Derby all-nighter November 18th 2006
Now THAT is how you end a year skating!!
It was with a feeling of anticipation that something special was going to happen that the Rollergroovers set off to Derby.
We arrived nice and early and there was already an up-swell of good feeling. This was to prove the skate event of the year.
Word has gotten around of this event and it just happened to coincide with people being available and BOY! Was there ever a high concentration of top skaters on this night?
With people coming from far and wide, not only was the world a little smaller, it was a little older as well, because there were skaters the Rollergroovers hadn’t seen in many a year. I hadn’t seen the 3man Crew since the early 90s, not seen Marnie for longer and I hadn’t seen Laurie since 1989.
The level of skating was high with a wonderful mixture of new-school blood with ol’ skool experience. Swifty is beginning to get his flow back (despite higher-than-national-average levels of alcohol). “Cockney” Paul is looking sharper than he has in recent months. 3man Crew have not changed a bit. Having not skated in years, they did staggeringly well and even through in a bit of pop-lockin’ before leaving.
Keith and his crew made an unexpected appearance along with his protégé and prodigy Li’l Derek. This kid is unbelievably talented and so down-to-earth. The music was excellent as ever with Denny handling most of the evening, the House of Baines being called away at the last minute to play at Southampton.
Yours Truly did his thang for awhile bringing the funk as always. Without wishing to name-drop, the roll-call of skaters is evident from the videos elsewhere on this site.
On a more sombre note, there was an electric slide routine held for Melvin who passed away recently. Rest in peace.
All-in-all this was a night to remember for some time to come and we can hardly contain ourselves for what is to come in 2007.