Pool Party

Pool Party all day and night during during RollerCon!

Westgate Vagina Pool The Westgate Pool, which definitely DOES NOT look at all like lady parts, will be open from 8am Wed to 8pm Sunday for registered hotel guests & people who can show a room key. A RollerCon pass and matching ID that says you’re over 21 will get you into the BnB Ball on Saturday night, but you will need a room key to get in the elevator to get to the pool.

The way it works is this:
Vegas hotel pools usually close at dusk – or even earlier! 6pm is not unusual. But for RollerCon, we get the pool *as long as its a chill scene* and we’re not bothering other guests. The only time the pool closes is when rookie drinkers barf in it. So push them over to the grass (and call SkateSafe so we can get them the help they actually need).

The pool stays pretty mellow during late night hours. Feel the need to get rowdy? Please don’t screw this up for everyone. Head over to the casino bars. They’ll be going all night long and you can be as loud as you want.

Westgate Management has outlawed floaties and rafts in the pool during RollerCon. The upside is that without giant floats and beer islands, the lifeguards will be able to see if any swimmers are in distress. This rule is meant to prevent you from dying. Because we prefer you alive. [Original RC17 photo by GI Jones]

Renting Pool Cabanas

  • NOT DURING BNB:
    Rent cabanas for anytime *except the Black n Blue Ball* at the snack bar or by calling Westgate. Cabana pricing and reservations are available from the Spa department

  • DURING BNB:
    • You can WIN a cabana on social media, or in the RollerCon raffle! You cannot purchase a cabana for the BNB (unless you are an RC Sponsor).
  • Please note: if you rent a cabana through Westgate for “all day” Saturday – your day ends when the pool closes for party setup at 7pm. You will not have the cabana for the party.

General Thoughts & Advice About the Uterus Pool
Or: in Defense of Moo Moos, Big Hats and Salt on Your Margaritas
Updated 6/30/2022

You must always wear “proper resort attire” in the pool this year (this is new). We’re a small group this year and there are a lot more not-us at the hotel than usual. We also have new hotel bosses (and staff) and they don’t know us yet.

 

1. What that means for you is that we absolutely cannot be as naked in the public areas as we used to when we were thousands. Please be cognizant that our rules about nudity, [especially boobs and cheeks out] are for RollerCon private areas, which does include the pool after 7, but does not include public areas and the pool during normal open to everyone hours. There are likely to be a lot of kids and folks from repressive places that will complain about us, and we can’t have it. We want them to invite us back!

 

2. DO NOT BARF IN THE POOL. Barf in the grass, in a trash can, on a planter, in your own cooler or backpack – ANYWHERE but in the pool. If you barf in the pool it closes for everyone and they rarely get it open again the same day.

 

DO NOT BE THE PERSON WHO CLOSES THE POOL.
3. Dehydration is a HUGE DEAL. Maybe right now you’re thinking: I never barf. And I always carry water. But Vegas takes no prisoners, friends. Even if you’re accustomed to
– temps over 100F (38C)
– blazing, unrelenting sun
– humidity averaging less than 10%
>>> (by comparison summer in San Diego is 20-30%, LA and Austin are 50-80%, Atlanta 75%, etc)…
– availability of more booze at all hours than normal
– you can still smoke in Vegas, I think!
– almost everyone skates more than they usually do
– the food is pretty eh in hotels so it’s easy to skip it or eat junk food
– you haven’t seen your friends from everywhere in so long
– you’re in party mode
– etc etc etc
All these things contribute to dehydration, which is one of the things our medics treat most and probably a factor in most of your skating injuries, too. Dehydration presents as barfing and dizziness for a lot of folks, especially if you mix in booze. (also thirstiness, being tired, not peeing and when you do it stinks).
If you don’t deal with the dehydration, it can get so much worse, and guess what: you can die. So have a plan, and look for signs of dehydration in your friends, too, especially if you’re spending time outside (including at night, when it is still super dry). A way to check a friend (or btw an animal) for severe dehydration is pinch loose skin on their arm or hand. If it doesn’t bounce back, it “tents” there’s a problem. Llack of skin elasticity is an easy way to tell someone is super dehydrated.
Back to that humidity thing. When there’s no humidity, you don’t sweat. I mean, you are sweating, but it dries instantly rather than dampening your skin, so it doesn’t feel like it. And so your body works overtime, using all its moisture to cool you, but you don’t get cool, you just get dehydrated. This is why you often see people in super hot cultures like in N. Africa wearing giant white flowy garments – that reflects the blazing sun, covers your skin and helps keep your moisture in. So. Moo moos are not just for fashion, ya’ll. They are flowery protection from the sun and dehydration, as well.
Ya brain needs hydration to function, so guess what, being dehydrated makes you dumber, too, and less likely to care for yourself properly.
Avoiding dehydration is not as simple as drinking water, unfortunately. Drinking water is the first step in fighting it, but not the only step. Your body must also retain the water, and you can help with salts – like the complex salts in sports drinks, or salty french fries once a day with all that water and sports drinks. Or… salt on the rim!
PARTY & FIGHT DEHYDRATION
My favorite cocktail is a Dirty Gatorade: low cal gatorade and whiskey over ice, sometimes with 7up if I’m feeling fruity. A brunch fave is salt on the rim, full flavor (usually red) gatorade and ice in a blender, then in the glass with half champagne (I’m from the desert, ya’ll). Add fruit to the cocktail, and also eat it, too. Cocktails featuring coconut water are also super nice (but weird if you salt the rim, I tried). Chips and salsa are also great for getting salt in.
But in all seriousness, you must also drink water. Every other drink should be water, no matter what you’re having (sodas, beers, whatever). Salty lemonade is also super nice.
And you need shade. Wear hats. Really ridiculous sun hats with veils and flowers & feathers glued to them were a thing in 2018 and 2019. Will they be this year? I mean. I’m bringing mine when I go outside. 2 feet of shade on my head everywhere I go, can’t beat that!
Something to know: many folks can get really badly sunburned in less than 5 minutes in the desert. A really bad sunburn plus chilly indoors A/C in the convention area SUCKS, friends. Sunblock and coverups are mandatory. Don’t think you’re getting a tan in one afternoon in the desert, it just doesn’t work that way. Ever, for anyone.
POOL CONTESTS
Let’s face it, derby folks like to compete. The convention includes lots of folks who aren’t derby, so ya’ll might need to help them with some of this fun! Favorites of previous years that should be brought back:
  • – Leg Wrestling
  • – Canoeing (ask Montreal)
  • – Pool Derby (*sigh* if only Refs2U were still around)
  • – Synchronized swimming contests
  • – I don’t know what they called it, but the year that everyone was doing the “wave” into the pool, those photos were friggin awesome. Don’t get in trouble with the lifeguards. But oh, have some FUN!!!