So, This Is A Thing...: One year.

DC All-Stars after bouting the Philly Rollergirls' Liberty Belles on 4/27/13. Photo by James Calder

This weekend is my derbyversary.

As I understand it, in derby, there are a number of ways to “count” your derbyversary – the anniversary of the first time you bouted, the day you were drafted to your team, the day you joined the league.

For me, the date that sticks out in my mind is August 18, 2012, the first day I attended boot camp with the DC Rollergirls. I had no skates or gear, little idea of what the game of derby looked like (besides a viewing of Whip It and a quick glance at some Rose City videos online), and even less of an idea of the non-skating side of derby that I now know is a critical component of the sport. I had interned in DC the previous summer and knew that the DC Rollergirls existed, even checked out their website. But playing roller derby was an interesting but unlikely possibility in the back of my mind, like traveling to Greece or going to culinary school. The only reason I was there, really, was because my friend Alli had really wanted to go and I had gotten swept up in her excitement.

I don’t tend to do things impulsively. In fact, I actively try not to do things impulsively. But that day after boot camp, I drove home, ate lunch, then drove to Frederick, Maryland to a derby “shop” that was actually a few shelves of gear in the back of a bicycle store. I dropped about $400 on new skates and gear with only a well-meaning but clueless employee to advise me (who only did so when it became abundantly clear that I had no idea what I was buying).

One of the memories I associate most clearly with that day is driving home on 270, glancing over at the pile of stuff – not sure if I had gotten ripped off, not sure why I had dropped an obscene amount of money for an activity that I basically knew nothing about – and thinking, “What the hell did you just do?” And, later: “If you’re spending this much money, you fucking better do this right.”

In hindsight, I’m not sure what led me to take that huge leap. When I observed that boot camp, I remember being impressed less by the actual skating and activity than by the amount of organization and commitment and the number of women there. I’m sure a decent part of it stemmed from my conversations with Scoriental Express, where she mentioned that she, too, was a former ice skater and had gotten through tryouts having only discovered derby three weeks beforehand (which was basically the same timeline I was looking at). Mostly, I think it was because it was a challenge and because it scared me a little. The things I’ve really loved – figure skating, policy debate, giving tours – have all involved things that were difficult and also a little terrifying in some way.

I have a hard time trusting my gut instinct on things sometimes, but whatever it was that influenced me to decide to go all-in, I am absurdly grateful. Only now do I know what an amazing sport and community I managed to stumble into.

I won’t go into what derby has done for me and still means to me. That’s what the rest of this blog is for and I feel like any attempt to neatly summarize the past year would fall far, far short of what it is to experience it. This is an instance where I know with certainty that my words are not enough to scratch the surface of the terror, joy, excitement, camaraderie, and sense of accomplishment that are now permanent parts of my life. Nor are they enough to capture what it feels like to be surrounded and supported and cared for by an amazing group of the most kind, intelligent, hilarious, dedicated, and insane people I have ever met.

And I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than by competing in Des Moines with the DC All-Stars at the WFTDA Division 2 playoffs - a possibility I would not have dreamed of a year ago when I would have been thrilled to make the rec league.

I’ll just end by saying: It’s my first derbyversary this weekend, and this has been the most enjoyable year of my life. Here’s to many more.