For the 3rd year in a row, the crew at Vanilla Skates has gone above and beyond to make Sk8 the State for MS happen! How do they do such thing you may wonder?! Well imagine a pair of sk8s that the average derby player rolls on which rarely leave their feet for practice, side training, casual sk8ing, and bouting. They take a beating just as much as the player who rolls on them. The ladies involved in Team Ironfeet aka the Sk8rs of Sk8 the State for MS ( Dubbs, Sum Mo Payne, Skinnerella & P.B.R) are also involved in 2-4 other derby organizations that allow them to basically be derby orientated 24/7! So those average sk8rs' sk8s I was telling you about see some serious "derby love" on and off the track BUT NOW throw countless training miles on side roads, highways, interstates and anything paved covered in unpredictable elements & unexpected twists/turns. Then ADD the actual event of sk8ing across a WHOLE state and what you are left with is pieces of material that once looked like sk8s which serves a serious set back in an event such as Sk8 the State for MS. Would we Walk the State for MS?! Would we Jump rope the State for MS?! What about Cartwheel the State for MS?! Nahhh, we are sk8rs and we needed to roll! In 2010 as we started the planning for the 266mile training/rolling across South Dakota sk8s were at the top of the list of needs to make this event happen because as we all looked at the current setups we were rolling on and it was obvious they would not survive the journey nor even the training.
Now imagine your car broke down, you're in the middle of no mans land, no cars are in site or civilization, there is somewhere you need to be to make something amazing happen which could be reached by foot but you will be about 2 days late, let's say it's 13 degrees hotter out than boiling water, finally you lose hope on ever seeing that dream become a reality, and just then at that exact moment of sitting down to sulk you spot a vehicle in the distance heading your way. As the dream come true car approaches and gradually comes to a hault, the tinted window rolls down and there sitting in the front seat is a female who states " My name is Vanilla, Where do we need to go?!" with a kind smile on her face. As you hop into the air conditioned vehicle she hands you a thirst quenching glass of milk & freshly baked cookies which soothes your previous worried self. She informs you instantly that her friend, who is a mechanic, is already in route to come get your car and fix it up. As she drops you off at your destination right on time and you have thanked her 1 million times, you know that she will never realize how much she provided a solution to your problem and that you are eternally grateful! Now I know that's a lengthy lead up to explaining this and may be a little far fetched but Vanilla Skates made all our dreams come true for Sk8 the State for MS when we thought it was not possible and they did it with no ifs ands or buts but rather smiles & humbleness. They believed in our mission just as much as we did of eradicated such a debilitated disease and wanted to make sure we made the journey happen! After saving the day and sending us set ups of Brass Knuckles, Sk8 the State for MS 2010 rolled just as planned (granted it was our first year at the event and we learned many valuable lessons along the 266 miles) and our Vanilla Skates were right there with us with every stride!
In 2011 Team Ironfeet took to sk8ing Nebraska's 216 miles as Vanilla Skates provided Curves for Sum Mo Payne, Dubbs & Skinnerella and Knuckles again for P.B.R. and yet again in 2012 the unsung hero "Vanilla" has provided Team Ironfeet with the means to make Sk8 the State for MS across Iowa happen!
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| Dubbs |
Melissa "Sum Mo Payne" Dittberner & Dani "Dubbs" Bock are rolling this year on Vanilla Tiffany Diamond Boots and Libby "P.B.R." Claeys is sticking with her old faithful Vanilla Brass Knuckle Boots in anticipation for another successful year of raising funds and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis.
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| Sum Mo Payne |
Mike, Steph and the whole Vanilla Skates crew: THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR SOLES! Not only do you provide us with dependable, sturdy, withstand the most trying elements and 100% guaranteed skates but you also provide us with the knowing that you believe in us and our cause! We can never fully express enough THANK YOU-THANK YOU-THANK YOU- times 8 million, times supercalifrajalistic 47 infinity million, plus 4. That 4 is the testimonials from Team Ironfeet from Sk8 the State for MS that we are rolling on great quality products that anyone can ask us about, which will be responded on with a genuine answer that we are rolling on the best! VANILLA FOR LIFE!
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| P.B.R. |
