Farewell Happy Wheels

Editor’s Note

This message was delivered by Alyssa “Spry Icicle” Bergeron before the 2019 Coming Out Bout on December 14, 2019:

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In a Nutshell: 12.14.19
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Happy Wheels

Warm up

Hi everyone, I’m Alyssa Spry Icicle Bergeron, and I’d like to share some fast facts about myself. 

• I’ve been a member of Maine Roller Derby for the past decade, competing, coaching, officiating, and training our athletes.
• I’m a Derby Skate Club instructor, 7 years and counting. 
• I’ve also helped coach and officiate for Casco Bay Roller Derby.

I’ve spent a lot of time in this colorful, friendly place, and I’m so excited to welcome you all tonight. Thank you so much for joining us for this very special event – MRD’s 8th annual Coming Out bout. Before we debut our newest family members, our Fresh Muscle, I need to take a moment to acknowledge that Happy Wheels is closing tomorrow, and express our deep gratitude to the Happy Wheels staff for welcoming us into their skate family.

Skills

Now, I need to share some fast facts about MRD and Happy Wheels.

• Maine Roller Derby formed in 2006, and our league started practicing at Happy Wheels in early 2008, splitting our practice time between the Portland Expo Building and here. We were only bouting at the Expo at that time. 
• We thought heck, why don’t we also bout at Happy Wheels, and Danny, Happy Wheels’s manager, said OK! We held our first public bout at Happy Wheels on June 5, 2010, when our travel team played the Wall Street Traitors from NY. Shortly after that, on June 20th, 2010, we held The Meat Grinder, which in essence was our beta-test of a Coming Out bout, in which our newest skaters publicly competed in front of their family, friends, and all y’all awesome fans.
  • Two notable things about this Meat Grinder in 2010 – we met Rodger, who came dressed in a t-bone steak costume to his first bout ever, he then spent some time as mascots for our teams, and eventually started to announce for us as Lightning Rodge. He loves this annual Coming Out bout, and although he’s with his family in Florida right now, he’s very much with us here tonight.
  • (mind you, i had been w/the league for not quite a year yet). Secondly, Danny, the awesome Happy Wheels manager,  suggested that our family, friends, and fans could open skate with us after the game before the next public skate session began. I realized Wow, Danny is SO THOUGHTFUL to offer this to us, and that’s when I first felt that this was becoming a home-away-from-home for me, and for our league.
• Our first official Coming Out bout took place in Dec of 2012, and every year since, we’ve excitedly looked forward to and prepared for this rad evening when our newest members play roller derby in public for their first time. I need to pause to thank our officials and volunteers who also play a tremendous role in preparing our skaters for their first game. Officials, volunteers, fans, and skaters: This is only possible with you, so thank you. And we’re really lucky that Danny agreed to let MRD practice, and eventually hold games, here at Happy Wheels.

Scrimmage

Speaking of Danny, he runs a great crew here, and they’ve all made us feel welcome in this space over the years. Danny has helped me lay many practice tracks in here, and the HW crew does an amazing job of readying this space from the afternoon public skate, to our bout, to the evening public skate. Again, that feeling that this is one of our homes is undeniable. Specifically, we interact a lot with Danny, Ann, Jimmy, Harold, and Derek, and we’d like to present each of you with this token of our appreciation for welcoming us into your family and taking such good care of us all these years.

Cool down

Ok, we’ve got a game to get to. On behalf of Maine Roller Derby, Derby Skate Club, Casco Bay Roller Derby, and the entire skating community, we will cherish the memories from this space and its people forever. With regards to roller skating, we are never gonna give you up. Hey Dj Eff Major, play that song!

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