032_LS498_sports-TV column _024_LS466_Sports/TV_Column 21/10/2010 18:58 Page 2
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SPORT | TV
L7 Sport
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826 OCT – 1 NOV8
Always picked last Andrea Fox joins the Brighton Roller Derby
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Telly Talk With Victoria Nangle
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id you see the recent film Whip It, starring Drew Barrymore? It was about a group of girls playing an underground and aggressive sport involving skates and an impressive haul of padding. The sport was called Roller Derby. It originated from America but there are 50 teams now in the UK, with the London Roller Girls the most revered. Back in February, Brighton’s own Roller Derby team were set up and decided to name themselves the Brighton Rockers. Think of a game, like rugby, with the idea to get one player (Jammer) to the opposing teams’ ‘end’ on roller skates, with a fair amount of body contact to avoid this goal (point) being achieved. Basically, ice hockey without sticks. Or ice. To say I was worried about bruises would be an understatement. I nearly backed out when informed beforehand I would need to buy a gum guard. I have never taken part in an activity that required any kind of dental protection. I wasn’t to need the guard in the end, and I was lent all the rest of the required kit and padding, which took 10 minutes to on! No one is allowed to take part (very sensibly) without a helmet, elbow pads, wrist pads and kneepads. There wasn’t much left un-padded. I even got to borrow an official T-shirt complete with nickname: ‘Pain-a-Doll’. I’d skated a lot as a child (underage roller discos featuring mainly the song ‘Night Train’ by Kadoc were the rage in the ’90s, trust me) so it came back pretty easily. First up, Brighton Rocker Sophie took me through the basic moves. A single knee fall meant ducking down onto one knee to stop, and I’m sure you can work out how a double knee fall moves on from that. I was apprehensive at first, but the kneepads meant I could barely feel the sports hall fall. Throwing myself around and not getting hurt? I was starting to see the appeal. According to the girls, the most frequent injuries are to the knees, which take the brunt of your weight as you lunge to the ground at speed – not a very fast speed in my case. Brighton Rocker Kristina showed me a snap of her biggest ever bruise after the lesson. It looked like a brown and blue dinner plate on her thigh. I did suffer one injury – I broke a fingernail. It didn’t seem worth mentioning. To try out Roller Derby and get past beginner stage takes around 12 weeks. The first lesson is free but only if you have the correct kit (padding and skates can be picked up for £100). It’s great for skate fans, team sport enthusiasts and anyone that thinks Tony Hawk is cool. At the end, the most experienced Brighton Rocker, ‘Bash’, complimented me: “Pretty good. Next time you come we should get you trying out hitting.” Hitting? Oh yeah. The game. The ‘contact’ part. Time for me to get my pads off. For more info visit www.brightonrockers.com Listen to The Guy & Andrea Breakfast Show on Brighton’s Juice 107.2 every Monday to Friday from 7am Andrea Fox is on a mission to find a sport that sticks. What should she try next? comment@thelatest.co.uk
Bumps in the night F
or a long time now scary with the horrific, with a twist of its things have either been writers’ dark sense of humour entirely silly or veering thrown in. We all know scary things towards torture porn. For such a can be funny. The laugh is that clever genre renowned for pressing release that we use to tell ourselves psychological buttons and that we’re alright really. It’s not real. knowingly keeping the upper hand But that slither of a doubt keeps all over its audience, it’s been a shame the hairs on the back of my neck at that the likes of Scary Movie and full attention. Hostel II have made it seem cheap I really can’t say much more and lazy. Luckily, this Halloween about Psychoville: Halloween Psychoville will be reminding us how Special as it really is an awful lot of scares and chills are really fun and with all its twists and turns supposed to be done. I wouldn’t want to spoil a single one Like velvet after of them for you. polyester, Suffice to say, you Psychoville’s don’t have to have “That slither of seen the rather Halloween Special feels lush and successful series a doubt keeps luxurious in its featuring many of writing and care. It the same characters all the hairs on suspends disbelief, to enjoy it. But you and utilises more probably do need a a the back of my than a few of the old rather substantial horror masters’ tools neck at full cushion to hide of the trade. How behind and be attention” happy am I at the stocked up on tea episodic structure? and bathroom visits Very, that’s how before it starts. much. This was something that I Oh, and maybe make sure you’re thought had been practically killed especially good to the trick or off by The Simpsons’ annual treaters this year. You never know Treehouse Of Horror, an ever what tricks can happen in an increasingly diabolical regular for unsuspecting suburbia. all the wrong reasons. Psychoville: Halloween Special on With Psychoville’s carefully BBC2, Sunday 31 October. crafted characters its macabre edge follow me on twitter latestvicky comes from mixing the mundane
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