit particularly well but the more I wore them the worse the fit got. Because I can't close the bottom strap around my calf they constantly slide down. The top strap constantly rolls and cuts off circulation to the back of my legs.

I have tried on XL 187's, Triple 8's, and even some custom knee pads which I was | | this close to ordering. I had heard that Rector Fat Boys were great for larger girls but I'd never had the opportunity to try them on. One of the soon-to-be freshies had some that I tried on at open skate tonight and they FIT!

I got home from open skate and immediately ordered some. They will likely arrive while I'm traveling for work but I can't wait to try them out when I get back! :-D

Recruitment Night!

NHRD had an AMAZING recruitment night tonight at Roller Kingdom.We had seventeen potential freshies show up and I personally know of two who were not present. That makes 19 if everyone joins. That's almost a full 20-person roster team! :-D

Not only did we have 17 newbies, we have more than 67% of the league skaters showed up! It was so awesome to see so many derby people together in public representing the league.

I got warm fuzzies thinking about how excited all the new people must be - I know I was when I started! I can't wait for April 5th... it's going to be such a great, energetic, shiny, happy-vibe practice! I have no idea where we're going to PUT everyone!

I also had the opportunity to try on a couple of different people's skates. I tried May's Hellcats and Bettie's 122's. I definitely like the all-leather boot. It feels so much less bulky than my Vixens! I'm going to try to get down to the Bruised Boutique shop this week and try on some skates. I'll shell out the extra money to get boots in different sizes if I have to.

Skate considerations from one freshie to another...

So... I am in no way an expert in skates but there are a few things I wish I had considered when I was buying my skates. I was so excited to be buying my derby gear that I tried on one skate and bought it. I wish I'd taken a little bit more time and tried some additional boots on.

Leather vs. Synthetic. My current skates (Riedell Vixens) were manufactured in China using synthetic material. They were on the cheaper end (under $200) and have a considerable amount of padding. After trying on thinner, all-leather skates I am in love. It felt so nice to not have the extra bulk around my feet.

Foot shape. I have skinny feet - I always have. In my rush to buy skates I didn't stop to think how my foot feels when it's sloshing around inside the boot. Skates come in men's sizes only at this point and men's feet are shaped differently than women's feet. I should have gotten a boot with a narrower heel to account for my skinny feet. Think about the shape of your foot and get a boot that works for your foot shape.

Plate material. This was sort of a no-brainer for me, given the size girl that I am. Plates are commonly made out of nylon and aluminum. If you're little, you should have no issues with a much lighter nylon plate. If you're big, or tall you will need to get an aluminum plate as soon as you start hopping/jumping (it happens sooner than you'd think!).

The moral of the story is, don't rush into buying your first skates unless you're not 100% sure you want to go all the way with derby. If you're just testing the waters then go ahead and get a cheap skate with the understanding that you'll probably end up buying a nicer pair once you're hooked and have gotten used to the derby style of skating.