Seaside Siren Roller Girls

Week 2. Fresh meat….is murder! – by Abi Sin Ya

Abi Sin Ya — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:16:20 +0000

Arriving at skating last night, I was chuffed to see a huge amount of people had come back. In the back of my mind was the worry that cramming this much knowledge into 6 weeks might be overwhelming for some of the new guys and girls, but heck, I was wrong, the turnout was grand!

What you don’t expect when turning up to learn a sport, is to be told that the warm up you’re about to be subjected to is known as ten minutes in hell!
In the next chunk of the session, we sprinted, planked, squatted, sprinted, sprinted, bicycled and did I mention we sprinted?

Dudes, that Force Ten woman is some kind of sadist! It’s scary enough being on the receiving end of her training regime, I dread to think what it’s like to be on the wrong end of one of her hip checks!

I know now that the name ‘ten minutes in hell’ is completely inaccurate… You’d be mistaken if you’re thinking it wasn’t hellish, it was.
As our trainee referee, Ginger-Dread, pointed out, Force Ten has her very own, unique measurement of time! Her 1 minute of squats went to about 1:50! Like I said, she’s kinda a little bit evil. But we love her, she punishes us and we love her in return. I can only assume we have all developed some form of Stockholm syndrome!

Once we’d had a quick drink (of the non alcoholic variety) we went on to work on skating as a pack, I was so nervous of this before but it was great to all work together, we got used to cutting from the inside to the outside of the track and back again, working in a pace line. We also worked on our falls and stops that we learnt last week, which everyone has DOWN!
It’s only week 2 for cripes sake!

We all got on so well with the minimum skills required ‘T’ and plow stops that we even had a go at derby stops too.
Basically what I’m saying is, if you’re a rival team….you better watch yo’ backs, our fresh meat are, already, looking dangerous!
Meet me here next week, I’ll have more stuffs to say!

Kissy Love, Abi Sin Ya, aged 33 & 7/8.

Week 1. Fresh meat…. & greet! – by Abi Sin Ya

Abi Sin Ya — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:42:43 +0000

As I arrived at Garon Park on Tuesday evening, I couldn’t help but feel nervous. I’ve been training as a referee for the Sirens since the end of Feb, but I’d never been tested on my skating ability, per se. I certainly hadn’t been tested on my fitness! As soon as we kitted up and got on the floor it was obvious that we were in for a treat from Force Ten Gail and her ‘ big girl’ back up crew!

We introduced ourselves and a theme ran through our introductions, mainly that most of us had skated as kids, religiously, then given up for anything from 10 to, in my case, 20 years and had recently donned 8 wheels again…… in pursuit of bruises? Possibly! We started the session with a skate around to allow Force Ten to check out our level of ability.

It was instantly clear that these girls (and guys) could skate! Gail was impressed and looked as excited as a kid at Christmas! We worked on derby stance with some evil thigh burning punishments, oops I meant drills! We moved on to crossovers, then on to falls and T and plow stops, the big girls were on hand to help with skating tips and hints to make us as awesome as them! We even had time for a race before our warm down skate.

The cool thing about fresh meat, or about derby in general, is the range of people and personalities it attracts. From young chicks to older guys and middle aged mums in between, anyone and everyone can join in, if they desire. We had two guys turn up to train as referees and a whole bunch of ladies thirsty to get on the track! It’s Friday now and my thighs are just recovering from the shock! Well this is me signing off, check back in next week for the next entry from my fresh meat diary!

Kisses and hugs,
Abi Sin Ya, aged 33 & 3/4

Mud. Glorious Mud! Part II – by Wham Paige

Wham Paige — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:53:25 +0000

Photos copyright: Chris Brown

Trying to describe my experience of running the Maldon Mud Run is almost impossible to do without subjecting you to a very long ramble about just how cold, wet, cold, windy (and did I mention cold??) it was.

Fortunately I have decided to not do that, and instead treat you to some brilliant photos of the day. Huge thanks to Doris Gay for organising the day! Also to Elvis Deadly, Who? Rae!, MedusaMayhem, Dr TerrorBrAwLL, Fort Knocks and Martin Pitts for getting me through the day and being brilliant support.

My face just after getting my race number, and just before I realised exactly what I had let myself in for.

Waiting in the cold, team Seaside Sirens posed for many a photo! But we looked amazing nonetheless.

Doris Gay looking quite unimpressed with doing star jumps in the rain for the forced warmup.

In the misty distance, 400 crazy folk line up at the start.

Nearly at the end and you can spot some Sirens looking pretty tired!

A lot of relief it was over, and pleased to have finished. Smiles all round!

To anyone considering taking part next year, be prepared for some of the worst weather Britain can throw at you! The highlights of my day were watching a girl get stuck up to her waist on the false start, having a man come up to me asking to photograph my feet (and only my feet!) and stripping down to my underwear in a car park full of people. Fun times? Yes! Same again next year? Might take some persuading!

Double Win at Pier Pressure! – by Ella-GNAW

Ella-GNAW — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:06:35 +0000

THE Seaside Siren Roller Girls celebrated a triumphant start to the 2012 season with a double win in Southend last week.

The recently selected A-Team and travel team The Coastbusters took on the Midlands’ very own Wolverhampton Honour Rollers in a bout that was hard and fast and brimming with strategy, emerging triumphant with a final score of 236 – 87 to the Sirens team.

Played in front of one of the biggest crowds seen at Southend Leisure & Tennis Centre, Southend-on-Sea, fans from across the country flocked to see the season opener, which also featured the Seaside Sirens’ B-Team, the Heartless Beaches taking on a mixed team of nationwide skaters, Masters of the Derbyverse.

As the Coastbusters worked the crowd into a frenzy with their original skate out to an alternative version of the Ghostbusters theme tune which saw them chasing the iconic Mr Stay Puft from the original film, Wolverhampton Honour Rollers skaters rallied themselves to take on a team that has been fighting and training tooth and nail to ensure they secure a win.

Force Ten Gail for Seaside Sirens was first up on the jamming line with Jenny Wrench for WHR, with Force Ten sailing through to gain lead jammer, racking up a mighty 9 points before calling off the jam.

Who? Rae! and The Beckoning! followed the winning streak, both scoring to take the Sirens A-Team up to 15 points while WHR were still yet to kick off the points scoring.

Jackin Your Spleenstalk flew through the pack on her initial pass but Sonya Marx was on her tail, kicking off the points scoring for WHG with both skaters getting 4 points each.

Killer Bite sent to the box gave WHR the first power jam of the bout with BullTERRORiseher skating for full two minutes before a switch as she heads to the box, taking the score to a nail-bitingly close 27-20. With only two blockers on the track and a power jam, the Sirens Force Ten calls off the jam as BullTERRORiseher heads back to the track, opening the lead to 41-20.

The Coastbusters went into half-time with a Grand Slam, and scores at 104-42.

The jamming from Killer Bite, Force Ten Gail, The Beckoning, Tiny Temper and Who? Rae! propelled the Coastbusters to a massive point difference in the second half playing their tactics and strategies like pros and making the most of power jams, forcing the Honour Rollers to up their game to match the Coastbusters. Final score 236-87.

The blockers created walls of what seem like steel, catching the jammer and positionally blocking her, allowing the Coastbusters jammer to slip through and at times lap the opposing jammer before she’d even got through the pack. The girls walls really paid dividend.

Commenting on the win, Bench Coach Donna ‘Snarley-Davidson’ Sams said: “I was really excited for our season opener against Wolverhampton HR for quite a few reasons. Firstly a bout is always exciting, a production, an experience. Each home bout we have put on stands out in my memory like a little bubble of awesome, it’s hard not to be excited about such a massive event.

“This bout was also special because these were the first teams we have played publicly since our new team selection and training system has been in place and we couldn’t wait to see if we had made the correct choices in selection and of course, to see if all our hard training was paying off.

“I bench coached the Coastbusters which are the Seaside Siren Roller Girls travel team, and I couldn’t be any prouder. The girls worked well together, and we gained an immediate points lead which we held on to throughout the bout.

“I think the fact that we had some well practiced strategies that the skaters knew inside out was a contributing factor to our win. The skaters were a real team, reading each other well and moving and changing with the game together.”

The Heartless Beaches opening bout saw a victorious win for the Southend skaters, many of whom were bouting for the first time. The final score was 147 – 111 to the Beaches, paving the way for the Coastbusters to fight for a double victory.

All 28 girls from both teams were relatively new to bouting but none of them lost their nerve, all girls looked ready to fight hard and skate fast. It was a thrilling game to watch, with the skaters constantly adjusting their game play to counteract the other teams strategies.

Summarising the win, Heartless Beaches Bench Coach Tanya Tillack said: “The Beaches started strong and found themselves in the early lead. They applied tactics and strategies they had learned in training and were able to continuously gain the lead jammer status and call off the jams before the Masters were able to rack up many points. Things were going well, the blockers were working together to make an almost invincible pack so by the half time whistle The Beaches had accumulated a sizeable lead.

“The Masters must have had a half time pow-wow because they changed tactics during the second half and started to chip away at the Beaches’ lead but both teams were starting to show the stress and strain of the game. Skaters were getting tired, getting sent to the penalty box but towards the end of the game the Beaches changed tactics too and opted to have the jammers block when they weren’t jamming and the points started rising again.

“It proved too much for the Masters to try and claw back the points gap and even though they never gave up and fought to the very last whistle it was to be a Beaches victory.”

And now the Seaside Siren Roller Girls are gearing up to do it all over again, with the Coastbusters taking on Bristol Harbour Harlots on Saturday June 16th at Southend Leisure & Tennis Centre, doors opening at 1pm, you can buy your tickets in advance from here http://bit.ly/hsbelter but stay tuned to www.seasidesirenrollergirls.com for more information.

If you are interested in becoming part of the Seaside Siren Roller Girls family, the team is running a fast track fresh meat programme in a bid to attract the growing number of skaters emerging from Southend. Skaters will be put through their paces, learning to fall, stop, hit and jump, readying them for the heady journey that is becoming a rollergirl. For more information, visit the website at www.seasidesirenrollergirls.com

Mud. Glorious Mud! Part I – by Wham Paige

Wham Paige — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:15:12 +0000

Quite a while ago, I forget how long exactly but it was cold and April seemed like a lifetime away, someone put a post up on Facebook asking if people would consider taking part in the Maldon Mud Race. I’d heard of it, I knew very little about it, but I really had no idea what it was about. However, last year I’d made a vow to myself to do one event a year to raise money for charity.

In 2011 a whole host of us skated around Goodwood completing the roller half-marathon and in 2010 we took part in the 24-hour Skaiti for Haiti at Dunsfold racetrack. On that cold day back whenever it was, I just thought to myself “Yes. Why the hell not? Let’s do this!” and put my name down to take part along with seven other, seemingly crazy, Seaside Sirens.

For those that don’t know the Maldon Mud Race is a yearly event that takes place in Maldon across the River Blackwater and has done since 1973. Competitors race across the mud banks from one side to the other and then back again, a grand total of approximately 400m. Each year tens of thousands of pounds are raised for charities across Essex and thousands of people show up to spectate and cheer people on. Sounds easy? You would think so, however the mud apparently makes the 200m one way dash across feel like 10 miles. Oh and we’re doing this in fancy dress. I will be wearing a rather fetching mermaid outfit, seaweed and all!

Since signing up I’ve spoken to many people who say that there are hints and tips vital to winning this race. These include being at the front to get ‘fresh mud’ and don’t fall, which simply must be easier said than done! I have also been shown all sorts of weird pointy toe tactics to get the best footing as you run. On top of all that I’ve heard that you must gaffer tape your trainers to your feet, and not to wear anything you hope to wear ever again. Short of finding a muddy river estuary of my own to practice in, I have no idea how to prepare for this.

Sounds like we’re in for a real fun time! This year the Mud Race is taking place on Sunday 29^th April, one week after our first bout of the season Pier Pressure. If you would like to sponsor us, which of course you do, the link to our donation page is here – https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/seasidesirenrollergirls
The charities this year are: Marie Curie Cancer Care, The Princess Trust for Carers, Essex Air Ambulance and Little Havens Children’s Hospice.

Look out for Part II of this blog….

Papa was a Rollin Stoner – by Snarley Davidson

Snarley Davidson — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:54:36 +0000

We share a lot of things in this sport. We share wheels, t-shirts, make-up, magazines and books. We share good uplifting experiences and bad sad experiences. We share our fears and our hopes quite openly in the hope that we’ll get better or that we’ll help someone else to get better. My favourite thing that people in the Derbyverse share though, is their knowledge.

As an aspiring Bench Coach I was more excited than most at the news that we would be receiving a visit from Team England Bench and Royal Windsor Rollergirls Head Coach, Rollin Stoner. I had a million questions to ask him. I wanted to ‘catch’ his awesome coaching skills like an airborne virus.

Stoner began by talking to us about the basic strategies we should employ on and off the track to get the best from our skaters. We got the opportunity to ask questions too. The time shot by, as it always does when you’re having fun. We Sirens can talk about Derby ALL.DAY.LONG. Some of us even talk about it in our sleep (honest). It’s especially fascinating talking about it to someone new, who really knows his stuff. We took notes and took notice and I’m positive we will be repeating Stoners wise words in training sessions over the coming weeks.

All too soon it was time to abandon the theory chatting and head to the sports hall for some practical exercises. The session started with an off-skates stretch/brief warm up and then moved on to some GREAT stuff, which I’m not going to go into detail about. Suffice it to say it was mega useful and I think you should ask Stoner to come to you also and share his Derbysmarts.

We ended the session with a brilliant scrimmage which everyone loved.
On reflection I was right to look forward to Rollin Stoner’s visit. He was approachable, personable and really helpful. I found his knowledge and enthusiasm really inspiring.
As role models go, he’s a bit wonderful.

Girls on film. Girls on film – by Ella-GNAW

Ella-GNAW — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:43:03 +0000

ONE thing most of us Roller Derby skaters strive for is the recognition that the thing we shed blood, sweat and tears for (along with breaking a few bones here and there) is a sport. A reputable sport which requires skill, dedication and hard work.

So imagine our delight when we were invited by our derby sisters, the Royal Windsor Roller Girls, to take part in an exhibition bout which was to be filmed by Sky Sports News, one of the world’s biggest sports news providers.

For some it would have been a tough ask, but for the Seaside Siren Roller Girls, who love a challenge, we grabbed the bull by the horns and jumped on its back for one hell of a ride! It was very last minute, as that’s the way television works, but the Sirens fielded a full team while also giving four skaters the opportunity to skate in their first ever bout! – And I was one of those four.

The bout was to be shorter than average, just 40 minutes. 20 minutes per half, due to filming and location constraints and we were required to play as hard and as fast as we could (a requirement that never really need be uttered to a derby girl – we go hard, or go home!) We would be filmed by the lovely Sky Sports News team, our fabulous #S6 A-squad skater Macey/DC was interviewed (so keep an eye out for her on the box!) and we were skating in front of an audience of around 200 lucky fans who had the chance to experience a roller derby bout free of charge as it was an exhibition bout!

So it was with guts and guile that I strapped on my skates along with my other post-freshmeat team mates, Rambo #100 and Dame of Thrones #33 who along with Dame Fear Her Limbs #1942 who was also popping her Derby cherry on Saturday, and skated out to make my debut.

Now it was no secret that I was slightly on the nervous side prior to the bout, so much so that I was actually HAPPY to drive nearly 200 miles one way, just so I could take my mind off of it, but what no one told me, was the minute I pulled on my pads and laced up my skates, I would feel invincible!

The Sirens played a skilled, tactic driven game, executing the strategies we have been focusing on and while the final score was 134 – 77 to Royal Windsor, it was a close game and led by our 2012 season captain Elvis Deadly #1977 we came away happy that we held our own against the hard hitting Royal Windsor Roller Girls.

While it was my first bouting experience and it all seemed to pass in a bit of a super fast blur, what I did get out of it was I managed to quash all my biggest fears. The main ones being, would I fall over during the warm up? (yes! – and you know what, I actually didn’t care!) Would I be able to hear the referees calling out penalties above the loud music and roaring crowd? (Yes, I heard them clear as a bell and I couldn’t even hear the music, only the clear instructions of my trusted team mates) Would I know if I’m being sent off to the penalty box? (Oh yes, I realised this clear as day! And I don’t want to make a habit of it!)

So overall, as a cherry popping bout, it was amazing. I felt honoured and simply buzzing to be skating in the Seaside Siren Roller Girls and can only imagine how much carnage we will create at our first bout of the 2012 season, Pier Pressure on April 21st.

We would like to thank Royal Windsor Roller Girls for inviting us along to take part in an amazing experience and a chance to spread the derby love as far and wide as possible.

Tickets for Pier Pressure are on sale now: http://bit.ly/pierpressure

Flash, Bash, Wollop! – by Ella-GNAW

Ella-GNAW — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:44:03 +0000

THE weather may have been sub zero but this week the Seaside Siren Roller Girls proved they could warm the cockles of the coldest hearts at our Anti-Valentine’s Day Flash Bash fundraising bonanza!

The Sirens’ first fundraising event of 2012 was always going to be a big one, especially given the success of 2011’s Valentine’s Day themed fundraiser, Black and Blue Ball. So give a roller girl a challenge to get bigger and better and they’ll take it, crush your challenge under their Heartless wheels and blow your mind with a night crammed with live rock bands, DJs, burlesque and fundraising madness.

As Southend’s most iconic sports team, it was only right to take over Southend’s most iconic landmark, The Kursaal on Saturday night, filling it with animal Kigus (go Google and don’t expect your comfy clothes to ever be the same again!) doughnuts and single roses to be dished out to the lucky in love. Frocky Balboa was manning the Sirens’ awesome merchandise stall selling t-shirts, badges, bottle openers amongst others to all our favourite faces.

We were delighted that our favourite honorary Siren turned up to show his support for his local derby team, Phill Jupitus! The stand up comedian and famous TV personality who has been spotted on Never Mind The Buzzcocks sporting his Sirens t-shirt, has long been a supporter of the Sirens and stayed the whole night, drinking alongside his biggest fans! To say we were chuffed would be a major understatement!

Kicking off the night we had burlesque dancer Lili La Scala, who regularly seduces audiences in some of London’s biggest clubs with her original songs and show-girl outfits. With her combination of vintage pin-up girl figure, the face of a star of the silver screen and the voice of an angel, she had the audience in the palm of her hand! I think it was agreed she could definitely become an honorary Siren!

Only Ghosts, a local Southend band were up next and had the audience in the palm of their hands from the off, affirming themselves as one of the area’s most exciting and fun to watch original rock bands!

We were also honoured that The Morning After, a busy band with a packed tour schedule, took time to come and keep up the pace, leaving our party goers crying for more. They really were a treat, combining the over the top exuberance showmanship and melody of classic 80’s metal tinged with the grittiness of today’s modern rock.

Fundraising was the aim of the night and our fabulous committee had organised a table full of some hot prizes and who better to run the raffle than the Sirens’ very own announcer Dan Gleibitz helped by Kent Roller Girls captain Demi Lition who the Sirens’ want to send big love to having travelled down with a car full of KRG girls to party the night away with the us.That is Derby Love (KRG, we are awaiting with baited breath your next shindig – we’re THERE!) Prizes generously donated by local and national businesses included dinner at a range of restaurants including Wagamamas, Westcliff’s Maxims Casino and Nandos, we had ice cream donated by our favourite Rossi’s, some fantastic Smiths Scabs knee pads, a set of Mojo wheels and a bunch of tattoo vouchers. Our fundraising team really pulled out all the stops to make the night as amazing as possible.

And if all the rocking out left you with quite an appetite well who better than a Siren to help fill that hole?! We spent the evening circulating with doughnuts!

And all this was rounded off by indie legend Ian Punter, one of Essex’s biggest alternative DJ’s who helped the Sirens and friends party into the early hours of the morning! And as the final song played, we ceremoniously chanted for one more song, no one wanting to go home.

So love may be for losers but there certainly wasn’t a lack of love for the Seaside Siren Roller Girls in the room, re-affirming our place as one of the areas best loved teams.

2012 is going to be The Seaside Siren Roller Girls’ biggest year yet and the nights proceeds will provide vital funds to ensure our lovely fans get to see us play the quality derby we live to play and Flash Bash was just the beginning. Keep posted for more fundraising good times with the Sirens.

Shakes, rattle and roll! – by Ella-GNAW

Ella-GNAW — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:25:05 +0000

There was the smell of setting lotion in the air, lashings of lipstick and poses so fierce rock and roll’s favourite model Kate Moss would be begging for tips……It could only be the Seaside Sirens’ latest team photoshoot!

And boy, was this a hotly anticipated event or what? After spending most of the afternoon making my hair look as big as the planet Jupiter, and applying then reapplying my newly purchased lipstick, we descended onto Southend’s finest seafront American diner Bobby Jo’s (which kindly allowed the Sirens full access to the restaurant floor for the entire evening). We excitedly awaited to be snapped by celebrity photographer and Siren’s object of affection, Marc de Groot who captured the spirit of the Sirens in the Summer 2011 shoot.

As Sirens poured through the doors, the staff whizzed up milkshakes resembling all the colours of the rainbow to wash down the burgers and fries we consumed, waiting to pull some of the sharpest poses seen in the Derby world!

And may I just take a moment to pay homage to some of the FINEST barnets known to man. Let it be said, Siren’s take looking spectacular as seriously as we take playing fine derby. We had beehives, victory rolls, pink pigtails and a self confessed cross between Jedward and My Little Pony (Macey/DC – the fiercest hair of the night) and who better to capture the spirit of the group other than Marc!
Snarley Davidson was up first showing us all how it’s done, followed by Macey/DC! Who knew one could look so hot while gnawing on her necklace! I nervously awaited my turn, unable to shake from my head my inability to pull any look other than “Cheese” and I don’t mean, “Cheese Cake”, I just mean Cheese (think wide smile, wide eyes, eager to please 5 year old child look!) But I had nothing to worry about. With Snarley directing the girls, it would be impossible to not look good, bolstered by Bobby Jo’s authentic memorabilia in the background.

The shoot was seamless and we rounded the evening up with a group shot, while taking captive the young waiter who was on hand all night to help us eat to our delight!

After the infamous Summer 2011 shoot on Southend’s very own seafront, it was clear the Bobby Jo’s Diner shoot had a lot to live up too, but Marc de Groot couldn’t have captured the spirit of the Sirens, including the most recent batch of Freshmeat graduates better. The photos will only complement last year’s shoot which featured the long-term Siren skaters!

As a recent Freshmeat graduate myself, having my photo taken as a Siren made me feel like I was fully initiated into the group and the big girls were all on hand to share their pearls of wisdom when it comes to rocking the photo shoot, rocking a scrimmage and rocking the after party at a bout!

Now who’s looking forward to the first bout of the year to see us rocking our headshots?! I AM!

To 2011 – The Year of the Siren – Jenna Tail’ya

Jenna Tail'ya — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:49:05 +0000

The conversation in the beginning of 2011 went something like this;

“Should we try to have a home bout this year and see what happens?”
“Yeah, we could give it a bash. If it all goes wrong we’ll leave it for a bit.”
“To 2011 – the year of the Siren!”

“THE YEAR OF THE SIREN!”

And what a year it was.

We managed to hold that one bout – and do a pretty bang up job of it – so we followed that with another. And another. And one more after that. All in all we hosted four home bouts on our first year ‘out’. We played the Norfolk Brawds, Brighton Rockers, MK Concrete Cows, Kent Roller Girls, and even a Siren v Siren bout! So OK, maybe we didn’t win all our games, but we learned a bucket load of valuable lessons as we went along. So who says we’re not winning in some way? Charlie Sheen certainly wouldn’t. Then we even found it in our hearts to let the boys have a go when Southern Discomfort played Lincolnshire Rolling Thunder, both men’s teams, on our turf.

In the span of that one year not only did we managed to hold four successful home bouts, but we also held two awesome fundraiser events, and two popular Freshmeat intakes. Various different Sirens trained at Blood and Thunder Bootcamp and the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls Bootcamp both in Birmingham, Sk8 Heaven Bootcamp in Northampton, Gotham’s strategy bootcamp in NYC, and WFTDA’s Officials bootcamp in Ghent. We were guest trained by Adrian Wordsworth, speed skating champion, Hula Gunn and The Bexorcist of the LRG, Sin D Doll of LRR, and many others. Bouts were watched and enjoyed live from England to America to Canada and back again. We got our first taste of the American teams live at Anarchy in the UK – London Rollergirl’s first tournament – and then got a taste of THE American team at the first ever Roller Derby World Cup in Toronto. We scrimmaged with loads with other teams, took part in a surprise close door bout, and skated a half marathon for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. We had some pretty mighty broken bones and injuries, welcomed some irreplaceable people onto the good ship Siren (like our epic announcer extraordinaire, Dan Gleibitz), and made some of the most amazingly hilariously lovely derby friends you could ever hope to meet.

All of this done with the Sirens’ trademark inappropriateness, vulgarity, and complete disregard for modesty that you’ve all come to know and love.

Towards the middle of the year the current league management decided it was time to step up our internal structure to match the pace of leaps forward we’d made in our events, so after a nomination and league vote our 2012 Board of Directors was born. Congratulations to the following;

Vice Managing Director – Mother Mercy

Secretary – Macey/DC

Treasurer – Lady GoreGore

Communications Director – Geek Le Chic

And that leaves me, Jenna Tail’ya, the proudest and most honoured Managing Director that ever did the derbies (that’s my self-proclaimed official title, innit).

One of our goals as directors is to have a completely open door policy within the league and with the community as well. If you’d ever like to speak to us regarding a comment, concern, question, or just to say we’re totally awesome (cuz we are) then drop us a message through our Contact Us section of the website.

So what’s next for 2012 you say? Well, that’s easy. Now we win bouts. I mean there will be other things as well; we’re planning four more home bouts for you this season, we’ve got two more fundraising events in the works (including the Anti-Valentine’s Day Flash Bash; got your ticket yet?), we’re looking to recruit some luscious new referees we’re aptly calling Refmeat (apply within), and we want to bout away more this year so if you’re an interested league keep us in mind. Have derby, will travel! But let’s be honest. 2012 will mostly be spent doing lots and lots of winning… does anyone else have that song in their head now?

So on behalf of myself, the board, and the league and everyone in it, we’d like to thank you all for making our first season in 2011 one to remember. We could never do this without the support of our families, friends, the other leagues we know and love, our beautiful fans, and the community.

We love you Saaaaaffffeeennndddd!!

Here’s to more bouts, more beer, more bruises, and more kicking ass!!

Jenna Tail’ya #407 xx
The proudest and most honoured Managing Director that ever did the derbies*
Seaside Siren Roller Girls

*And you thought I was joking.