Hey derby fans!
So I’m in the middle of a move. Currently packing my life up and making my way to Missouri. Moves are so dang hard, and I swear they never get easier. The stress of trying to neatly pack your life into boxes, topped with the chore of canceling the various utility accounts, oh and let us not forget about pausing the mail (paused writing to check that off the list, yay!), cleaning your now empty home, and last but not least, saying goodbye. Goodbyes amplify the awfulness of moving. I’m unbelievably terrible at saying goodbye. I’ve been known skip out on even saying it, opting to pretend I’ll see everyone tomorrow.
There was really only one move that caused me to break down in tears. As a kid it was my normal to pick up my life and relocate. I didn’t like it, but I accepted it. I always try to keep it positive when I move. I research things to look forward to at my new location. Honestly, at this point in my life, the change of scenery every few years is kind of nice. One thing I’ve grown to love is finding a new derby team. It almost feels like I have a family waiting for me in every state. I figured this move was a perfect opportunity to put the DerbyListing website to good use.
I did a google search for teams and compared my results to that which was already on DerbyListing. The List did pretty darn well; however, there were a few newer teams that didn’t appear on the website. One team in particular, is so new that I only heard of it by word of mouth (don’t worry I added them to the list). It also happened to be the team located in the town I’m moving to. So here’s the deal derby fans. This website has the potential to be a great asset to the derby community. However, Richard and I can’t do it by ourselves. Here is our two-part call to action:
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If you see a team that is missing, add it. If a team has a new Facebook page or they no longer exist, correct it. This is a team effort!
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Share derbylisting.com with your friends, league mates, and derby mates around the world. The more people who know about this asset means more eyes and ears out in the derby world that can help contribute to the site.
The website is made so that visitors can make corrections and additions. However, to ensure erroneous data isn’t added (wiki style) all corrections/additions are vetted by the one and only, Richard Hurton, before it is made visible to the public. Once a change is made visible to the public, it is announced via a Facebook post. Every contribution makes The List more accurate. Please help our derby community.
-Jukes
Please note, that my opinions, within this blog post and all future blog posts, are just that, my opinions. If you disagree with anything I say, please feel free to engage in respectful dialogue in the comment section below. I can also be reached at jukes@derbylisting.com. Thanks for joining me on my blog-venture!!
About Me: Richard Hurton
I am Richard Hurton. Well, that’s my current derby name, at least.
I first heard about the resurgence of roller derby around 2003 via the Comedy Central show Insomniac with Dave Attell. I honestly didn’t think much of it. Looked like fun, but there wasn’t any roller derby in my town so I promptly forgot about it.
Then in 2006 my partner and I moved to the MidWest. She had reconnected with a highschool friend (thanks, Facebook) who conveniently lived at the half way point for the cross country move. I only mention this friend, because she was gung ho for roller derby, and was a skater on her local team. It got my partner excited to learn more about roller derby. Unfortunately, the small town we moved to didn’t have roller derby… so after a short while, I forgot all about it… again.
In 2009 we found ourselves moving again. This time to Salt Lake City. Prior to moving I had made contact with a person in SLC via LiveJournal (oh how I miss LiveJournal). She and her partner just happened to be the announcers for the local roller derby team (Salt City Derby Girls). Through them we finally made it to our first derby bout! A little late to the party, but at least we made it.
We went to a few more bouts, but 2009 was a tumultuous year for roller derby in Salt Lake City. The local league split. Out of that split emerged Wasatch Roller Derby (WRD). Alongside WRD a recreational league started, The Red Rockettes. By coincidence one of the founders of the rec league happened to be one of the first people we met in Salt Lake City.
In 2010/2011 my partner decided that she would give recreational roller derby a go. I, in full support of my partner, volunteered to NSO. And thus began our deep dive into roller derby.
My original roller derby name was Unkle Sammich. Later, I decided to complement my partner’s derby name, Liz Tailher; so I changed my derby name to Richard Hurton. If you still don’t get the connection, google “Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton”.
In 2012 I started researching derby leagues around the world. I wanted to get a better idea of how many leagues played under the different rulesets. That research eventually resulted in this website.
–Richard Hurton