Summer Boot Camp
Join Maine Roller Derby for our first Summer Boot Camp program! Come skate every Monday night in June and July at the Portland Expo. We’ll introduce you to the sport of roller derby by teaching you some basic skills, playing games, and having fun! This is a great opportunity to meet current members of Maine Roller Derby and work on your skating skills before trying out for the Fresh Muscle Program in early September. Interested in joining the league as a skating member, official, or looking to learn more about the sport? All are welcome!
Dates: 6/15, 6/22, 6/29, 7/6, 7/13, 7/20
Time: 6-9pm
Place: Portland Expo, 239 Park Ave, Portland, ME 04102
Cost: $10 per session. Come to all the sessions, or just when you can!
Gear: All skaters must wear full protective gear (i.e. helmet, elbow pads, wrist guards, knee pads, mouth guard*) while on skates. Quad skates with derby-style flat boots are recommended, not rollerblades/inlines. MRD has limited gear available to borrow; email newrecruits@mainerollerderby.com ahead of time with your size and needs!
*we cannot provide mouth guards, but you can buy locally at Dick’s Sporting Goods or other stores or order online. We recommend Sisu brand moldable mouth guards.
All skaters must be 18+. Skaters will need to sign a liability waiver before being allowed to skate. You can download and fill it out now or there will be print copies available to sign at each session.
Reach out to newrecruits@mainerollerderby.com with any questions.
MRD welcomes officials (both on-skates and off-skates) and volunteers of all genders. Our inclusive gender policy includes those identifying as female, non-binary, gender expansive, and those who feel most comfortable skating with a women’s roller derby league.
Skills We’ll Learn
- Skating posture and stride
- How to stop (several different ways)
- How to fall (because you will, lots)
- Sticky skating
- Skating on one foot
- Backwards skating
Derby Gear & Where to Shop
Shopping
Bruised Boutique
Bruised Boutique is a derby-owned business that can answer any questions you have about the type of gear that might be good for you. They have packages at a 10% discount that have everything you need to start playing derby. They’re located in Nashua, NH if you’re able to make it over there, you’d have the ability to try on skates before you buy them.
Generally, you want to purchase anything over the “Rookie” level in terms of gear. S1 Lifer helmets are also preferred over Triple 8 helmets, as the S1’s are good for multiple impacts, whereas the Triple 8 helmets are not (meaning you’ll need to buy a new one if you hit your head).
Derby Gear Packages
Hours and directions
Roller Derby Recyclables – Facebook Group
Roller Derby Recyclables is a Facebook group where people post their used gear that still has life left in them. It’s a great way to find discounted gear, but do know that they’re pre-owned and will need to be shipped to you, as most people are not based in Maine.
Skates
It is easier to play derby in skates designed for roller derby.
If you bought skates on Amazon that say “roller derby” somewhere in their brand name, they’re not going to be the highest quality skates and you’ll likely need to replace them pretty quickly. Stick with the brand names you’ll find on Bruised Boutique’s website.
There are high ankle derby skates and low ankle derby skates and what you choose is specific to your preferences. Sometimes people choose a higher boot if they need more ankle support. What isn’t recommended for derby are Moxi-styles skates. These are typically used for outdoor and/or skate park skating, where you need lots of ankle support. They tend to be super stiff in the ankle which results in them being too restricting when doing derby footwork. They also tend to have a large heel, which will pitch you forward and you’ll have a hard time learning to footwork due to your center of balance being off.
Wheels
You will need indoor wheels for skating at the Expo and if you continue on, Happy Wheels. Typically outdoor wheels are fatter and super grippy (and usually come with non-roller derby specific skates.) The fatter/more grippy they are, the more easily they roll over things like rocks and twigs. These are not good for practices because you want to be able to slide a little bit while doing derby skills and drills.
Look at the difference between the thickness of the walls on each of these examples:
Outdoor wheels
Indoor wheels
Do not skate on outdoor wheels when skating at an indoor facility, there’s a higher chance of breaking your ankle with them. For derby skating, it’s better to have lighter and harder wheels. The higher the “a” number is (95a, 97a, 99a, 101a) the harder the wheels are. Derby wheel hardness is highly dependent on personal preference, weight and style of skating. Most MRD skaters have wheels in the 95-101 range.
It is important to note that you don’t need to buy a ton of wheels right now. Most skaters get their wheels over time as they have learned what was best for their body type and skating style. If you have specific questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. We often have vets willing to loan out their wheels to Fresh Muscle once they’re dedicated to skating, so that is also a sort of try-before-you buy option.
If you have any questions about skates or wheels, please don’t hesitate to ask. You can also head over to Bruised Boutique online, or physically (they’re located in Nashua), and they’ll help you get a pair of skates that are right for you and meant for derby.