The Sea to Sky Sirens are getting geared up and trained up to rock Squamish.
The roller derby club has been ramping up practices and, with each day, is nearing closer to performing in front of their hometown fans.
"We've probably got enough girls now to make two teams," said roller derby veteran and Sirens organizer Shannon Handley. "We've got 27 registered girls now and we've been training at the [West Coast Railway Heritage Park CN] Roundhouse centre; it's been a lot of fun."
Bryan Raiser, the local District of 麻豆社国产councillor who plans to referee matches, attended the training session on Nov. 1 and said the ladies' attitude and the sport's pace are thrilling.
"It was one of the greatest things I've seen in a long time," he said. "It was awesome just to see these girls do their thing, and for me it was the first time I've been on roller skates in 25 years, I had a blast."
Handley said while the group is not actively recruiting, those interested are welcome to drop-in and check out the sport.
The Sirens plan to separate their members into two different teams and play games against each other in the near future. For now, the team is training and assessing the skills of its members so talent can be evenly distributed across the two teams.
Handley also said she would like the group to travel and take on other teams such as the Terminal City Rollergirls to help gain more experience. Once the games begin, other teams may also want to travel to Squamish.
The sport involves five players from each side skating in tight packs around a circular track. Two of these players - the jammers - race to get ahead of the pack and skate laps to score points.
Handley said monthly dues of $30 are charged and practice usually takes place Monday at 7:30 p.m. Training has also taken place in the Wal Mart parking lot.
Members must use quad skates only, and should have a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads and wrist guards for safety. Team members are responsible for their own gear.
The Sirens have planned two derby-related get-togethers this month - the first is a team gathering on Saturday Nov. 20 at the Spectacle building, and the second is a fundraiser Saturday Nov. 27 at the Watershed Grill, where activities, drink specials and door prizes will be available.
The Sirens plan to begin league games in the spring with the location to be determined.
For more information, contact Handley at [email protected] or visit the 麻豆社国产Women's Roller Derby Facebook page.
