In Which I Go Banked

Today was a day of new experiences!

In December, I'm playing a my first ever banked track bout with a mixed group of ladies from our four different league teams.  So today I climbed up under the rail for my first ever banked track practice!

Normally I play what is called flat track roller derby.  This means just what it sounds like-- along with about 98% of roller derby leagues out there, we skate on a flat, level track.  But there are still a few banked track leagues alive and well today, and one of them, the Tilted Thunder Rail Birds, just so happens to call Seattle home. 

I felt like a beginning skater all over again; skating on the banked track is very, very different from skating on the flat track.  The lowest point of the track is about an inch and a half off the ground, and the highest point is about four and a half feet.  At the apex of the track it's a pretty steep angle, and skating with my feet on an uneven surface definitely took some getting used to.  I imagine that once I figure out how to actually skate on the track I'd be able to use centrifugal force to go much, much faster than the speeds I'm able to hit on the flat track.

It was a little intimidating at first, and I'm pretty sure I did more falling today without anyone hitting me than I've done in a long, long time.  But overall I had a blast, and I think it's going to be a great bout!

~Jess