Dance of the upgrades
Yes, tomorrow is the big night, the night I've been waiting for since I first donned my crappy $40 Cobra skates in September '06. Am I nervous? Off and on. Yesterday I was pretty jumpy, and I have had dreams about things going wrong, but they're not major anxiety dreams, they're more like, 'I am at the rink, but I have forgotten to bring water! I wake up and realize it's not my job to bring water.' or, 'I have forgotten to give my intro to the announcers! I wake up and remember that I did give my intro to the announcers.' In other words, meh, snore, whatever.
Last night I got to skate on my new wheels, too, finally. One of the fresh meat girls asked me how I liked them, and tried to get me into a discussion of subtle wheel differences. I couldn't participate. I don't know from subtleties, because every upgrade I've made has been major. Here's how it went:
September '06. I decide to try roller derby. Like almost all of my decisions, it's based on an impules-buy: I go to Sports Authority and buy the Cobra skates. Later I learn that these are the worst skates you can possibly buy. This is ok because I am the worst skater you can possibly imagine. I take lessons and struggle at practices. A ref points out that I'm putting in a lot of effort and getting back no speed, and maybe this is because my wheels are crap.
I buy skateboard wheels and Bones Swiss bearings at a local skate shop. Bones Swiss are the bestest bearings you can get, and the wheels are so much better. I put them on my crappy Cobra skates and can finally complete a weave drill at practice.
The blister on my instep is starting to hamper my ability to walk in normal shoes. I start looking at the first skates designed specifically for roller derby: the Riedell 265's. My sister gets 'em for me for Christmas. I put the skateboard wheels with Bones Swiss bearings on my new 265's and enjoy the fact that I don't have to break the skates in at all, and I can actually adjust the trucks so that I can lean into turns.
I think I'm done with upgrades, but I'm still the slowest skater. With the bout fast approaching I order the orange/blue Fugitive combo of wheels from Sin City. They are shipped UPS Ground, so I don't get them until Tuesday. On Wednesday, Belle shows me how to pop the bearings out of my skateboard wheels with a flat-head screwdriver and put them in my new wheels with a pair of needlenose pliers.
So, each upgrade has been major: the worst wheels for skateboard wheels, cardboard and plastic shoes for specially designed derby boots, skateboard wheels for Fugitives. I'm a bit faster. I'm still the slowest skater.
But there are these new bearings... The Bones Super 6... the bearings have larger balls (heh) and only 6 instead of 7, so they have less friction and pick up speed faster and go faster...
Last night I got to skate on my new wheels, too, finally. One of the fresh meat girls asked me how I liked them, and tried to get me into a discussion of subtle wheel differences. I couldn't participate. I don't know from subtleties, because every upgrade I've made has been major. Here's how it went:
September '06. I decide to try roller derby. Like almost all of my decisions, it's based on an impules-buy: I go to Sports Authority and buy the Cobra skates. Later I learn that these are the worst skates you can possibly buy. This is ok because I am the worst skater you can possibly imagine. I take lessons and struggle at practices. A ref points out that I'm putting in a lot of effort and getting back no speed, and maybe this is because my wheels are crap.
I buy skateboard wheels and Bones Swiss bearings at a local skate shop. Bones Swiss are the bestest bearings you can get, and the wheels are so much better. I put them on my crappy Cobra skates and can finally complete a weave drill at practice.
The blister on my instep is starting to hamper my ability to walk in normal shoes. I start looking at the first skates designed specifically for roller derby: the Riedell 265's. My sister gets 'em for me for Christmas. I put the skateboard wheels with Bones Swiss bearings on my new 265's and enjoy the fact that I don't have to break the skates in at all, and I can actually adjust the trucks so that I can lean into turns.
I think I'm done with upgrades, but I'm still the slowest skater. With the bout fast approaching I order the orange/blue Fugitive combo of wheels from Sin City. They are shipped UPS Ground, so I don't get them until Tuesday. On Wednesday, Belle shows me how to pop the bearings out of my skateboard wheels with a flat-head screwdriver and put them in my new wheels with a pair of needlenose pliers.
So, each upgrade has been major: the worst wheels for skateboard wheels, cardboard and plastic shoes for specially designed derby boots, skateboard wheels for Fugitives. I'm a bit faster. I'm still the slowest skater.
But there are these new bearings... The Bones Super 6... the bearings have larger balls (heh) and only 6 instead of 7, so they have less friction and pick up speed faster and go faster...
posted by walkinhomefromthethriftstore at 6:42 AM
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