Project: Roller Girl

There's no doubt about it, Roller Derby is a sport.  When you play Roller Derby, you get sweaty, you sprint around the track, you stretch yourself into positions reminiscent of a pretzel...all whilst looking like a rock star (or shock star, as the case may be)... and you know why?  Because of brands like Pivot Star, Iron Doll, and Derby Skinz.  That's right folks, today we are going to talk about Roller Derby fashion: what it is, what it does, and how to rock (shock) it!

Really, the fashion of Roller Derby?  Yes!

When I first started skating, I looked at the fishnets, panties, and tutus and thought they didn't seem very practical.  Fishnets looked sexy and left some pretty cool - albeit painful - track burn patterns,  but they didn't provide much support or function.  Real panties didn't usually last very long and some didn't find them family friendly.  Then there were the tutus...let's just say, it can be difficult to take an athlete seriously when wearing an unflattering bolt of tulle around their midsection.  Fortunately, it didn't take long before some entrepreneurial women met the growing demand and a new style of women's athletic clothing was born.

There are quite a few Roller Derby specific brands of clothing out there, so I'm just going to focus on the 3 I've been able to test out during my skating career: Derby Skinz, Iron Doll, and Pivot Star.  In order to keep this article short enough to read in half an hour, I'm just going to give some pros and cons of each brand.  If you have questions that are not answered here, feel free to ask them in the comments of this post and I will answer them for you there.

Derby Skinz

Derby Skinz Shortz

Pros:
TONS off fabric patterns to choose from and more added on a regular basis.
Wide array of size options (awesome selection for larger skaters!).
Lots of styles to choose from.
Customizable for reasonable prices.
Prices for shorts runs from around $20 to $45.

Cons:
Different fabrics can make a difference in what size a skater wears.
Flat butts remain flat unless wearing some Ruffle Buttz.

Final Word:
Durable construction and flexible fabric allows Derby Skinz products to last a long time and look fabulous on or off the track.  My favorite Derby Skinz product are the High Waisted Capriz.  Pair them with any shorts and keep that tummy sucked in!

Iron Doll Lift and Separate Shorts

Iron Doll

Pros:
Wide array of size options.
Lift and Separate shorts make it look like any skater has an awesome derriere (even a billboard butt like mine!).
The Reversible Scrimmage Jersey is the best I've found.  It is heavy duty, so it won't fall apart like others out there and is reasonably priced-even with your name/number on both sides!

Cons:
Doesn't have the wide selection of fabric patterns like Derby Skinz, but tons of colors are available in flat and shimmer finish.
Can take 6-8 weeks to get custom/bulk orders (such as uniforms) due to their popularity.
Sizing is tricky, shorts seem to run big but the tops run small so try them on before purchasing or shoot me a message so we can figure out what size will work for you before you spend a bunch of dough.

Final Word:
If you suffer from uni-butt (think uni-boob, only lower), you need to get some Iron Doll Lift and Separate shorts, STAT!  Also, purchase one of the Scrimmage Jerseys...it will probably be the last one you ever need to purchase.

Pivot Star

Pivot Star Sin-e-Star Hoodie

Pros:
Chica Bomb shorts ($35) provide great coverage-no peep show here!
Sleeveless hoodies ($49) are all the rage, if you don't have one yet-get one.  They are great to warm up in and are super cute at after parties.
Francey Pants ($54) are finally available with a bunch of cuff colors.
All Pivot Star products are made of quality materials and there is attention to detail in their construction, so be prepared to have one of these items for life.
Customized colors available but may need to be purchased in bulk (such as uniforms).
New Uniform line makes getting new uniforms for skaters who just made it onto your team easy and affordable!

Cons:
Limited sizing and some items run a bit small.
Can be on the pricey side, but the quality makes up for it.
Not a wide selection of stock color choices for many items.

Final Word:
For those of you who want quality clothing that will keep all your naughty bits covered, check Pivot Star out.  My personal favorite items are the Sin-e-Star sleeveless hoodie and the Francey Pants.


I hope you now have an idea of what to look for when in the market to purchase your next pair of shorts, leggings, or hoodie!  Now, I know some of you are still only reading because you want to see if you won a pair of Bounce toe stops (if you don't know what I'm talking about, check out my last post)!  I asked you to go post "Bounce me Crazy!" on the 2N1 Skate Shoppe FaceBook page to enter for your chance to win, and we had quite a few of you enter.  Alas, I was only able to pick 3 of you to win, so congratulations Jasmine Michelle, Evan Jean Lawrence, and Mindy Quadmother Craig!  Shoot me an e-mail at 2N1SkateShoppe@gmail.com with your address and you should get your new Bounce toe stops in the mail shortly.

I'm working on a new contest, so keep checking my G Spot as well as the 2N1 FB page for an announcement.  In the meantime, 2N1 will be having a CYBER MONDAY sale tomorrow with 20% off all in-stock items.  Just use the code "cyber" when checking out (we aren't that clever).  So if there is something you've had your eye on to purchase, tomorrow is a great day to get it!

Until we skate again,
Shocker

Outdoor Skating Part Deux

In the Outdoor Skating post from a couple weeks ago, we talked about what wheels, bearings, and gear work well for taking your skating passion to the street.  I'd like to continue that topic by discussing a few more outdoor skating essentials.


Changes to Your Skates

Other than changing out your wheels and possibly bearings, you will probably want to invest in some softer cushions.  If you don't know much about cushions or even what a cushion is, check out More Cushion for the Pushin.

If you still have the cushions that came with your skates, chances are they are hard.  Hard means stiff, stiff means you are going to feel every crack and pebble.  Stiff means you are going to shimmy your thighs into Jello oblivion.  Stiff means your feet will vibrate until they go numb after a few short minutes of skating.  Get the picture?

If you have already discovered the joys of softer cushions, you may need to go softer or even conical to keep your legs and feet happy for the long haul.

Other things to consider are some sturdy laces and protective leather toe guards.  The best laces I've found so far are hands down Crazy laces.  I haven't seen a broken one yet, which is important because having a lace break puts a damper on any skating activities.  As for toe guards, I recommend getting some plain Derby Vixen toe guards, which are more protective than strips but you won't be getting your fancy ones torn to shreds.


What to wear
What is the weather like?  Are you skating in a hot, muggy climate or will you need to bundle up to stay warm?  Whatever the climate, dress like you are going to work out.  Flexible, moisture wicking clothing that you can wear in layers work best.  Check out Pivot Star's Francey Pants if you are in the market for some sweet workout pants.  If you are in a cold climate it can be important to be able to shed layers as you start to sweat, then replace them as you cool afterwards.

Some skaters like to wear jeans when skating outside to protect themselves from road rash, but I don't recommend them.  Jeans aren't comfortable to work out in and collect sweat like crazy.  Learn to tuck and roll when you fall to reduce the chances of getting road rash.

I suggest wearing sunglasses, even if it isn't too bright out.  They help to keep the wind and bugs out of your eyes as well as excess sunlight.

Pretty much dress like you are going to practice, but add some shades and sunscreen!


What to pack
I have a couple of small back packs with internal bladders that I like to take with me when skating outside.  Not only do they carry my water, but I can also stash my keys, ID, Chapstick, cell phone and sunscreen.

If I'm going for a long skate-over an hour or so-I'll bring some snackage like nuts or energy bars.  Nothing too heavy but substantial enough that you won't have to stop again for a while.


Hopefully these tips will help you enjoy skating outside even more.  If you have your own tips or tricks please share! 

We will be giving away a set of Heartless wheels at the end of May to one lucky G Spot reader, all you have to do to enter is post a Roller Derby themed haiku in the comments.  If you post as "Anonymous," make sure you put a name in your comment along with your haiku so I can enter you in the drawing.

Until we skate again,
Shocker