Rhayfen vs CV By Pass

I have put my name forward for the Goodwood Roller Marathon again this year. Last August I skated it with little or no training and only did the midi, which is 12 miles. I found it difficult but enjoyable, my legs went dumb after about 4 miles and it took me a non-too-shabby 1 hour 58 minutes. This year I am doing the full 26 miles, and I have decent skates and outdoor wheels (last year I skated on 95a's and WOW did I feel every lump and bump) As such, I have been taking myself down to the newly build Church Village By Pass, and skating along the most amazing smooth tarmac, I can get from my house to Llantrisant (approx 4 miles) and back in about an hour, with the added benefit of not having to dodge traffic or Chav's! Last night I took myself on such a journey, and so the tale begins..........

April has been unseasonably warm, in fact this Easter I have managed to start working on my tan!! being Wales I am using this weather to my advantage, as all too soon God, or the MET Office will remember where I live and send in the clouds!! Hubby got home from work around 7pm, and there was still at least 2 hours day light, so I donned my skates and headed for the by-pass, with no agenda, distance or time limit planned, just skate until it gets dark or I run out of road. So the first drama of this is, I live in Wales, and not just Wales but the edge of the Welsh Valleys. It's a little hilly around these parts, beautiful to look at, interesting to skate. I approached Station Road, with trepidation, last time I skated down this particular hill it tried to kill me. Honestly I flew down the hill at a million miles an hour, it felt amazing, up until a tiny stone hit my wheel and BAM!! through the air I flew. So perfect time to test my plow's, legs wide, digging my wheels in. It works! I was almost crawling down so parts, straighten up a bit and WEEEEEEE! going to fast, dig in and slow down. First big smile on Rhayfen's face, as many of my fellow CRoC's will attest, plows have been the bane of my life for the last few weeks since I bought new wheels (I gotta break those beauties in). Now I hit the by-pass. Fresh, virgin tarmac, speed, distance, up hill, down hill, freedom! Its hard work, it makes my thighs ache like a bitch. But I do it smiling the whole time!

I got to the Beddau roundabout (approx 2 miles in) and stopped, question time, do I turn around and head for home? or continue on? the signs read, Church Village 2 miles >, Cross Inn 1 1/4 miles <, Llantrisant 1 3/4 miles <.  To hell with it! am heading for the Cross Inn, it should only take me another 20 mins and I can grab a glass of water before I head back home. So off I go, skate, skate, down hill!! WWWOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I get to the pub but I don't want to head home just yet, and I don't much fancy stopping for a pint (of water) so I carried on along the road. This is where the first of my dilemma's got me. The foot path ran out, I have a strange thing about going back the way I came, if I can do a circle I will. So should I double back or attempt to skate along a road with no foot path? Hang on, where does that road go?? interest sparked, a new addition to my skate paths? Whats the worst that can happen? So down into the unknown I go..........

A sign reads Rhiwsaeson and points ahead, Rhiwsaeson I go then! I am feeling on top of the world, its still light, there is a gentle breeze that blows up every so often cooling my skin, which is currently glimmering in sweat. This is when I hear a car, snap decision time, do I, a: stay on the single track lane and attempt to take on a car? or, b: stop, climb onto the verge and wait for the car to pass? its kinda a non-question really, I fancy my chances against a hedge. Slight problem though, the fine dust that sat on the road surface just before the verge was like skating on ice, I face planted into the hedgerow right in front of a car full of teenage chav blokes who found the whole thing highly amusing as they sped off wetting themselves. I am pleased to report only my pride was dented and my hand stung thanks to the massive patch of nettles that caught me. I dusted myself down and kept skating for Rhiwsaeson. Turns out, Rhiw is just a road with about 6 cottages. am at a T-Junction and another choice, do I, a: go up the nigh on vertical road that points towards home or, b: go down the nigh on vertical road and hop to pick up signs for Tonteg or the Village at a later point? It was getting dark and I thought, as difficult as its gonna be to climb the hill, I have to at least stay heading the the right direction. Am directionally challenged at the best of times. Up onto my toe-stops I go, step, step, step. Shit this is harder than it looks am about 7 strides in, I look up and the road goes on for at least 100 meters that I can see.

BINGO!! a footpath runs along the mountain's contour. One thing I do remember from map reading classes during my time as a Soldier is its a damn sight easier to contour an mountain that climb it. So that dear readers is what I did. I was still heading in the right direction for home, just maybe going in a less direct route. This is where I discovered it is possible to skate on grass/dirt tracks as long as they are dry enough and firm enough. Who needs a 4x4 when you can have a pair of Riedell Vixens and a sense of adventure?!

The path starts to become one with the field and I am once again left facing some exciting questions, do I, a: go back and climb the mountain road? b: climb up and over the mountain via the field I am now in? c: head along what appears to be the path, leading into the woods ahead of me or d: try and work out how to get over the barbwire fence and river directly in front of me and head for the steps I can see merging out of the hedgerow? I spent a few moments weighing up my options, FOLLOW THE PATH, into the woods I go. Am starting to wonder if this is a real path or a cattle route, its covered in cow footprints but no trainer or dog prints. I get to a fence with no obvious route over it so I headed back the way I came cursing the damn cows. I now could see a direct route to the mystical steps. There is only one reason for a random set of steps to appear in a hedgerow, and that's cause its a way out! off I go, I'll tel you this for free, its difficult to climb over a style in skates. For information the steps lead to a bridge that crossed the river and ravine. The fence post showed there was a footpath that ran the edge of the field going both left and right. I knew I needed to head left, but I also wanted to get back onto tarmac as soon as possible. Throwing caution to the wind. I climbed over the top of the small hill, to get a better look of my surroundings. ALARM!! COWS IN FIELD!! am not sure how much you know about cows, they are thick, nosy and will follow each other blindly. I nipped back down the crest of the hill, and headed right. I know that's the wrong direction but in the quick recon over the top that sighted the cows, also sighted the road off to the right.as so I moved as quickly and quietly as I could towards the gate at the end of the field. The breeze picked up and I thought thank fuck of that its blowing face on so they won't smell me. closer and closer I got to the gate then, MOO! Shit, Busted!! Its now I decover they are not just cows, but baby cows. No Mum's about, small mercy that they are weened, at least I don't have to fight angry Mummy Cows, just about 40 curious baby cows, who are now running towards me!! cows can run bloody fast, but a Rhayfen in Riedell's heading for a gate is about 3 seconds faster. My wristguarded hands hit the top of that steal gate and pushed my up and over like an Olympic Gymnast, in wheels. I looked back, gate has stopped baby cows. I looked forward with my heart beating out of my chest, whats in this field??? If its Daddy am sooooo, leaping back in with the babies. It was empty, off we go towards the road. I had to climb another gate, its easier at speed with cattle on your heels. Straight into a field containing 3 Alpaca's, who keeps Alpaca's?! these guys just looked at me as if to say 'WTF?' and carried on eating. Small mercies, all that was between me and the road now as a small copse, easy. NO.

The copse hid a stream, which just happened to be behind a barbwire fence a down a 4 foot deep ditch. Not so easy to climb a wire fence in skates with your gumballs twisting themselves around the wire. eventually got over the fence once I had paid the blood toll. Down the ditch, across the stream, up the other side of the ditch, through the trees. BONG!! I explode into the Beer Garden of a place called Caesar Arms! they had fish on the menu last night, it smelt good, sorry to the lady who was having her dinner and almost chocked as a wild, blood covered, twig entangled Roller Girl appeared from the undergrowth.

Back onto smooth tarmac, and a road home. This was uneventful, except for finding a pair of Ted Baker prescription sunglasses in their case.

That Ladies and Gentlemen is what happened to me when I thought, I wonder where that road goes....


Stay Skating, Derby Love

Rhayfen
xxxx

TBB have their 1st Birthday. Rhay makes her Debut.

Its 7am, Saturday 16th April, I spent all night watching my Husband and our rugby mates getting hammered, how I longed to drink pint upon pint of cider with them, but I daren't touch a drop. The nerves for what awaited me in 24 hours really needed calming, but I knew if I started, I wouldn't stop. I have the breaking strain of a kitkat!! So I chatted, laughed and joked with my fellow piss-heads, but sober. A very rare occasion for me, especially when with my Rugby Dudes.

Off to bed I went at 10pm. Again, a rare thing on a Friday night.

So back to 7am, I woke to brilliant sunshine blazing through my window, the morning chorus of birdsong was filling my ears. Beautiful? Bollocks! I wanted to throw up! It was Bout-Day, in 10 hours I was making my public debut and now I was wide awake with 10 hours to fill. I tried to eat breakfast, but it was just making me feel more sick. So TV it was. I couldn't tell you what I was watching but, sat on my sofa in my PJ's drinking coffee and staring at the goggle box calmed my nerves. By 10 am the rest of the household had joined me. Hubby was in the kitchen making me steak and eggs. I was toying with the idea of going to Cardiff to join the CRoC girls in their Sat am training session, but decided against it. I very rarely fall during training, its more luck than skill. Either way you can guarantee if I had gone to train, it would be the day I took the nasty fall that is bound to be waiting for me somewhere in my Derby Carrer, and then I( wouldn't be fit to play for TBB. Which would A devastate me and B piss off the TBB girls as I would have let the Princesses down by making myself unfit to play. One thing I cannot bare is letting people down, if I say am going to do something for someone then I do it.

I dragged the day out, making sire I was hydrated, fed and bathed. I also dyed my hair, I don't know what thats got to do with Pre-Bout routines, but it killed and hour or so. By 1pm I was on a bus heading to the train station, getting myself over to Newport. I know, I know we are Cardiff based Teams, but unfortunately there is not venues in the city centre that are either large enough to house a public bout (TBB pull in a minimum of 200 spectors, 600 on their debut) or within the fincaial confines of a skater run, fledgling sport. We have small scale sponsors that help us with equipment costs (rope, tape, first aid kits) and a few girls are working on personal sponsorships for their gear (eg sponsor me £100 and I'll put your company's logo on my Booty Shorts for the bout) but for the majority of things we have to pay for it ourselves and a quote of £5K for a hall for the day is a tad excessive.in the Newport Centre, am not 110% if they are here for the same reasons that I have listed as to why CRoC are looking of venues outside of the city, but I reckon its something similar.

My tummy flipped with nerves a few times on the train but it was calmed by the magic of the iPod, David Bowie and Adam Ant calm me down regardless of the situation.

Time to kit up, warm up and get my game face on. This dear readers is where my brain fails me. I was so engrossed into the game, and desperately trying not to let my side down that I can't give you a play-by-play analysis of the bout.

It was themed as Pirates vs Princesses. I was a Princess, they made me skate in PINK! I liked it though. Anyone out there about to make their debut, trust what your vet skaters tell you, its true, once that first whistle goes you focus on the game and not the crowd. Nerves are good, use them to your advantage.

I wasn't played much, am not complaining about that. I played, I actually Played Roller Derby! I got a good 5 Jams, maybe more, maybe less. I have no idea, but I do know my skate skills and lack of experience when paired to TBB mean I would rather sit out and have the team win than play every 3rd Jam and fuck it up for all involved.

That's me #1374, picking up 1 minor for the whole Bout. A Rhayfen record.

As it was I didn't do to shabby, I have walked or should that be skated away from the bout knowing exactly where my failings are. I went down about 4 times that I remember, which I think is really good considering the fact that TBB hit HARD! and I know I stopped the Pirate Jammer my knocking her OBOB at one point. I also attempted to throw a hit on BB Bomnshell, Okay so she didn't even flinth when I did, but hey I tried and thats the main thing. The Princesses and Pirates battled through the first half chipping away at each other, and by half time the Pirates where slightly in the lead.

The Princesses started making up the difference in the second half and at the final Jam we where behind, but only by around 4 points. We needed a Power Jam! Boba Fettish donned the Star and took the line, Pirates sent out BB. I held my breath as that Jam whistle blew, then 'PEEP! Black 666 4th Minor OFF!'

PRINCESS POWER JAM!! you should have seen Boba fly, Pirates are on 95 points, we are on 91. All the Princesses where screaming and willing Boba through that pack. The Pirates where doing everything they could to wall her in. Shes though, shes racing round. Shes though again. Every Princess on the Bench, the Bench Manager and the Line-Up Manager are all jumping up and down screaming for Boba to call it. There was seconds left of the Period Clock. Boba slams her hands on her hips 'PEEP-PEEP-PEEP-PEEP'

SHES BLOODY DONE IT!! however, theres that awful moment while the Head Ref, Inside Tracker and Score Dudes all confer and agree the score, if we have mis-read the jam even slightly, if Boba had cut track passing a blocker and not picked up the point we would draw, or worse if shes dropped 2 points we've called it with no time for a final Jam and lost the Bout. My nerves where on edge. Then I see Chaz Tizer nod, thats the score, all agreed....

PRINCESS WIN!! 96 - 95!!

What a game to debut in! I cannot wait until June now when CRoC have their next intraleague, New Roathmantics are facing off against Bridgend Bombshells.

Until next time Derby Fans.

Stay Skating, Derby Love

Rhayfen
xxx

Long Time No Chat.

Hello all you lovely Derby-ites!!

I know its been forever, well less than a month. But considering I was blogging a few times a week this is a long silence for me, and if you know me in the real world you know its almost impossible to shut me up. I decided that as interesting as my derby training is, it may be a bit tiresome to hear about every single training session I attend (I do train for a minimum of 6 hours a week).

So whats happened since Temple of Boom??! I hear you all cry. Quiet a bloody lot actually!! Firstly training has been going really well and the girls have come on leaps and bounds and we have a good 5 or more ready to do their Min Skills!! They might not think that they are ready, but I know they are. The amazing She'za Payne from LBRG is coming to take a training session on Monday (4th April) we all need our buts kicked right now. Attendance seems to be dropping and am hoping this will give the girls a good kick, we are so very close to being able to fill a bout rosta and start getting out on the circuit. I really don't want to loose the girls who have been working so hard to this point because they have lost the passion and have to recruit and spend another 6-9 months training fresh meat, whilst the founding members wait to bout. I have been getting ready to bout for over a year now and I really want to test my skills! HAHAHAHA!

On that note............

The Tiger Bay Brawlers are hosting their 1st Birthday Bout on 16th April, its hard to believe we have been doing this for over a year. I used to skate with the founders of TBB way back, when we where all under the banner of Cardiff Dragon Dolls. Anyways I have been asked to guest skate with them!! That's right peoples Rhayfen is going to be making her public debut!! I have been placed on the 'Princess' team. The theme is a child's 1st birthday party, which is amazeballs!! and so it shall be the Pirates vs Princess's. I am currently on a rollercoaster of being tremendously excited and I cannot wait to get my skates on to being absolutely terrified to the point I feel sick. Am hoping I am going to react like I do going on stage, whilst in the wings waiting to step out am a bag of nerves, once am out there I forget about it all and just do what I need to do. Only time will tell.

I shall be skating this bout with DaveThis from Bridgend who is also a member of CRoC. There are also guest skaters who have been invited from London, Lincon, Bristol and Swansea. Its going to be a fantastic day, and fingers crossed my new heartless wheels will arrive from Wicked Skatewear by then too.

And that dear friends is about all there is to say about that. CRoC are hoping to hold a fundraiser at the end of July, and we are hoping to going to a few live bouts. Genoa Quake is going to try and organise an away bout/scrim with MKRG and we are attending the Goodwood Roller Marathon. Oooo and there are millions of other things that we have in the pipeline so LOOK OUT WORLD THE CRoC GIRLS ARE SNAPPING AT YOUR HEELS!!!!

Temple Of Boom!! CRoC's 2nd Intraleague.

Monday 7th March saw the second closed intraleague bout from the CRoC team. We where set into our teams and got our gggrrrr on. The Raiders came into the game with a lust for blood, they lost when we met back in December and had a point to prove. Roathmantics however, where going in with a title to maintain!!

Now am not one to complain (bwahahahaha) but it did feel like Raiders had 'stacked' the odds in their favour. Earlier in the week Genoa had asked to borrow 2 Roathmantics to even out the teams. Which was fine, then Abs had a bad chest and doubted she could skate so thats 3 down!! however Raiders had the same numbers didn't they?

Monday night and here's how the teams looked, Raiders a sea of Blue approx 14 skaters, Roathmantics 6 Black topped skaters! Abs was skating but had gone to the dark-side (well Blue side) and of those Roathmantics who where skating had noticed it too, so it wasn't just my paranoia at play! hehehehehehe.

However, there was a bout to play and damned if I would let Genoa and her espionage attempts crush my team. So we got our heads together formulated a plan and laughed in the face of adversity! NEW ROATHMANTICS!! WHOOP WHOOP!! So first Jam time to face up and do this thing!! To be completely honest with you the next 60-odd minuets of game time is a blur, I get so absorbed into it I really couldn't tell you what happened when, for this reason I know I would be no good as a Stat-Geek I'd forget I was supposed to be making notes!! lol.

All I know for definite is I was binned 4 times, which although naughty, especially since mostly it was for 4 minors so thats lots of naughtiness. However it is an improvement on December's 6 trips.

Tiger Bay Brawlers provided Ref's for this for us and I have to give a massive thanks to them all, without whom there would have been no Bout. We seem to have had a Ref walk-out. Actually thats a bit harsh, Jon our head-ref was out ill, we had Shaun and Ash. Also huge thanks to Sarah W TBB's head NSO for guiding our girls through the spreadsheets, I honestly was unaware these things existed and yet it makes so much sense that they do. I really must bone-up on how to NSO.

The final score............

Raiders of the Roath Park - 62

New Roathmantics - 136

And so we continue to lead!! 2 wins from 2 meetings!! I know pride comes before a fall and all that, but hey we worked hard and this is my blog so am going to use it to inflate my ego (well my Derby ego anyway) even if its just for a moment!

Pictures Copyright Dave Lewis Photography

Picture Copyright Dave Lewis Photography

The next CRoC intraleague is set for 6th June. Dave This and Goliath will see Bridgend Bombshells vs New Roathmantics. Hopefully if we can get a bigger venue we might be able to make this one an open bout.

Watch this space............

Stay Skating, Derby Love

Rhayfen
xxx

CRoC trains with TBB

Sunday saw a few of the CRoC girls invited along to train with Tiger Bay Brawlers. It was an experience to say the least. We are quite happy about how our training has been going up to now, we seem to be on the right track. Having trained with TBB we realised we are too 'soft' there is a fear I guess that we don't want to put people off, seem like uber aggressive derby chicks, but there is a limit to how soft we can be, this is after all a full contact sport. So training is now going to be more focused, girls are going to have to stop chatting and taking forever to gear up. If we are going to ever go public we need to step it up a gear! starting with finding a bigger training venue.

Back to TBB......

Warm-Ups where fun, if not deadly. I realised just how unfit I am. Sad times, I thought I had gained some stamina but any I had buggered off and I was breathing like an asthmatic 90 year old!! It didn't help that my stomach decided a nice bout of heartburn was just what I needed 15 minutes into the session too!! one day my body shall actually work. We did some fall drills, suicides, press-ups and sit-ups plus planks. The Roller Derby staples. We then did some pack work. To start with we where 'trees' and just had to hold the pack formation as the Jammers came through, they had to 'find you friends' and get through. Next we could use positional blocks to try and hold up the Jammers and then finally we could contact Jammers and opposing blockers. Then we did some drills working in 3's, focusing on the inside line we would 'snare' the opposing Jammer and peg her in, the best bit of advice I got for this was to 'take her speed off' at the very least she'll go OOB or get a Back Block Penalty, I really loved all these drills and it was great to train at an intense pace, well more intense than I have to date. We then spent some time doing a few static hits to practice what TBB call 'the an-opener' I know it as a 'Johnny Crash' and am sure it has a few other names too. Then we moved onto pace-line drills. CRoC have been toying with these and now we know exactly how to do them we will be probably doing at least one each session. I really enjoyed the one called 'running the gauntlet' we paired up black-orange-black-orange etc. Then a girl from the back of the line had to 'bounce' her way down the centre of the paceline, only making contact with her team mates and keeping legal, any penalties where called by the Refs and NSO's who were infield. We then did a reverse pace-line, putting the Can-Opener into practice as we dropped back and then laterally. For the last hour we had a scrimmage. Am not sure if it has a name but it was basically like 'hot-bedding' no-one had a team, there where 5 black and 5 orange bibs and the pivot and Jammer panties. in the 30secs to line-up you had to grab a bib and if ness a panty and line up, play the jam and repeat until the end. I loved that one. I mean Scrimmages are like the cake at the end of the meal.

I walked away from the training session with my Derby fire well and truly fanned, am sure you will all agree at times no matter how passionate we are the fire can die down a bit.

Stay Skating, Derby Love

Rhayfen
xx

Ballet Feet!

Saturday saw the CRoC gang at our usual location for the skills training. As am sure all of you are aware Roller Derby isn't just about being able to skate fast and hard. There is an enormous amount of 'prancing' about you need to be able to do, and with at least a small level of skill, so it is second nature. A few months ago skills training was all about falling down safely until we had done it so much it is now deeply ingrained in our psyche. Well almost.

This session was focused on running toe starts, well eventually we where running. The first hurdle with this is getting people to trust that they can stay balanced on their toe-stops. Personally I can flip up onto them and bounce about quite happily, usually, without losing my balance and face-planting into the gym floor. T-Licious can fly around on hers like, well  its hard to describe. She's a figure skater so am sure that gives you an idea. Then we go all the way down the scale to girls who can barely stand up on them. So to start with we practiced standing, I was looking to make sure everyone had nice soft knees, and where still nice and low, in something that just about resembled a derby-stance. We then started to walk forwards just a few tentative steps. I encouraged people to NOT look directly in front of them. If your focused on that small piece of floor 6inches in front of you then, its really difficult to a: stay balanced, b: get any real speed and most importantly in my book c: see whats ahead. Think of it like driving, you need to look at the road ahead not right at the end of your car. Grazed Anatomy really found looking forwards a struggle to start with but once she gained some confidence to face ahead she really started to fly! we've a Jammer in our midst with that one!!

At this point I would like to mention to all new or 'green' roller girls and guys, please ensure your skates are safe every time you put them on your feet. By this I mean check your wheels are tight enough, your laces are not worn and about to snap at any moment and that your toe-stops are in nice and tight. NiKilla had a close call when her toe-stop lept out of her skate and took off across the hall, NiKilla hit the floor. Luckily she wasn't hurt (falls drills are now second nature remember) and the run away toe-stop didn't manage to jam up someone else's skates in an attempt to test their fall drills. If you are unsure how to do any of this, don't be scared to ask a member of your league, we all have to learn these things and if you never ask, then how will you ever learn? or hunt down a 'how to' on youtube!!

We then split down into our teams, Raiders one side of the hall and Roathmantics the other. This was so we could talk tactics and practice team work in preparation for Mondays intraleague, first one of 2011!! am just a tad excited about it. Hopefully the New Roathmantics will kick Raider butt again, but you never know whats going to happen. One Jam can change the whole dynamic of the game and you can go from having a nice lead to playing catch-up.

Stay Skating, Derby Love

Rhayfen
xx

3 Days Non-Stop Derby............Day 3 Cardiff with added Bristol

Monday Night, Coleg Glan Hafren.

We had arranged with Bristol Harbour Harlots to do a combined training session and what a training session. We started off with the usual warm-ups and dynamic stretches, we then did the 'broken down crossover' drill. We basically try and skate only doing the right foot movement for a few laps. Then just by pulling your left leg behind, then both together. Bristol then showed us how they practice them. They stand and face a wall and walk or grapevine but whilst maintaining derby stance. T-Licious pointed out that as I did my grapevines I looked like I would break in a song! I assure you that will not happen. I'd need at least 4 double vodka's first!

After crossovers we tried to practice blocking drills and building and smashing walls, however the track was so congested we had to have the Beginner group out to the side, and only 10 girls on the track at a time with the rest in the centre. Bristol are very good at walls, compared to us at least. They have also got their heads around what role each position has, we have only just begun looking at that. So alot of information was gathered, on how best to move, who should go where etc.

We then decided to play 2 min Jams. The Inter group went first made up of Black Tops vs Coloured Tops. Am sure I mentioned a while ago that rather than scrimmage at the end of a session we do Power Jams to build endurance. Then the Adv group would do their 2 mins. I must say I was very pleased with myself. I countered the Bristol attacks, I threw some well timed hits, I felt good about my skills. Bristol are ahead of us in their Derby career, they already have 2 public bouts under their belts, so it was good to pit our skills against theirs.

Unfortunately Tattooed Terror from BHH took a tumble and went over on her ankle, today's reports state she is okay, just swollen and bruised, Belle Maladies from CRoC also managed to damage her knee (again!) we need to get that girl some 187's!! I also falled down!! I would love to say it was mid Jam and awesome but no. I was trying to get my crossovers 'tighter' and had got dizzy and managed to trip over another skaters boot as I headed for some water. As I tumbled towards the floor my body instantly put me into a 4-point fall or porn-star, Yay muscle memory, but it went wrong. I am yet to work out how, but I landed on my forearm first. I have wrist guards on, elbow pads on, and the one bit of me that's not supposed to hit the ground first and thus has no padding on, is the bit I land on!! I am now sporting the beginnings of a lovely bruise whom I have named Bryan!!

Bryan the Bristol Bruise - Day 1

Stay Skating, Derby Love

Rhayfen

xxxx