Kitty's Gear Profile
•Posted on March 29 2018
Name: Kristen Lee, AKA Kitty
Team: London Brawling/London Roller Derby and England Roller Derby
Years in Derby: 16
Boots: Bont Fiberglass model with custom colours, lace cover and lace snug. Over the years I have gone between Riedell 495s and Bonts. I love the luxurious fit and beautiful design of Riedells but after accidentally skating on a Bont microfiber hybrid boot in order to test out a plate, I couldn't get past the lightness of the Bonts. It took a little bit to get used to the stiffer sole however now it feels really weird going back to a leather soled boot. I prefer the fiberglass sole to the carbon option though as that seemed toooooo stiff for me. I had no break in time with either of the Bonts I have worn, however the ankle/heel area *is* slightly too wide for me, so I use extra long waxed laces which I tie under my plate almost like a jam strap and that does the job. I'm keen to try the Riedell Solaris though as the lighter base but with the gorgeous leather seems a winner.
Plates (including cushions): Pilot Falcon (blue) with Medium cushions. I have tried many a plate in my time and this is the one I keep going back to. It just seems to do everything I want it to...good snappiness as well as good lateral movement. Over the years I've ended up using harder cushions and wearing my trucks a little tighter. It's also super light, and importantly for me: it's a really low ride, meaning that I am super low to the ground which makes me feel really grounded and able to push through the floor.
Wheels: Radar Morph Wheels (whatever duro the floor requires). I was interested to try these wheels when they first came out---were they a gimmick? What was the deal? These wheels have a grippier strip on the outside of the wheel. For me, I can really feel that extra bite at the edge of the wheel...this makes for GREAT speed control moves as well as being able to stick an edge to juke or change direction.
Kneepads: TSG Roller Derby 3.0 black with white caps. I am notorious for my ability to wear thin kneepads and never hurt my knees. So for me, I don't need a lot of protection, so slimline is my #1 factor. Fortunately though, these do still provide decent protection, but I wouldn't necessarily put them up there with some of the heavy pads like the 187 Pro Derby or the S1 Pro kneepads. But they look nice and have clever little anti-slip sticky circles which helps them grip to your legs.
Elbows: 187 Slim Elbows, because they fit snugly and last a long time
Wrists: Atom Gear Wrist Guard: again, I'm not fussed with bulky protection. I've been wearing these guys for years (replace them every 6 months or so) and I love them.
Helmet: S1, coz...what else? I have my black gloss one for London Brawling and white gloss for Team England. LRD is sponsored by S1, but I wouldn't wear anything else anyway.
Anything else: Waxed laces and Sisu mouthguard. I also use the Radar Roller Bag, because I am old and my shoulders hurt!