Buying your essential derby kit
One of the most important things to a derby girl is the equipment she uses to skate with, this allows her to participate in skating safely.
Questions you should think about before parting with your money:
This section will hopefully illustrate some derby kit dos and don'ts.
I'd definitely recommend going by the measurements rather than guessing for any of your kit - if you can go somewhere or borrow from members of your league to try things on for size.
If you are interested in looking into buying second hand, check out UK Roller Derby Recyclables on facebook, it is a central UK group where people post up about kit they had as freshmeat then sold, or kit bought online that doesn't fit or purely because they are upgrading. This is a great cheap option where you can still get good quality kit.
Questions you should think about before parting with your money:
- How likely is it that I will continue to skate for fun and exercise, even if I don’t pass minimum skills quickly or if I quit roller derby?
- How committed am I to roller derby?
- What is my skate budget right now?
- Do I want the BEST skates I can get immediately or would I prefer more budget skates for now, and spend more when I actually know what sort of skater I'm going to be?
This section will hopefully illustrate some derby kit dos and don'ts.
I'd definitely recommend going by the measurements rather than guessing for any of your kit - if you can go somewhere or borrow from members of your league to try things on for size.
If you are interested in looking into buying second hand, check out UK Roller Derby Recyclables on facebook, it is a central UK group where people post up about kit they had as freshmeat then sold, or kit bought online that doesn't fit or purely because they are upgrading. This is a great cheap option where you can still get good quality kit.
Skates
If you are on a budget...
I'd recommend either Suregrip Rebels or Reidell R3's.
Never buy retro skates for derby! Just don't do it. Avoiding skates with too much ankle support is advised as it can restrict your movement, although some skaters do prefer that - it can be a personal preference.
If you have slim feet Reidell's may be the way to go, whereas Suregrip skates are better suited to people with slightly wider feet. For me Suregrips were way too wide, hence why R3's suited me.
If you have a little more money to spend...
I'd recommend something like the Reidell Spark, Bonts or the Antik Spyder.
If you have all the money in the world..
I'd recommend something like the Vanilla brass knuckles.
Another popular skate at the moment is the Vertigo Q-6 - skates like these can be molded to your feet which means they are more responsive to your movement when you skate.
If you are on a budget...
I'd recommend either Suregrip Rebels or Reidell R3's.
Never buy retro skates for derby! Just don't do it. Avoiding skates with too much ankle support is advised as it can restrict your movement, although some skaters do prefer that - it can be a personal preference.
If you have slim feet Reidell's may be the way to go, whereas Suregrip skates are better suited to people with slightly wider feet. For me Suregrips were way too wide, hence why R3's suited me.
If you have a little more money to spend...
I'd recommend something like the Reidell Spark, Bonts or the Antik Spyder.
If you have all the money in the world..
I'd recommend something like the Vanilla brass knuckles.
Another popular skate at the moment is the Vertigo Q-6 - skates like these can be molded to your feet which means they are more responsive to your movement when you skate.
Pads
Avoid cheap pad sets from sports shops like these... However good derby skate shops frequently do roller derby freshmeat bundles which save you money overall.
Elbows/wrists
If you are on a budget...
Anarchy pads for elbows/wrists can be good... as can triple 8 or Pro-Tect ones.
If you have a little more money to spend...
187's are good.. if you can go all out I'd buy some Scabs. However, if you are quite petite scabs might be too large as they only have two sizes s/m and l/xl and the s/m comes up quite big in my opinion being a small person myself.
Avoid cheap pad sets from sports shops like these... However good derby skate shops frequently do roller derby freshmeat bundles which save you money overall.
Elbows/wrists
If you are on a budget...
Anarchy pads for elbows/wrists can be good... as can triple 8 or Pro-Tect ones.
If you have a little more money to spend...
187's are good.. if you can go all out I'd buy some Scabs. However, if you are quite petite scabs might be too large as they only have two sizes s/m and l/xl and the s/m comes up quite big in my opinion being a small person myself.
Knees
One of the important things for your safety are good knee pads, if you need to save money do not do it by buying cheap knee pads as you really need these to be looked after. I'd stay away from anarchy, some cheaper versions like the 187 fly model and cheaper versions of triple 8 pads and Pro-Tech ones.
Therefore, I would only recommend the more expensive pads for knees.. such as TSG force models. Smith Scabs are a popular pad for jammers as it is lightweight without compromising on protection; however I jam a lot and wear 187s. I wear the old pro-187's and the sizing has changed since I bought mine, now the 187's run quite small.
People also find that the newer TSG force III or the 187's (except the 'fly' model) stick out quite a bit so prefer the older 'flatter' models or scabs. Knee pads that stick out can make learning crossovers harder, but I learnt on pads that stick out and didn't have any problems.
One of the important things for your safety are good knee pads, if you need to save money do not do it by buying cheap knee pads as you really need these to be looked after. I'd stay away from anarchy, some cheaper versions like the 187 fly model and cheaper versions of triple 8 pads and Pro-Tech ones.
Therefore, I would only recommend the more expensive pads for knees.. such as TSG force models. Smith Scabs are a popular pad for jammers as it is lightweight without compromising on protection; however I jam a lot and wear 187s. I wear the old pro-187's and the sizing has changed since I bought mine, now the 187's run quite small.
People also find that the newer TSG force III or the 187's (except the 'fly' model) stick out quite a bit so prefer the older 'flatter' models or scabs. Knee pads that stick out can make learning crossovers harder, but I learnt on pads that stick out and didn't have any problems.
Helmet
SFR helmets are fine on a budget as are bullet helmets. But with more money Triple 8, TSG or S1's are a better investment.
If you are after something a bit more personalized you can buy helmet name stickers (obviously only after you've chosen your derby name) these can be found from various sellers on ebay usually. I have mine in a font that also relates to my derby name which I love nerding about. Or another cool thing I've seen is decorating a cheaper helmet with your own designs or in this case glitter!
SFR helmets are fine on a budget as are bullet helmets. But with more money Triple 8, TSG or S1's are a better investment.
If you are after something a bit more personalized you can buy helmet name stickers (obviously only after you've chosen your derby name) these can be found from various sellers on ebay usually. I have mine in a font that also relates to my derby name which I love nerding about. Or another cool thing I've seen is decorating a cheaper helmet with your own designs or in this case glitter!
Mouthguard
To do any form of contact you will need a mouthguard and ideally need one of these for general skating as a newbie - you never know when you could fall smack on your face or knock your head and give yourself concussion owing to not wearing a mouthguard.
Cheapie mouthguards - Boil and bite, with a limited mail-in warranty which insures you for some dental expenses if something terrible should happen while you're wearing it.
Gel mouthguards - i.e. Shock Doctor ones (which is what I have) They are boil and bite, but have a bit more to them than the cheapie mouthguards.
Fitted sport guards - if you have weird shaped teeth you might need to get one made for you by your dentist. The most comfortable yet and most expensive option.
Protech Dent mouthguards - Aren't as expensive as dentist made ones but for what they are they still aren't that reasonably priced. But they are easier to talk in, considering the price you also have to replace them more frequently as they last about 6 months. Many derby players tend to wear these though.
To do any form of contact you will need a mouthguard and ideally need one of these for general skating as a newbie - you never know when you could fall smack on your face or knock your head and give yourself concussion owing to not wearing a mouthguard.
Cheapie mouthguards - Boil and bite, with a limited mail-in warranty which insures you for some dental expenses if something terrible should happen while you're wearing it.
Gel mouthguards - i.e. Shock Doctor ones (which is what I have) They are boil and bite, but have a bit more to them than the cheapie mouthguards.
Fitted sport guards - if you have weird shaped teeth you might need to get one made for you by your dentist. The most comfortable yet and most expensive option.
Protech Dent mouthguards - Aren't as expensive as dentist made ones but for what they are they still aren't that reasonably priced. But they are easier to talk in, considering the price you also have to replace them more frequently as they last about 6 months. Many derby players tend to wear these though.