LOVE IS IN THE AIR
Happy Valentine’s Day
The Oil City Roller Derby league took a break from bruising to show a little tenderness for Valentine’s Day.
The league put on the Sweetheart Roller Disco at the Edmonton Sportsdome, where couples laced up their skates for a date, on Saturday.
Victoria Stevens, known as Barbicidal Maniac in the roller derby world, said Oil City Roller Derby put on the event for the second year because there is nowhere in the city to go out and roller-skate.
“We decided we might take a break from beating each other up for a bit and show some love to everybody,” Stevens said.
For Norman Roy, this was the first time on four-wheeled skates with the second woman he’s asked to be his wife.
Roy and his fiancée, Lorabeth Byl, have been together about 14
Don’t grab onto those things that irritate you, just shake ’em off and keep going. In the end, they don’t mean anything.
months, meeting at work, and they were engaged Oct. 16, 2016.
“When I was younger, I was a workaholic,” Roy said. “I’m still a workaholic, but I’m spending time with the one I love.”
The couple loves to dance. Roy set up white table cloths with roses at the Drake Hotel and he proposed. “I’ve decided to change my ways for my second one,” Roy said. “I’m enjoying her more than I ever did before.”
The almost 64-year-old Roy says this second shot at love should have been his first.
Byl said they both feel the same way and that they have learned lessons from past relationships.
“Don’t grab onto those things that irritate you, just shake ’em off and keep going,” she said. “In the end, they don’t mean anything.”
Material things don’t matter, she added, the relationship is what matters. “I’ve noticed we’re like young kids again,” Roy said. Byl added: “Like teenagers.” Trevor Maimann and Char-Min Wade-Creller were re-kindling a love of skating while on a date night.
Maimann had childhood dreams of being an NHL superstar, while Wade-Creller has fond memories of roller-skating to Another One Bites The Dust by Queen in 1980.
She said now that her son is 14, she can afford to be reckless and pick up her hobby again.
Maimann was more hesitant, as he had previously Rollerbladed, but never roller-skated.
“You’re going to have to hold on to me, honey,” he told Wade-Creller. The two met through a mutual friend, and had their first date at Julio’s Barrio on Whyte Avenue two years ago.
“My advice for everyone is run towards (an) awkward conversation — it’s always better to know,” Wade-Creller said. “Be genuine.”