it is not often i can claim to have been in on something cool from its inception. however, in the case of the derby; i can. this is due mostly to hanging out with the right people, but still.i was at 7 of the first 8 bouts the RCR's ever had, and let me tell you, it was a hell of a good time. i really enjoyed the carnival atmosphere, the adrenaline in the air, and the sort of hard-core-do-it-yourselfness that seemed to permeate the bouts. it was pretty much bitchin.
not everything went off without a hitch, but i never failed to be entertained by the experience.
sometimes, success ruins even the best ideas.
i understand these events are costly to put on, and the girls need equipment and practice space, and a travel budget, etc etc. however, the degree to which the derby has whored itself out at this point leaves me feeling more than a little dismayed. the announcers spend at least as much time schilling for the sponsors as they do commenting on the bouts, there has been (in my opinion) a very ill-advised change in how long the bouts run (perhaps to make people feel like they're getting their money's worth?) which leaves the audience exhausted (i can barely imagine how much harder it is on the skaters) and the very energy and grit that used to feel so genuine and appealing now seems pu
t upon and strained.it's really a bummer. i used to love to go out to the derby, but this time i barely made it til halftime. i really feel like a scaled back version which focused more on the skating and less on attempting to broaden the commercial appeal of what will always necessarily be a niche market sport would benefit the experience tremendously.
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