Post-Holiday Haul: Gifts and Roller Derby

After a long period of holiday radio silence, we're back to our regular blogging schedule. Sorry for the long delay! I was taking care of two golden retrievers and finishing essays, both of which I'm still doing, but doing so after December 25th makes a big difference.

Today, I'm getting a little personal - my family celebrates Christmas and being an underfunded student (as if there's any other kind) I asked for a few pieces of derby wear. My father and brother ended up going to Rollerbug in Toronto. A mainstay of the Toronto derby scene, Rollerbug operates in the same space as Cardinal Skateshop. Despite being ravaged by holiday shoppers, the store staff helped them pick out two gifts.


In my family, we have a habit of putting clues on our Christmas presents. This first derby gift said "Round and round she goes, where she stops the rainbow knows." The gift? Rollerbones rainbow booty shorts. An American company, Rollerbones sells wheels, apparel and other accessories. They were at the World Cup this year and were very personable.

Mine's the rainbow.

My second gift was labeled "Wear protection" and inside was the gift I wanted most this year - Smith Scabs knee pads. No more masking taped up pads for me. These white-capped knee pads won't mark the floor where we practice and green is my colour. They fit well and I'm really excited to try them out and use my old pads as my outdoor spares. Look for a product review once I've put them through their paces.

Now, more generally, birthdays and gift-giving holidays can be a great time to nudge your friends, family and partners (if they're gift-givers) into focusing their attentions on the roller derby side of things when it comes to selecting your present. The folks who like us (or have us as their Secret Santa recipient at work) often do want to get us things we'll like and we need to be clear if we want to make their shopping easier. Getting smaller derby-related gifts can help you stay under budget yourself and avoid gifts you'll never use.

And not every derby gift is an expensive as a new pair of skates.  Remind folks who are looking for gift ideas for you (at any time of the year) that, for example, a Protech Mouth Guard only costs $25 Canadian. Depending on your needs, wheels, bearings, maintenance gear and skating apparel can all make great gifts without breaking the bank. And gift cards to sites like Rollergirl can add up or save you that extra $10 when you might need it. And chances are that you will.

This Monday, look for a special post on New Years resolutions and roller derby.