And They Danced

An amazing thing happened this weekend at the Division I Semi-Finals in Salem.  Actually - a lot of amazing things happened:
- Tournaments are not well attended, so it's possible to get so close to the track that you can actually smell the overripe third day stench of all your greatest heroes.  It's also possible that this fills the category of 'kind of disgusting.'
- I bumped into Bonnie Thunders in the hall eating noodles and made an awkward attempt to convey my appreciation for her as an athlete despite a sudden and predictable bout of Situational Shyness Syndrome.  She then attempted to engage me in normal conversation which I deeply appreciated despite the urge to run away with my hands over my head.  The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.
- Rat City will be going to championships for the first time since 2008 due to the change from regionals to divisionals.  They played well, have obviously worked hard and I wish them every success in Milwaukee.  It's also extremely cool that they'll be in Wisconsin with my very own Jet City Bombers who are looking to take home the first ever Division II title.  It's great to see the Pacific Northwest representing on a national level.
But the thing that really stuck out to me was something else entirely.  Late in the day on Saturday Sacred City played Victoria and while they put up a good fight they lost by about 100 points.  Energy in the room was low to disinterested as we all got up for the traditional high five lap - but for reasons that are still not clear to me an official review was called.  Maybe we were bored.  Maybe we didn't like staring awkwardly across the track.  Maybe the DJ is a genius because at that moment a classic 80's tune began to blare across the crowd inciting an impromptu group karaoke and dance session led by the Toronto Rollergirls and bought into enthusiastically by the rest of the crowd.  The arena echoed with our voices.
Some day somebody's gonna make you want to turn around and say goodbye
Until then baby are you going to let them hold you down and make you cry
Don't you know?  Don't you know - things can change - things 'll go your way
If you hold on for one more day

 

Put your hand up for Detroit! (Pre bout line dance courtesy of Axle Adams)

I think it's important to remember times like these because roller derby has a future.  Right now that future is skating around in wheels that are ridiculously large against their tiny boots, gazing up into our faces, watching how we treat each other and wondering why we dance.  Maybe it's pre bout jitters.  Maybe it's team unity.  What I see is an inescapable expression of joy.   I won't say that they owe it to us to continue.  Culture inevitably changes over time and as the sport becomes more serious I'm sure there will be some who say that dancing during OTO's, before a jam or after a bout is unsportsmanlike or somehow takes away from what we're doing.  But there's a part of me that hopes that the broader sports culture might somehow absorb this part of derby as it is.  That we might retain our expressions of pride, community and dance.
<posted on 10.2.13>