My first North Star Roller Girls bout was exciting, intimidating and confusing. So, like the first time I cupped coffee, I had to break it down and simplify it. I started by picking out something that was easy, something that stood out and was fun, something I could latch onto. That was Tin Lizzy. She was graceful and present and, where others seemed to either be skating in circles or getting knocked around, she simply glided around and through everyone else as though she wasn’t even aware of their presence, or they her's. She was simultaneously like an apparition and the only thing I could see or make sense of. I watched her the whole bout, even when she wasn’t skating, even when her team wasn’t skating. Maybe it was the camouflage skirt, maybe it was that she was brutish, arrogant and yet still had a sense of calm and kindness. One thing was for sure, she was fun to watch. The rest was a mess. Whistles blowing at seemingly random times, multiple refs that made bizarre hand gestures, women getting hit and that sometimes being okay and sometimes they would get kicked out of the jam for it, someone with a star on their helmet… for some reason. And yet, despite all the chaos, between Tin Lizzy and the greatest collection of weirdos and misfits that I have seen since my group of friends in high school, I was hooked. I wanted to understand it all. Incidentally, Sumatran was the first coffee I clung on to. Amongst all the other coffees it was immediately unique and interesting with its earthy soil smell and lingering tobacco. I could always, from the beginning, identify Sumatran coffees.

The next bout was a little easier, but I still walked away confused. The tutorial helped a lot. Blocker, pivot, jammer. Got it. Lead jammer is in control of ending the jam, scores points, passes people. I even recognized some of the team members from the last bout I had been at. The refs were still a mystery, when and why they blew their whistles and what on earth those hand signals meant. But I was getting it and it was fun and embracing and everyone was willing to answer questions when I had them. Repetition and dedication is key in understanding and appreciating something. Cupping coffee every day is imperative to really understanding the coffee you are drinking and how it slowly changes over time, and how it can abruptly change with just a few extra seconds in the roaster.

Now I’m to the point where I’m picking up on strategy and to where I was probably annoying to watch Whip It with. I have many favorites to cheer for, though I’m still partial to Tin Lizzy. And I’m really excited to announce our new Northern Fights Roast in conjunction with the North Star Roller Girls. It is a Peruvian bean from Cenfrocafe in Northern Peru. For those of you that remember and loved our limited Peruvian offering, here is your chance to enjoy it yet again. This coffee is very personal to me since we starting receiving it as a result of a Peru visit I made with Cooperative Coffees in the summer of 2008, and I’m thrilled we’ve been able to find a way of showcasing it as a single origin. Called AA since it passes rigorous quality sorting and testing, this coffee is buttery and well balanced all with a dark chocolate aftertaste, but my favorite is the soft presence of stone fruit at the front of the cup. Come out to a bout, pick up a pound of coffee and fall in love with something.

Cheers,
Keith (aka Homer Roddick)