Long Beach Roller Derby from District Weekly on Vimeo.
About a month ago I posted about a fun skate out I went on with a group from Moxi Roller Skate Shop. It was titled "I Took the Hill, It Didn't Take Me - Conquering Fear on Roller Skates". I tried to describe the hill we went down and the speed we picked up but I didn't have an adequate video or photo to accompany the story. Well, the video has now been posted at the District Weekly. It includes documentation of skating down the Cherry Beach hill as well as information about the up-and-coming Long Beach Roller Derby league. Check it out.Posts Tagged ‘roller skating’
Long Beach Roller Derby Video from The District Weekly
Monday, August 24th, 2009Press-Telegram Mentions Long Beach Roller Derby
Thursday, July 30th, 2009
A recent Press-Telegram article titled Long Beach wheeler-dealer features Michelle Steilin (aka Estro Jen), owner of Moxi Skate Shop. Toward the end of the article, there's mention of the upcoming Long Beach Roller Derby League.
Steilin ... is helping form two Long Beach amateur teams - The Dive Bar Brawlers and the Terminal Island Tootsies - to begin competing in a new Long Beach league. They've secured space temporarily at the Spruce Goose for competitions, but are looking for a permanent home.If you're interested in getting involved with Long Beach Roller Derby, attend the recruitment meeting on Friday, August 14th, 7pm at the Moxi Skate Shop, 2218 E. Fourth St. The meeting will be followed by a Roll Out which entails skating with a pack of women and men along the boardwalk and through downtown, East Village Arts District and Retro Row. The theme is safety so wear lights, reflective gear or metallic hot pants.
I Took the Hill, It Didn’t Take Me – Conquering Fear on Roller Skates
Sunday, July 12th, 2009
[caption id="attachment_1518" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The view from Junipero and Ocean. This road leads to the parking lot and is what we skated down on Friday night"]
[/caption]Friday night I went roller skating with a group of people in Long Beach. It's all part of a monthly roll-out lead by Estro Jen, owner of Moxi Skates and founder of the upcoming Long Beach Roller Derby league.
The evening began with congregating at the Moxi Skate shop for a short briefing on the route we would take. One of our first challenges would be to skate down the fairly steep hill at Junipero and Ocean Blvd that leads down to the bike path.
I skated the hill once before and I knew from experience that taking this hill means leaving fear behind. Once you get near the bottom you build up some serious momentum and any attempts at stopping will probably make it more likely for you to tumble and fall than if you just stay low and go for it. So, stay low and go for it I did. See video here.
What waited at the bottom of the hill was a car with it's lights on, ready to drive up the hill and a sand-covered asphalt parking lot. I wasn't prepared for either of these things but I realized I had no choice but to roll with what was and hope for the best. I curved to the right, zooming past the car and taking a slightly bumpy, skiddy ride on the sandy asphalt. I stayed low and steady and slowed to a gentle roll without incident.
Once I realized I had made it down the hill safely, I was exhilirated. My heart was racing in a "hell yeah!" kind of way. The entire experience reinforced the lesson I can never get enough of which is, the mind doesn't always tell the truth and listening to thoughts of limitation is crippling.
On my way down the hill there were those familiar thoughts, "I'm too old" and "what if I eat it in front of everyone?" I dismissed each of them quickly.
The truth is, age had absolutely nothing to do with skating down the hill. It's not like I needed the endurance of a 20 year old, all I was doing was letting gravity take over. I was there with a pack of 10 or so people. Some men, some women, all of various heights and weights. If they could do it, there is absolutely no reason I why I couldn't do it also.
If, by chance I did wipe out in front of everyone, who cares? I didn't have time to entertain the thought of eating the pavement because giving that thought power would only increase my chances of crashing. If I had a choice between making it down the hill without a scratch or wiping out, I'd choose the scratch-less version. That's what I gave my attention to.
For me, all this is simply an analogy for how I want to live my life. Whether it's skating down a hill, delivering a public speech or teaching a class I want to be fully present and fearless. That's the way to truly live life versus being a spectator of it. In my opinion life is too short and precious for me to live in a mental prision of limitation and fear.
For help overcoming fear and breaking out of mental prison, get the book From Sabotage to Success.
If you're interested in skating, reffing, cheering or just want info regarding the Long Beach Roller Derby league , e-mail moxiskates [at] gmail.com
[/caption]Friday night I went roller skating with a group of people in Long Beach. It's all part of a monthly roll-out lead by Estro Jen, owner of Moxi Skates and founder of the upcoming Long Beach Roller Derby league.
The evening began with congregating at the Moxi Skate shop for a short briefing on the route we would take. One of our first challenges would be to skate down the fairly steep hill at Junipero and Ocean Blvd that leads down to the bike path.
I skated the hill once before and I knew from experience that taking this hill means leaving fear behind. Once you get near the bottom you build up some serious momentum and any attempts at stopping will probably make it more likely for you to tumble and fall than if you just stay low and go for it. So, stay low and go for it I did. See video here.
What waited at the bottom of the hill was a car with it's lights on, ready to drive up the hill and a sand-covered asphalt parking lot. I wasn't prepared for either of these things but I realized I had no choice but to roll with what was and hope for the best. I curved to the right, zooming past the car and taking a slightly bumpy, skiddy ride on the sandy asphalt. I stayed low and steady and slowed to a gentle roll without incident.
Once I realized I had made it down the hill safely, I was exhilirated. My heart was racing in a "hell yeah!" kind of way. The entire experience reinforced the lesson I can never get enough of which is, the mind doesn't always tell the truth and listening to thoughts of limitation is crippling.
On my way down the hill there were those familiar thoughts, "I'm too old" and "what if I eat it in front of everyone?" I dismissed each of them quickly.
The truth is, age had absolutely nothing to do with skating down the hill. It's not like I needed the endurance of a 20 year old, all I was doing was letting gravity take over. I was there with a pack of 10 or so people. Some men, some women, all of various heights and weights. If they could do it, there is absolutely no reason I why I couldn't do it also.
If, by chance I did wipe out in front of everyone, who cares? I didn't have time to entertain the thought of eating the pavement because giving that thought power would only increase my chances of crashing. If I had a choice between making it down the hill without a scratch or wiping out, I'd choose the scratch-less version. That's what I gave my attention to.
For me, all this is simply an analogy for how I want to live my life. Whether it's skating down a hill, delivering a public speech or teaching a class I want to be fully present and fearless. That's the way to truly live life versus being a spectator of it. In my opinion life is too short and precious for me to live in a mental prision of limitation and fear.
For help overcoming fear and breaking out of mental prison, get the book From Sabotage to Success.
If you're interested in skating, reffing, cheering or just want info regarding the Long Beach Roller Derby league , e-mail moxiskates [at] gmail.com
Skating, Beastie Boys and the Buddhist Monk
Friday, January 2nd, 2009
It was a beautiful day in Long Beach, CA. I decided to get my iPod and go skating. I was listening to the Beastie Boys, thinking how they sometimes put Buddhist philosophy in their songs and just then I saw a Buddhist monk.
I've seen him before.
We wave hello to each other when I'm roller skating with the wind flying through my hair and he's walking meditatively. Today I asked him if I could take his picture. As you can see, he graciously said yes. He's the most peaceful person I've run into for a long time.
Here are a few Beastie Boys songs that have a spiritual, unifying message wrapped in music you can groove to:
What I Love about the Recession
Sunday, December 28th, 2008
The longer the recession lasts, the more creative I become. I didn't realize what a consumer zombie I was until the credit was yanked right out from under me. Since I'm not spending money, I'm forced to entertain myself with the items I have on hand. I have a lot more than I realized. Isn't that the American way?
Just today I got to enjoy this "old" stuff.
**Listened to Rapper's Delight by Sugar Hill Gang on 12" vinyl
**Went window shopping on Retro Row. Treated my fingers to the feel of cashmere and got two eyes full of the glitteriest costume jewelry in Long Beach
**Wore the sequin-covered vintage sweater I got for Christmas from Warehouse 1333 while shopping, felt "retro". It added something to the whole experience
**Talked to the man at Via Roller Skates about outdoor skating in Long Beach the 2nd Friday of each month*
**Watched A Tribe Called Quest A Video Anthology (which I completely forgot, has the Left My Wallet in Segundo video on it)
**Talked to my friend Rev. Ahman twice about movies, music, family, food and community
**Listened to Blood of Abraham and The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, my two new purchases from my iTunes gift card
P.S. If you like roller skating, come skate outdoors in Long Beach the second Friday of each month with other Long Beach residents. Meet at Via Roller Skates 2218 4th St. (inside Lil Devils) Long Beach, CA (267) 374-9674. I'm putting a note in my PalmPilot to remind me to go on January 9, 2009. Maybe I'll see you there.
**Listened to Rapper's Delight by Sugar Hill Gang on 12" vinyl
**Went window shopping on Retro Row. Treated my fingers to the feel of cashmere and got two eyes full of the glitteriest costume jewelry in Long Beach
**Wore the sequin-covered vintage sweater I got for Christmas from Warehouse 1333 while shopping, felt "retro". It added something to the whole experience
**Talked to the man at Via Roller Skates about outdoor skating in Long Beach the 2nd Friday of each month*
**Watched A Tribe Called Quest A Video Anthology (which I completely forgot, has the Left My Wallet in Segundo video on it)
**Talked to my friend Rev. Ahman twice about movies, music, family, food and community
Song of the Week – 11-4-08 – De La Soul (feat. Q-tip) A Rollerskating Jam Named “Saturdays”
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
This week's song is about roller skatin' on a Saturday and havin' a good ol' time. If you want to see some serious action on roller skates, come down to the Doll Factory this Saturday November 8 for some roller derby mayhem. Watch the excitement and feel the adrenaline as LA Derby Doll team's Sirens and Tough Cookies battle it out for the championship title. Get your tickets now.
Buy De La Soul on iTunes
The song of the week is brought to you by Michael Zampelli, former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.
Currently, Zampelli manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.
Buy De La Soul on iTunes
The song of the week is brought to you by Michael Zampelli, former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.
Currently, Zampelli manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned. Long Beach Marathon, Sunday October 12, 2008 – Gal VanIZed Skates and Cheers on Runners
Sunday, October 12th, 2008
Today, I strapped on my skates and headed down to Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach to check out the final stretch of the Long Beach Marathon. It ends up, I live very close to the 25 mile mark. I called T.O.C. to see if he wanted to come shoot some video but he wasn't around.
So, these phone photos are all I got. It was really fun to skate fast down the middle of a major boulevard. On any given day, hundreds of thousands of cars travel this 4-lane thoroughway. But today, the space was reserved for runners, cyclists and volunteers. Here's a photo of me with one of the volunteers who passed out water. She was a gem and of course she offered me a cup of water after this photo was shot.
I skated from just before the 25 mile mark to the 26 mile mark and back. I cheered the runners and made celebratory noises while listening to my iPod. My playlist for today is almost exactly the same as the one from Laugh Tour. Hey, it worked once, why not try it again.
So, these phone photos are all I got. It was really fun to skate fast down the middle of a major boulevard. On any given day, hundreds of thousands of cars travel this 4-lane thoroughway. But today, the space was reserved for runners, cyclists and volunteers. Here's a photo of me with one of the volunteers who passed out water. She was a gem and of course she offered me a cup of water after this photo was shot.
I skated from just before the 25 mile mark to the 26 mile mark and back. I cheered the runners and made celebratory noises while listening to my iPod. My playlist for today is almost exactly the same as the one from Laugh Tour. Hey, it worked once, why not try it again. The Official Laugh Tour/ Long Beach Marathon iPod Playlist
Sunday, October 12th, 2008
Music is the imeptus for much of what I do, so to leave it out of the equation is like stripping the color out of a photograph, it simply lacks something.
Last week Trainer on the Corner (T.O.C.) and I went on a Laugh Tour. We posted signs that say "Laugh" all over Belmont Shore. There was a soundtrack that carried me through the entire experience, from stepping down my front porch steps with skates on, to skating up and down 2nd Street spreading laughter, to sitting at Archibald's drinking ice cold Lemonade. Here it is. All links go to iTunes where you can sample or buy the song.
I left the house listening to Holiday in Cambodia by the Dead Kennedys off Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death. On my way to T.O.C.'s house I listened to Police Brutality by The Sky Beneath off The Floor and went a little faster than comfortable all the way down the bumpy asphalt hills. I had to take a side turn to slow myself down.
As I waited for T.O.C. to come downstairs and put on his skates I listened to The Wizard Turns On by the Flaming Lips off At War with the Mystics and flew down 2nd St. listening to Under My Thumb by Social Distortion off Mainliner and Fat Boys by Sport Doen off Never Mind Aerobics Here's Punk Rope.
We had to make a stop at Mailboxes Etc. I heard The Way You Move (Feat. Sleepy Brown) and, Knowing both by Big Boi off Speakerboxxx, followed by Spybreak! by Propellerheads off Decksandrumsandrockandroll.
As we skated and handed out fliers and laughed and posed for pictures, I kept my iPod going at a low but audible volume as I heard Comicstripteasegirl by Stereo Total off Juke-Box Alarm, So Whatcha Want (feat. B-Real) by the Beastie Boys off Dr. Numbers Presents Still Ill, Anti-Pop by Kommunity FK off The Vision and the Voice and Take Me Higher by Peshay.
It's always good to have Gratitude, especially when It's delivered by the Beastie Boys off Check Your Head. The tunes continued with Tequila Dub by Sly and Robbie off Maximum Dub, Pat-Trip Dispenser by The Fall, Everything's Gone Green by New Order, Normal (Is a Million Miles Away) by the Groovie Ghoulies off Springman Records Sampler and Blitzkrieg Bop by the Ramones.
As we came to the end of our journey, we headed to Archibalds for some ice cold lemonade. I heard History Repeating by Propellerheads off Decksanddurmsandrockandroll, Unspeakable by Killing Joke off What's This For, Mad Flava by Fatboy Slim off Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, I Love You Big Dummy by Magazine and Oh This World by Dr. Alimantado off Kings Bread.
As we left Archibald's and skated home I heard Insane In the Brain by Cypress Hill, Make Love by Daft Punk off Human After All, and Only Child by Patrick Mata off Hydro Carbons from a Meteorite.
It was a hot day. 95 degrees by the time we got home. But the joy we shared for those few hours was well worth the time and energy. We connected with some really neat people and we plan to do it again next month. (See video)
If you want to have your own Laugh Tour, we'll gladly send you a PDF of our Laugh sign. As a bonus, we'll also send our Love and Peace signs from last month's tour. Simply fill in your name and e-mail below. We won't share your info with anyone. If you want to remain on our list, we'll also send you updates about roller derby, playlists, concerts, free workouts and more.
P.S. Today I spent some time at the final mile of the Long Beach Marathon. This playlist was also part of what carried me through a couple of miles of skating hard and cheering the runners. Stay tuned for pictures and highlights from my visit to the Long Beach Marthon. 
