What is LOCO?

LOCO is launching this Friday!!!!

This Friday, February 12th, 2009, marks the beginning of something new for me and something new for derby in London. It's time to revive and revamp my blog to celebrate! A group of gals is going to be meeting at the downtown YMCA from 7-9 pm to skate derby style and go for drinks after at the Morrisey House. We've started a Low Contact Derby League. In response to questions and reactions (some positive and negative), I thought I would take a moment to introduce this league and explain what it means to our city and our local derby culture. 

Derby has changed in the last couple of years, accelerating particularly since 2008. The WFTDA stream of derby teams have become incredibly athletic. This year's national champions, Olympia's Oly Rollers, have a professional speed skater on their team as a jammer. Many women who participated in the original resurgence of roller derby are finding that they are older, injured, or simply can't keep up with the new level of athleticism that has become a reality in the game. Another camp of ladies feel the loss of the old-school hardcore style of derby that has been replaced with sportsmanship and rules.

This led to two offshoots of roller derby, represented by two 'movements': Derby Lite and Renegade Roller Derby. The Renegades play derby with no-holds-barred. They'll elbow you in the teeth and put you in a coma. Those ladies play games with no penalties and heavy injuries. Derby Lite, on the other hand, leans in the direction of making derby-style skating accessible to all women--like yoga or pilates. They have modified rules that allow for pickup games and low-contact. They don't play competitively. Both of these groups are offshoots of "mainstream" WFTDA-style derby, although some are associated with WFTDA teams.

LOCO Roller Derby (London, Ontario's Low-Contact Roller Derby) is inspired by Derby Lite from Illinois. We found that there were an increasing number of women in London, Ontario that wanted to skate derby-style, but were held back from participating in our local WFTDA-style team for a variety of reasons. For example:

• They didn't want to get hurt
• Financial issues
• Transportation difficulties
• Too much time commitment
• Fear of re-injury
• Pressure to compete

To be clear, LOCO Roller Derby is not associated with Forest City Derby Girls in anyway. In fact, it appeals to a completely different crowd. None of the women coming to LOCO this Friday would be participating in FCDG for whatever reason -- but a $5 occasional derby-style skate is something they've been longing for. 

Some people might see LOCO as competing with FCDG, but that was never the intention--and in fact, it's an impossible outcome. There might be girls that come to LOCO that are looking for full-contact, competitive derby, and if they are, we'll direct them to FCDG. We'll consider the Thames Fatales our home team, and attends their bouts as volunteers and fans. We'll be promoting roller derby in the city, build a new base of fans and enliven roller derby culture. We look forward to doing joint fundraisers and helping each other out. This is a chance for roller derby in London, Ontario to grow. 

I know not everyone is going to see things that way, but I have to admit that I am nothing but excited about this Friday's launch. We've heard from former derby girls who are coming back to the sport on a more casual basis, and women who otherwise wouldn't be even considering trying it out. The low-contact aspect of our skating make the sport approachable to women who wouldn't even think of trying it otherwise. I hope this leads to more skaters for FCDG, and also a venue for people like me who are looking for less pressure and a chance to enjoy derby without the additional stress.

Why am I excited about LOCO? Well, after Whip It came out and I got pregnant, the reality hit me pretty hard that I wasn't in the place to skate in a WFTDA team. This is partly because of my own athletic level, and that's my responsibility. But there was also the truth that with 19 year-old hockey players and rugby players coming up the ranks, there wasn't much room for a 200+ lbs., 30 year old who never played sports in her life. No matter how much better I got, someone was always going to be ahead of me. It depressed me. I found myself breaking down into tears during and after practices. I missed the girls, I loved the sport, but the pressure was just too much. Thinking about trying to get back up to speed after having a baby made me just want to give up.

I had to reassess. What was it I loved about derby? First, I loved the sport. Second, I loved the friends. And third, I loved the feeling of power I got being on my wheels. I didn't want to give any of that up. 

LOCO lets me think of derby as a lifelong pursuit, rather than something I have to retire from or give up or pressure myself about or guilt myself about. I can take all of that out of the picture and just enjoy myself. I'm excited to meet new friends and make this happen. And I hope that in the future all the derby girls in London will find that they can work together to promote this highly addictive and fantastic female sport in our city. 

Vansterdamn

XXX