On Feb. 9, the Corvallis/Albany junior roller derby team, the Candy Stripers, will skate in its first official bout! The girls—ages ranging from 12 to 18—will travel to Bend to take on Lava City’s Cinder Kittens, a team that’s been around for two years (the Candy Stripers just celebrated their league’s first birthday on Jan. 14).
The two teams have a past, having scrimmaged together in December.
“Our girls had scrimmaged [intra-league practice bout] twice, and then we went to Bend,” said Candy Stripers trainer Genee Hasek, aka Cruel Anne Unusual. “The adult leadership was very impressed with our girls.”
Cruel Anne Unusual, who has also trained the adult derby league, the Sick Town Derby Dames, notices that the junior skaters pick up strategies and new skills with remarkable speed.
“They are such a joy to teach because they grasp stuff so fast,” she said. “You give them an idea or a concept and it’s just amazing how fast they pick stuff up. Just their flat skating skills have come hugely far over the year, and then the challenge is actually learning the game. They’ve really only been doing that since October…they’re just so impressive.”
If you find yourself in Bend on Saturday, Feb. 9, stop by Cascade Indoor Sports to cheer on your local junior derby team! For more information, visit the Candy Stripers’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Candy-Stripers-Jr-Derby/177672652322087.
by Mica Habarad
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