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More aerials on skates!


Ever struggled to do a move physically? A pull up, a push up, or just running your booty from one end of the block to the other? In aerials, inverts were always my nemesis. While other people seemed to do them effortlessly, it wasn't until I started combining some cardio and ab workouts into my routine that I started hitting inverts with ease.

So when we decided to do another derby halftime routine with lyra and silks, I was a little nervous that I would have to invert on the silks in skates. The first time I tried it, total failure. But I kept practicing and by last week was hitting it without any issue.

Yesterday was the day of the show, and we did a rehearsal beforehand. For those of you that don't do silks, heights make a difference. The higher your silks are, the easier a lot of moves become. When your silks are low they become really tight and hard to work with. Well, the ceiling at our performance space is very low, meaning my first attempt at an invert had my skate kicking the carabiner. My second, third, fourth, etc attempts were just as bad. I just could not hit this freaking invert!

I was panicked about the actual show and stressed that I wouldn't be able to hit the move. My husband brought me coffee and encouraging words, telling me "Get strong. Just do it. That's what you do when it's something physical. You get strong."

Music starts, I climb my girl on the silks, go to invert... can't do it. Took a deep breath, told myself "You're GOING to do this" and I hit it! Yay me! It wasn't the prettiest invert in the world, and I was a few seconds behind my partner, but I got it! Which proves to me that when I train, when my body is strong, my failures can only be in my head. I psych myself out a lot because I think I can't, when really my body is fully capable of doing what I want it to do.

Anyway, I didn't mean to get all preachy and "rah rah rah" cheerleader, but I wanted to explain why I was so extra proud of this routine. Also I got to suggest the music, which is a mash up of two Ego Likeness songs, Devils in the Chemicals and Second Skin. I love, love, love Ego Likeness, and Donna Lynch, the lead singer, is even a model in Geek Knits!

Click the link to see the performance! Photo by Chris Rall
