So who knew San Jose had its own Roller Derby teams?

We knew, but we forgot. So when I met Ana Z from the Silicon Valley Roller Girls I could not wait to attend a bout.

I took my 17 year old daughter and three of her friends to the June 13th bout with San Jose’s Dot.Kamikazes against the Santa Cruz All-Stars. These two teams seem to have quite a rivalry, and both the derby girls and the audience were looking forward to the match up. We arrived 30 minutes early to San Jose Skate and found the parking lot full! There was still plenty of parking over at the business park next door though. Being new to the whole Roller Derby scene there was quite a lot to take in when we first entered the doors. Everyone was wearing black and green (team colors), there were green hair and wigs, tattoos, and some of the most amazing and interesting people you could imagine.

On the floor of the rink were folding chairs lined up around a taped off skating circle, so our group took seats about four rows back. Premium ticket holders got to sit in comfy couches, but the folding chairs had just as good of a view. While we could see just fine, next time we plan to get there earlier so we can be in the front row. This row does carry a warning in the program though: “Front row is SUICIDE SEATING due to crashing rollergirls. Sit at your own risk please!” While waiting for the bout to begin there were raffle tickets to buy, Roller Derby goodies to purchase, and lots of pizza and nachos and snacks to eat.

The bout began with a helmet and pad check of the girls, then an explanation of rules and demonstration of roller derby. This was really helpful to us newbies, and allowed us to enjoy our experience fully. The basic rule you need to know is the “Jammer” (girl with a star on her helmet) from each team scores points by breaking ahead of the pack to pass the other players. One point for every player passed, including anyone in the “naughty box”. As for the rest of the players, no “unladylike behavior” is allowed. It’s not the knock-down drag-out fight you see in the movies – but don’t think it’s without excitement! Although fighting, and blocking by hands, elbows and head are not allowed, plenty of other pushing IS allowed and the crowd cheered loudest whenever anyone fell (or was pushed) down.

This particular bout was very exciting. The teams were super psyched to face off with each other and you could tell by the play. However, it was the SV Roller Girls, our home team, who took the early lead and never let it go! Final score was 131-100 and it was exciting to the very end.

Multiple raffle prizes were called throughout the bout, everything from skateboards to tattoos. Pizza, nachos, and soda were enjoyed along with all the excitement, and we even had Tasty Hoops hula hoopers for halftime entertainment. All the Derby Girls are awesome, and had great derby names. Everything from Booty Vicious to Juicy K. Tore to Smashleigh to The Undie Taker, the girls go by pseudonames and they don’t ever depart from them. Mistits was a fan favorite, but my personal fave player and Jammer was Smashleigh. I definitely recommend that you find a way to get to a bout and enjoy all the juicy Derby goodness these girls have to offer.

Missed the bout? The next official home bout won’t be until August 8th, but NO WORRIES!! Because today is a FREE Roller Derby Exhibition bout at Roosevelt Hockey Rink, 901 E Santa Clara Street, San Jose. Action starts at 5pm! I recommend you get there early, and then make plans for the August 8th bout as soon as you get home!

Silicon Valley Roller Girls
Calendar and maps
Nocklebeast’s derby photos

Special thank you to Nocklebeast (from the Santa Cruz side!) for the use of his derby photos – you need a very fast shutter speed to catch these girls in motion!  Click on the link to see lots more excitement!

I though it was unusual to see logging trucks in our area. Then when the logs became a daily sighting on Highways 17 and 280, I wondered if perhaps some big redwoods had been removed one step ahead of a wildfire.

Actually, the trucks are part of a logging operation taking place on private land (160 acres) in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

As I strolled out one evening within a small cafe
A forty year old waitress to me these words did say
I see that you are a logger and not just a common bum
Because no one but a logger stirs his coffee with his thumb
–Grateful Dead Lyrics

Wait a minute; soccer on the beach? The ball will just sit there stuck in the sand! Nope, the ball is kept in the air and not dribbled on the sand. The “field” is much small than a regular soccer grass field and there are five players per team.

Next thing you know there will be sand fields popping up everywhere; in backyards, at work, and in parks.

Pro-Am Beach Soccer Championship
Main beach below the Boardwalk and Seabright Beach, Santa Cruz

Saturday and Sunday, June 21 – 22
Beginning 8:00 am

Schedule, field map, parking, and more information here.

The first leg of the ride will take cyclists to Santa Cruz, then to King City, Paso Robles, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Ventura and then Los Angeles for the closing ceremony.

Wondering why this is in San Jose Metblogs? It’s simple! I’m one of the 2500 cyclists who have raised a minimum of $2500 to raise over $11 million dollars for such an incredible cause.

Thanks to all who have contributed and supported me on this incredible journey. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Donations, supplies, volunteers, and fosters are greatly appreciated at this time.

Find more information here.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will be having its 101st Season Kick Off this weekend. Saturday and Sunday from noon there will be champion high divers descending from an 80-foot tower and performances by the Amazing Chinese Acrobats, shows alternate every hour.

In addition, this weekend is the River Arts Festival presented by the Santa Cruz Education Foundation. The River Arts Festival is a fundraiser to celebrate and support art in the area’s local public schools. Schools and environmental groups are represented at information booths.

Artists will give insight into various artistic processes including Glass Blowing, Metal Working, Painting, Ceramics and more.

The Festival will feature Sand Painting, Sun Prints, and more for children and adults, lead by professional artists; musical performances; strolling troubadours; food court.

On Sunday 11:00 am the Festival will include the first Santa Cruz Kinetic Sculpture Race. Artists build sculptures on wheels to be raced that are pushed, pulled or pedaled by the artist.

River Arts Festival
San Lorenzo Park, Santa Cruz

Saturday and Sunday, May 17 – 18
11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Did the name of the mill strike a bell? Yes, this forest is also the site of the epicenter of the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989. You can check that out too. Day use will cost you $6 per vehicle. But I’m not sure how much you’ll have to shell out for camping.

I went there just a couple of weeks ago — not an ideal time, with the super-tall trees concealing the already hide-and-seek-playing sun. Also, some portions of the park are closed for vehicles during this time.

Maybe in the summer, when you head out to Santa Cruz or the Mystery Spot, take a peep into the Forest of Nisene Marks. There lies some hope for the wounded earth.

Info: State Park Web-site | More details from Advocates

The MSN travel site has Santa Cruz listed as one of the top 10 great places in the world to spend Christmas. Santa Cruz a December destination city? Thoughts of Santa Cruz are usually of warm summer days spent wearing T-shirts and cut-offs on the Beach Boardwalk, not of Christmas.

The site suggests the Pleasure Point Inn and the Harbor Inn as two uppity places to sleep over, and they say the chef at Casablanca is said to turn out some fine cuisine. Me thinkist they had a wee bit too much nog in their Eggnog.

Visiting Santa Cruz is like taking a trip back in time to the hippie/surfer lifestyle of your, or your parents’, youth. It is the kind of village-by-the-sea where comfortable is staying over at a motel with a chair pushed up against the door and ‘good eats’ is fishie finds out on the wharf.

Beach Boardwalk
Santa’s Kingdom & the Holiday Lights Train

Using a formula that measured how each school’s students performed on state tests, how well each school’s disadvantaged students did, and whether the school was successful in providing college-level coursework, they determined the top 100 schools.

These top 100 schools earned gold medals, the next 405 schools earned silver medals, and an additional 1,086 schools earned bronze medals.

As with most rankings the order depends on the data used and how it is interpreted. Data from the 2005-2006 school year was used for these rankings. There were 10 states that were not included in the rankings for providing insufficient or no data.

Santa Clara County/Santa Cruz County schools in top 100:

2. Pacific Collegiate Charter, Santa Cruz

59. Monta Vista High, Cupertino

66. Henry M. Gunn High, Palo Alto

72. Saratoga High, Saratoga

73. Lynbrook High, San Jose

85. Palo Alto High, Palo Alto

List of the top 100 Gold Medal schools here.

List of Santa Clara County schools here.

The setting is almost as natural as it can get, with just trails and signs distinguishing it from a full-blown forest. There are 80 miles of trails, at which hikers would jump with glee, I guess. Horses too are allowed on some trails. I believe one of the hikes leads you upto the Pacific Ocean; but I didn’t have sufficient interest or energy for that.

There are campgrounds too. Strangely, you have to pay for the park maps.