Looking for just the right thing for your roller derby queen this Valentine’s Day? Here are a few options to light up her eyes.

Spend Money

Nothing says love like $800 custom roller skates! Don’t love her quite that much? No matter. There are lots of great skate gear and derby apparel that she’ll love at all price points.

Rollergirl.ca: If she loves derby and roller-skating, then she will love just about anything from Rollergirl (read our full review here). Rollergirl carries everything a roller skater could possibly want, from wheels to bearings to helmets in team colours. The staff can help you find just the right thing for her. Rollergirl is a Vancouver shop, and they are open on Saturdays. If you aren’t from Vancouver, order online, and give your girl a printout of the gift if you can’t get it shipped in time. If she’s not delighted, even though it’s not in her hands yet, that tells you something.

Pivot Star: Pivot Star is a great Vancouver company that makes awesome clothing just for derby (read our full review here). Pivot Star gear is available at Rollergirl, or can be ordered online. They have gift certificates, too.

Roller Kandi: Roller Kandi makes gorgeous derby-themed shirts and hoodies, and it’s their company mission to support the sport. Get her one of everything. She’s worth it. If you can’t get the goods shipped in time, again, give her a picture. If she’s not ok with that, phooey on her.

Spend Less Money

Not everyone is a Rockefeller. Your Valentine’s Day gift doesn’t have to cost much, it just has to be thoughtful. I know that’s a tall order, so we’ve done the thinking for you.

Socks: Any derby girl worth her…well…socks, will love a nice fresh pair of knee-highs (or two, or 14. Whatever your budget allows.) You can sometimes luck out and find great knee socks at Winners, or another big department store, but for a reliable selection, check out Sock Dreams (read our full review here). They even offer email gift certificates, for a last-minute gift.

Shoelaces: Derby is hard on skates, and laces can shred in a single practice. A few pairs in her team colours should win you some partner points. Check out Rollergirl.ca for a nice selection of coloured laces.

Hockey tape: Again, derby is hard on skates. Derby girls go through hockey tape by the kilometer. Get her a few rolls in fun colours, and she’ll think that you “get” her.

Cones: She will love her very own set of fluorescent orange traffic cones. Seriously. She can practice all sorts of drills with them. Find them in dollar stores for as little as four/$1. Get her several different sizes, so she can practice jumping over different heights. If you want to throw in a cheesy metaphor about how your love (or anything else) is growing, you are on your own.

Epsom Salts: She’s an athlete. Get her a vat of Epsom or sea salt for healing baths. They sell great huge bags of the stuff for a couple of bucks in the drug store. Spend another dollar on a fancy glass jar in the dollar store to put the salt in to make it look expensive, and you’ll be her hero.

Traumeel or other Arnica cream: You may have noticed that she’s frequently covered in bruises. Get her a tube of Traumeel or another arnica cream from the health food store. This is a natural remedy that helps heal bruises. Also, Traumeel makes a nice oral tablet that helps with inflammation and makes you feel better after an insane workout. She’ll love it.

Spend Time

The best gifts don’t have to cost much at all. You just have to show you care.

Wash her gear: Just make certain it will be dry before her next practice, or she will kill you. Washing her gear will show your love, spare her from a disagreeable task, and, best of all, spare you from the nasty, nasty stench.

Feed her: Roller derby takes a huge amount of time. Teams practice two or three times a week, plus she’ll have league meetings, committee meetings, and off-skate fitness. I betcha she doesn’t have time to cook for herself very often. Make her a nice meal, and make sure there are leftovers she can grab before her next practice.

Give her a massage: After being hit repeatedly for a few hours at practice, she can use a good massage. Play close attention to her lower back, hips and thighs. Those are the muscles she uses skating. Honest.

Show up: Go watch her play, or even just watch a practice (if her practices allow spectators). Actually pay attention, and then tell her she’s awesome. Seriously, dude. It’s just as simple as that.