The Good Life – September-October 2014
The areas premier men’s magazine featuring inspirational men in our community. Covering a variety of topics including local heroes, fathers, sports and advice for men.
The areas premier men’s magazine featuring inspirational men in our community. Covering a variety of topics including local heroes, fathers, sports and advice for men.
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BY: JESSICA BALLOU<br />
PHOTOS: URBAN TOAD MEDIA<br />
S<br />
hawn Aker first heard about men’s<br />
roller derby from a coworker who<br />
skated with the Fargo Moorhead<br />
Derby Girls. She said they were<br />
going to start a men’s league in Fargo, and<br />
since he used to skate a bit when growing<br />
up, he figured he’d give derby a shot. Now<br />
he’s been involved with the Fargo-Moorhead<br />
Men’s Roller Derby league since its inception<br />
in April 2010 as president.<br />
“It’s not new, but it’s making a<br />
comeback,” Aker said about the sport. “Not<br />
a lot of people play. It’s fun, and there’s a lot<br />
of endurance and conditioning involved. It’s<br />
very physical.”<br />
History and Rules<br />
Recently the league has started offering<br />
“fresh meat” classes for people who haven’t<br />
really skated before or want to improve their<br />
skating skills. <strong>The</strong> class meets twice a week<br />
for two-hour sessions for three months, and<br />
participants learn the basics and how to<br />
move together as a team.<br />
Some people aren’t quite prepared for<br />
the physicality of the sport when they first<br />
sign up. It can take a while for your legs to be<br />
properly conditioned, and there are a lot of<br />
weird ways you can fall when skating around<br />
the track. Some guys have broken legs,<br />
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