Getting in gear

If you're going to skate outdoors you'd better get geared up, as in derby gear.  My daughter encouraged me to take some derby classes so that I'd learn some skills that would come in handy as well.  My rink offered a six week series of drop-in classes in derby style skating that worked perfectly in my calendar.  Didn't take all of them but from the few I took I learned some valuable stuff, like how to fall and how to stop.  I know how to stop in the rink, on my regular skates, but outdoors it's a whole different experience and takes a lot more leg strength.  For sure you're dealing with an unpredictable surface, and you might be going down hill. Snowplow works well for slowing and stopping but it is taking me a while to learn just how to do it right.

In this photo I'm wearing a mouth guard.  I hadn't painted my helmet yet, now it has eyes in the back and pointy teeth in the front so that I look like my head has been eaten by a shark.  My daughter is on the right, in black and white outfit.  She has attended the derby boot camp, so she's a real derby gal to me, even if she's not on an actual team yet.