RollerCon 2008

RollerCon: the annual international convergence of rollergirls, league members, and fans, at the Imperial Palace. I’d been told it’s days straight of DRUNK, which it was (for some, not me), but it’s lots more: spread around the city (shuttle included in the pass price), there are challenge bouts on Fremont, which are open to the public, park pick-​up scrimmages, bands at the Double Down Saloon, a Derby Wedding for all the derby wives, the Black and Blue Ball (only available for VIP pass holders… although I did sneak in), a photo scavenger hunt, AND! workshops. On-​skates workshops, addressing different skills levels and all taking place in the Imperial Palace’s parking garage (those workshops were overcrowded for the most part, and didn’t offer much for those of us still working on basics), but also off-​skates, addressing all sorts of league necessities: refs, merch, media, recruiting, production, fundraising, etc., led by members of various leagues. A WFTDA bout was held at a local indoor roller hockey rink. There was an art show, with proceeds going to a paralyzed skater (also a raffle for her), but it wasn’t well-​advertised and was held when ‘Con attendees wouldn’t be around; I’d like to see that better organized next year so everyone can appreciate — and buy! — the art.
Other wishes: one Wednesday workshop was changed to another day, which I knew, but there was no notice of what time. I showed up for a 12pm workshop to find out the rescheduled one had been at 10, and I could’ve gone. While I wasn’t particularly interested in the jeerleaders competition, I never saw anything telling me where/​when it was. The listing of the workshops in the program was confusing because they weren’t by day, but by subject. The shuttles could’ve come every 20 minutes instead of 30, the waiting crowds got so big that people were denied getting on.
These are all minor and I’m guessing will be fixed next year.
While I had some issues with the Imperial Palace (reviewed that separately) (we did get a group rate for rooms), overall the ‘Con was pretty good, and it was a nice chance to meet people from other leagues, including legendary refs (oh yeah, and skaters). We traded buttons and shirts and email addresses, waited in line for Sharpie tattoos, actually received a discount for real tats at a local studio, annoyed the security guards, sunk thousands of dollars in the hotel bars, and took over the karaōke club. It was really cool to walk around the hotel and see other derby people (everybody wore league shirts, constantly) everywhere you looked, like we’d taken over. Which we will…