RollerCon 2010 - Day 1

Before you say "Wait a minute! You took my photo why isn't it here?", the photos on this blog or specifically this blog entry are to summarize my day. I wanted to keep the photo count to 26. Which really isn't enough in my opinion but there is not enough drive space on the blog site to post all the photos for the week (or even day) here.

and so...

I woke up at around 10am (vegas time) and went to go look for the bus pick up to the sports center. The first thing I noticed outside the Hooters Hotel entrance was this card board cut out of a skater (obviously) strapped to another girl's back (like a knapsack).


11:05 Euthanasia, a 2D skater with depth.

With a bit more investigating I found out that Euthanasia (the card board skater) couldn't make it to RollerCon. In lieu of her not being there her derby wife was carrying her likeness with her and getting people to autograph it. So Euthanasia, if you're reading this, while I didn't sign your life size cardboard photo I did take a photo. I think it's amazing that your team from El Paso loves you that much and hopefully you'll be able to make it next year.


11:15 we board the air conditioned bus. Yay!!!



The Sports Center


Wowee, check out the organization this year.


11:54 trading cards!!

While waiting for my media pass to be made I met Major Quad Damage who showed me some Roller Derby playing cards he made. Glossy and a nice stock. I checked the site on the rollercon card (QuadCards.com) but found the link went to some computer site. The actual link you want to go to is www.facebook.com/RollerDerbyTradingCards. You can email him at (MajorQuadDamage@gmail.com) and ask about costs and stuff.


The Sports Center main floor


Floor by Ice Court


Jess Bandit and The Rev


13:05 Jackie Nimble and Bambi Lance doing the arm thing to "Greased lightnin".


13:56 Supersonik! (Kim) and I at Whole Foods inspect the tomato samples (N36 04.038 W115 10.446)

The rollercon bus stopped on the way to the Sports Center at a Whole Foods. A very nice (maybe a tad expensive) grocery store. It was a great place to get fruit and water... and apparently alcohol. I keep forgetting the States doesn't have the same restrictions on such things as in Ontario. I took some photos of the various beer for some of the people back home.


Free Samples!!!


13:59 Marcus T. Carcass picks up some beer


...from quite a large selection


14:42 We find Beats Per Minute (Montreal) who walked over from the sports center with Honey Bee (Ottawa) who was waiting for a bus for over an hour.


Driving at Supersonik! speed back to the hotel after dropping Honey bee back at the sports center


14:49 Bump into some Queen City Roller Girls at the front entrance to Hooters


Amanda Jamitinya

16:45 watching the Fremont street bouts


Despite what you think this isn't Amazons VS Short bus.


Team Vagine


Wow! Someone wearing the shirt!!! Awesome!!

19:30 return to the sports center


There are some things you just don't ask about


Look!!! It's the skaters from Australia!! Woot!


Supersonik! and Marcus pose with a license plate in the parking lot.


22:30 I wander off to take some photos


00:00 back at the Hooters Pool running into some HCRG Canucks




00:26 commence pool photography with underwater camera bag


00:31 holding a girl on your shoulders while taking photos and trying not to to be pushed over.


Probably my best underwater photo taken that night.


01:20 Wandering the Strip with Anita Martini and Commie, looking for those $1 margaritas.

RollerCon 2010 - the flight in

What smells like plastercine and has damp floors? Apparently my room at the Hooters Hotel. On top of that I can't sync the iPhone to my laptop. The hotel doesn't have a wireless connection and my iPhone can't transfer word documents over the iPhone connection cable. $#@ Apple!

In the meantime, I will post photos and update them with text later.


Getting the shoes shined at the airport.


The Tri-City girls.


Rebel Rock-it


Rebel shows the Tri-city girls the flamingo jammer panty.


Looking at the sunset while waiting for the plane


Rebel visiting the Tri-city girls while en route.


Anita Martini, still a bit shaken from my quiet approach


Arriving at Las Vegas' McCarran airport


Rebel poses in front of a GUN ad (as a Canadian we find the US gun culture a bit strange) .


The ToRD girls at the Hooters pool


Dark Passion Play with her Eiffel tower drink.


Holy Hotness! It's Strychnine and B-Train.


Points for ricochet cork hits on B-Train


Pool side


B Train and So.


A car we passed by on the way to the Tropicana




Eating at Del Taco 4:00am, vegas time

Larry of the Dead

This sign says "$10 for humans, $5 for Zombies"

Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated played tonight at the Toronto Underground theatre. It's that theatre on Spadina just north of Queen street that used to play all those Kung Fu movies back in the day.l Recently it had been acquired by new owners and is back showing films.


This sign says "Free"

One of these films being Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated. For those not in the know it's the film Night of the Living Dead with all the visual footage replaced with animation. Animation from different people around the world. To be honest it doesn't just stop with animation, there's sock puppets thrown in there for good measure (and they're quite well done I might add).


The preFamous Laer Adlon

Larry, being one of the artists to contribute to the film had a meet and greet booth as well as a Q&A after the film. The people that stayed after the credits rolled were pretty engrossed with what Larry had to say. Some of them even stuck around to get autographs and photos.


Organizers of the movie night


Larry talks to the fans, note he's also in the credits.


Something really big.


The audience engrossed in what Larry is talking about.


Clapping at Larry's speech.


Fans swarm Larry for autographs


Taking photos with the fans.


It's a gift from Larry. A photo of the zombie version of him.

Motivator Man!!!

Going up? With motivation from Emmanuel you bet you are.

The creative spark is one of those things that pops up when one least expects it. At least for me. Something usually has to trigger it, be it a conversation, or some experience. It's rare for something to just pop in out of the blue. It's because of this that I'll force myself to go outside for just the sake of going out and doing something.

I was in one of those modes today. Driven myself home earlier this morning from Hamilton. It was an unexpected drive. I drove and dropped off a drunk (maybe half drunk) skater friend to her home. By the time I got to my apartment and fell asleep it was around 5:30am, some time just before the sun came up.

Waking up to a phone call at 10:30am had me cloudy brained all day. I had suggested to Emmanuel that we do a photo shoot a few days earlier. It was to test put some lighting techniques I'd been toying around with in my mind over the last few week or so. Originally I told him I'd be available in the afternoon. I wasn't expecting to be back from Hamilton until 2pm and I really wasn't expecting him to call so early in the morning.



As a general rule though I tell people to just not call me before 10am. Then I'm not just cloudy brained, I'm crusty all day. 10:30 was fine but I still have errands to do and I told him I'd get back to him by 2:00, the originally planned time.

2:00pm. We set up to meet at his apartment and from there we went to the back of the building to do some photography. It didn't take long for the photo shoot to become fun. We ended up doing some Super Hero type poses and shots. I even tried making the lighting a bit more dramatic. In the end got some pretty cool photos.

Force yourself to get out there and just do something. That'll get you 80% there, just showing up.

Honda Indy

I spent time with my fitness photographer friend Simon Lau at the Honda Indy today. As he's a fitness photographer and it was pretty hot and sunny we didn't really see much of the trials (cars) instead we ended up talking to the various girls that were working or competing at the raceway. I'd say about half of them Simon knew from other venues.

The actual event was pretty tiny in comparison to other years. Not as many vendors and because it was Friday not as many fans. Both good and bad. Bad in that not as many photo opportunities, good in that it was easy to get around.










The Bud girls.


Monica of PRN.