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From The Air To The Ice Kxly Reporter Laces Up Rollerblades In League Full Of Men

Mike Bond Correspondent

Kerry Tomlinson is not your typical television personality.

When the camera goes off, the KXLY reporter and fill-in anchor trades in the glamour of the spotlight for a pair of rollerblades and a hockey stick - and the physical world of hockey.

In this case, it’s roller hockey. Tomlinson is in her first year as a player in the Bladin’ Inc. leagues at Eagles Ice-A-Rena.

So why would this 27-year-old woman want to risk her appearance, an admitted life-line in the TV industry, for some fun?

“I need challenges in my life,” Tomlinson said. “What more of a challenge is there than to enter a men’s league, not knowing what to do?”

Tomlinson was tired of simply rollerblading around her house, but enjoyed it enough she wanted to try some other facet of the sport. She got that chance after seeing a sign at this year’s Bloomsday convention at the Spokane Convention Center.

“I asked the lady working at the booth if there were a lot of females,” Tomlinson recalled. “She just sat there and looked at me.”

A few days later, Tomlinson, who had seen only one hockey game in her life, showed up at the Eagles for the “rate skate,” a preseason practice session where players’ abilities were rated on skating, shooting and passing, as well as how well they fared in scrimmages. She was the only woman and felt a little overwhelmed.

“They put this (full-faced) helmet on me and I couldn’t hear what they were saying,” Tomlinson said. “I saw all these guys in full gear and I had never picked up a hockey stick in my whole life.”

Tomlinson made it through those practices and was placed on a team called the Bruins. Teams are comprised of players with varying skill and ability levels for parity.

During the first session, which ran from May 15 to June 29, the Bruins were 1-3-2 and finished third in the midseason double-elimination tournament. Tomlinson had no goals, but considered herself much improved, noting that she finally can skate backwards.

Following another “rate skate,” Tomlinson was placed on the Bulldogs for the second session that culminates with the league tournament Aug. 19-20. The Bulldogs are 1-3-1 and third in the adult division.

“In the beginning, I was useless out there,” Tomlinson said. “Now, every game I see improvement and somebody always tells me how much I’m improving.”

Tomlinson came to Spokane in 1993 from KVEW in the Tri-Cities. Before that, she spent 2-1/2 years in Yakima at KAPP and worked around the world for ABC News after graduating from the University of California at Berkeley in 1989 with a degree in rhetoric.

As for the Tomlinson’s hockey future, she would like to play in the winter women’s ice hockey leagues at Eagles.

“Roller hockey stops for the winter and it would be silly for me to sit around for six months if I want to achieve any level of competence in hockey,” Tomlinson said. “I want to play to polish my skills if they let me.”

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Blading picks up popularity It is fairly obvious that rollerblading is quickly sweeping the country. Look anywhere and you’re bound to find someone rollerblading down the sidewalk or a couple of kids playing roller hockey in the street. According to American Sports Data, more than 10 million people have taken up the activity since 1991. That increase is showing at the roller hockey rinks. Bladin, Inc. of Spokane has grown from 116 individuals last year, when there was no split session, to 250 participants with a split-session format this year. The split session is designed to give players two weeks off around the Fourth of July. Wenatchee has a growing league and Seattle is about to start a league, but is facing problems because there are more than 500 people on the waiting list for a team, according to Kerry Blair, a partner in Bladin, Inc. Roller hockey is also relatively inexpensive. The first session costs $115 per player, with $15 going to the Inline Hockey Association for insurance. The second session is $100 for those who played in the first session. The entry fee includes two referees per game, scorekeeper, jerseys and an issue of Inline magazine every month. “Honestly, I think inline hockey is less imtimidating than ice hockey, so people are drawn to it.” Blair said. “It is also less expensive compared to ice hockey.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: Blading picks up popularity It is fairly obvious that rollerblading is quickly sweeping the country. Look anywhere and you’re bound to find someone rollerblading down the sidewalk or a couple of kids playing roller hockey in the street. According to American Sports Data, more than 10 million people have taken up the activity since 1991. That increase is showing at the roller hockey rinks. Bladin, Inc. of Spokane has grown from 116 individuals last year, when there was no split session, to 250 participants with a split-session format this year. The split session is designed to give players two weeks off around the Fourth of July. Wenatchee has a growing league and Seattle is about to start a league, but is facing problems because there are more than 500 people on the waiting list for a team, according to Kerry Blair, a partner in Bladin, Inc. Roller hockey is also relatively inexpensive. The first session costs $115 per player, with $15 going to the Inline Hockey Association for insurance. The second session is $100 for those who played in the first session. The entry fee includes two referees per game, scorekeeper, jerseys and an issue of Inline magazine every month. “Honestly, I think inline hockey is less imtimidating than ice hockey, so people are drawn to it.” Blair said. “It is also less expensive compared to ice hockey.”