Skate escapes

They wear bruises on their upper thighs and splinters in their behinds (and they aren’t afraid to ask a teammate to grab the tweezers to remove a sliver of rink).  Their uniforms are a hodge-podge of fishnet stockings and striped knee socks, short skirts and tight tank tops. They are covered in smelly kneepads, smelly elbow pads, smelly wrist guards, helmets and mouthpieces.  They give each other tips on which makeup sticks best when you sweat. They do lunges, pushups and sprints — all on roller skates. They each have their own outrageous names and rink personas, but they all hit with their shoulders and block with their butts for the same team.